Olivia was three years old, and she had a gray stuffed elephant named Peanut. Peanut had enormous ears and a pink scarf around her neck. Olivia also had a pink pacifier, her nighttime buddy.
During the day, the pacifier stayed on the nightstand, waiting. But when night came, Olivia couldn't fall asleep without it. Mom read her a story, gave her a kiss and turned off the big light.
And Olivia popped the pacifier in her mouth and closed her eyes. The trouble was, sometimes the pacifier escaped during the night. Then Olivia woke up and searched for it in the dark, upset.
“Mommy! My pacifier!” she called, her voice full of tears. And Mom came in half asleep to help her look.
One night, after the story, Olivia noticed something strange. Peanut was lying beside her with her ears wide open. “Peanut can't fall asleep,” Olivia whispered into the dark.
Olivia knew what Mom did when she couldn't sleep: she sang to her. So she hugged Peanut and started to sing. But with the pacifier in her mouth, all that came out was “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”
Olivia slowly took out the pacifier and set it on the nightstand. Then she rocked Peanut in her arms, like a baby. “Sleep now, Peanut, the moon is in sight,” she sang softly. “Close your eyes, I'm here all night.”
She sang the song once, and again, slower each time. Peanut's ears grew still, and Olivia's eyes closed too.
The next morning, Mom came into the room and was surprised. The pacifier was still on the nightstand, and Olivia had slept all night long. “I sang to Peanut,” Olivia explained proudly. “And you can't sing with a pacifier.”
After breakfast, she found a little wooden box with a yellow ribbon. She put the pacifier inside and carefully closed the lid. “I'm keeping it as a memory,” she said. “Now, at night, I do the singing.”
Mom gave her a huge hug, and they put the box on the shelf.
That night, Olivia climbed into bed with Peanut and looked out the window. There was the moon, round and calm, just like in the song. “Sleep now, Peanut, the moon is in sight,” Olivia sang very softly.
Peanut snuggled up against her, and Olivia let out a big, soft yawn. And the two of them fell asleep together, cuddled up, until morning. Goodnight, Olivia…
