Once upon a time there was a girl named Joana. She was five years old, with chocolate brown hair and a teddy bear named Pingo.
Joana loved to play. She played with play dough, ran around the yard, made up stories with her dolls… But there was one thing she didn’t like so much: going to bed early.
When the sun went down and the sky got dark, Joana would start making up reasons not to go to bed. “One more drawing!” she would say. Or: “I’m thirsty… can I have another glass of water?”
Her mother would say:
“Joana, the moon is in the sky, it’s time to rest!”
But Joana didn’t want to know about the moon. She wanted to play more.
The next morning, Joana would wake up with a face like a gray cloud. She would yawn a lot. She was too lazy to even get out of bed. In the school garden, everyone was running, jumping, smiling… and Joana just wanted to sit down.
“What’s wrong, Joana?” asked the teacher.
“I’m tired…” said Joana, her eyes small.
In the following days, this continued. Joana started to have a headache, she couldn’t pay attention to the stories, and even Pingo seemed sad.
Then, on a silent night, Joana heard a little noise coming from the window. It was the Moon, who appeared quietly and said:
— Joana, why don’t you sleep when I get home?
Joana was surprised.
— I… wanted to play more…
The Moon smiled and explained in a soft voice:
— While you sleep, your body grows strong, your heart rests, and your brain organizes all its ideas. Going to bed early is like giving your future a hug.
Joana thought and thought… and decided to take a test.
The next night, she put on her pajamas, hugged Pingo, and when the Moon appeared in the sky, she closed her eyes.
The next morning… Joana woke up looking like a sun!
She had the energy to run, laugh, paint and play with her friends.
Even the teacher noticed:
— Joana! Your eyes are shining today!
— I went to bed early yesterday — she said proudly.
And so, Joana learned that the Moon was not boring.
She just wanted to help.
The end.
