by Julie Sullivan
Every night, Amelia brushes her teeth, puts on her fuzzy bunny pajamas, and climbs into bed with her favorite stuffed giraffe, Mr. Pickles. She always checked under the bed—just in case. Because everyone knows that’s where monsters like to hide.
But tonight, when she peeked under… something peeked back
She found Moozle.
Moozle was a tiny, round monster with purple fur, googly eyes, and socks on all six of his feet. He had a big grin and a voice that sounded like a hiccup wrapped in a giggle.
“Hi!” he whispered. “I’m Moozle. I live under your bed. Wanna play?”
Amelia blinked. “Aren’t monsters supposed to be scary?”
Moozle gasped. “Me? Scary? I once got scared by my own shadow. I named it Kevin.”
Amelia giggled. “You’re silly.”
“I know!” Moozle said proudly. “But I can’t sleep. I need to play until I’m sleepy. Will you help?”
Amelia looked at the clock. “Just for a little while.”
So, they played:
Sock Toss: Moozle tossed his socks in the air and tried to catch them on his horns.
Shadow Puppets: They made a giraffe, a dragon, and something that looked like a spaghetti noodle.
Monster Yoga: Moozle tried to do a downward dog but got stuck in a pretzel shape.
Finally, Moozle yawned a big monster yawn. “I think I’m sleepy now.”
Amelia smiled. “Me too.”
Moozle crawled back under the bed, snuggled into his nest of socks and marshmallow pillows.
“Thanks, Amelia,” he whispered. “You’re the best monster-friend ever.”
Amelia curled up with Mr. Pickles and whispered back, “Goodnight, Moozle.”
And from under the bed came a soft snore that sounded like a giggle wrapped in a hiccup. Moozle had found a new home, as well as a new place to sleep.
He surely was one happy little monster. Amelia was happy too. She had a funny monster for a friend.
The End!
