Jack loved sunflowers. He loved tractors, too, and he loved waiting for cookies to bake, even though waiting was the hardest part. Tonight, Jack was sitting on the rug in his room with his toy tractor, rolling it slowly back and forth. Then he closed his eyes and pretended, the way he liked to do. In his pretend, he was driving a big green tractor down a soft golden path.
The path led to a library.
It was a round, cozy library with a warm yellow glow. Tall shelves curved all around, and every shelf was full of books. When Jack parked his tractor by the door and stepped inside, the books began to whisper.
"Hello, Jack," whispered a little red book.
"Hello, Jack," whispered a blue one.
"Hello," said Jack, in his own whisper. "I like it here."
On the very top shelf, a small round book wriggled and tipped itself out. It floated down, flap, flap, flap, and landed in Jack's hands. It had a yellow cover with a big sunflower on the front.
"I'm Pip," whispered the book, in a kind, tiny voice. "I'm a book about growing sunflowers. Would you like to read me?"
"Yes, please!" said Jack.
Pip opened her pages. Inside there was a picture of a small brown seed. "First, we plant a seed," she whispered. "Then we wait."
"How long?" asked Jack.
"A little while," said Pip. "Come and see."
In the middle of the library there was a patch of soft, soft soil, right on the floor, with a little watering can beside it. Jack rolled up his sleeves. He dug a small hole with his finger and tucked the seed inside. Then he patted the soil, pat, pat, pat.
"Now we water it," said Pip. Jack took the little can and gave the seed a gentle sprinkle.
Jack looked at the soil. Nothing happened.
He looked a little longer. Still nothing.
"Pip, when will it grow?" he asked.
"Seeds grow slowly," whispered Pip. "They need time. Waiting is part of growing. Do you want to wait with me?"
Jack thought about it. He thought about waiting for cookies to bake, with the warm smell filling the kitchen. That was hard, but it was always worth it.
"Yes," Jack said. "I can wait."
So they waited together. The books on the shelves hummed a slow, sleepy tune. Jack sat on the soft floor with Pip in his lap. He counted the stars painted on the ceiling. One, two, three, four, five.
"Shall we read a page while we wait?" whispered Pip.
They read about bees that visit flowers, and about tractors that plow the fields in spring. Jack liked that part best. When they finished, Jack gave the soil another gentle sprinkle, and then he waited some more.
Then something wonderful happened. A tiny green sprout poked out of the soil. It was no bigger than Jack's fingertip.
"Oh!" said Jack, very quietly, so he wouldn't scare it. "Look, Pip!"
"You waited so kindly," whispered Pip. "And look what came."
Jack gave the sprout one more sip of water. He did not hurry it. He just sat beside it, smiling.
All the books whispered together, soft as feathers. "Well done, Jack. Well done."
A big yawn came over Jack. The golden light felt warm on his cheeks. Pip tucked herself into the crook of his arm, and the little green sprout swayed as if it were saying goodnight.
"Thank you for waiting with me," whispered Pip. "Patience helped the sunflower grow."
Jack nodded slowly. His eyes felt heavy, heavy, heavy. The whispering books grew quieter and quieter, like a lullaby at the end of the day.
And then Jack was back in his own room, curled up under his soft blanket, with his toy tractor tucked beside his pillow. The night was calm and quiet. He felt warm all the way down to his toes.
"Goodnight, little sprout," he whispered, with a sleepy smile.
And Jack drifted off to sleep, safe and cozy, dreaming of tall yellow sunflowers swaying in the sun.
馃寵 The End 馃寵
This story was written by AI for an example child named Jack, and it passed the same safety check every Tuck-In Tales story gets before it's sent.