Mason loved big trucks. He loved diggers most of all. And he loved the color orange.
One evening, Mason sat on the rug with his toy digger. It was a big orange one. He yawned a little yawn. Then he closed his eyes and pretended.
Poof! In his pretend, Mason was on a farm. The sun was low and golden. The sky was pink and orange, just like his digger.
"Hello, Mason!" said a soft voice.
It was Dot, a round, fluffy sheep. She had a kind, smiling face.
"Hello, Dot!" said Mason.
"We are making a cozy pile of hay for the sleepy animals," said Dot. "Will you help us?"
"Yes!" said Mason.
Right beside Dot sat a big orange digger. It was just his size. It had a shiny scoop and big, round wheels.
Mason climbed up. He gripped the lever. Vroom, vroom!
Mason scooped up a big pile of hay. Scoop. Lift. Drop.
The hay landed in the barn. It made a soft, sweet-smelling heap.
"Lovely!" said Dot.
Mason went back for more. Scoop. Lift. Drop.
The cow named Bo came to watch. Bo had big, gentle eyes.
"Moo," said Bo. "That hay smells so nice."
A little duck waddled up. Then a lamb. Then a pony with a soft, swishy tail.
They all watched Mason work. He was careful. He scooped the hay with a nice, even scoop. He dropped it right in the middle of the heap.
Once, a bit of hay fell on the grass outside the barn.
Mason stopped his digger. He hopped down. He picked up the hay in his hands. He tucked it back into the pile.
"Thank you, Mason," said the little duck. "Now it is neat and tidy."
Mason smiled. He climbed back up.
Scoop. Lift. Drop. Scoop. Lift. Drop.
The pile grew taller and taller. The sun grew lower and lower.
Mason stopped to rest. He sat in the digger and took a slow breath. The pony brought him a cool sip of water in a little orange cup.
"Ahhh," said Mason.
When he was ready, he scooped a few more times.
Then the hay pile was done. It was big and round and soft, like a golden cloud.
"Oh, Mason," said Dot. "Look at what we made."
The animals cuddled into the hay. Bo lay down. The lamb curled up. The duck tucked her head under her wing. The pony gave a little sleepy sigh.
"Come and rest, Mason," said Dot.
Mason parked his digger by the barn door. He patted its warm orange side. Then he snuggled into the hay beside the lamb.
The hay was so soft. The air was so still.
The last bit of orange sun slid behind the hills. The sky turned a deep, dreamy blue.
"Good night, Mason," whispered Dot.
"Good night," whispered Mason.
Mason felt happy and proud. Making a cozy bed for his friends had been a good thing to do.
His eyes grew heavy. His breathing grew slow.
And then Mason was back on the rug, in his own cozy room. His mama scooped him up in her warm arms and carried him to bed.
She tucked the blanket up under his chin. His toy digger sat on the shelf, right where he could see it.
Mason snuggled into his pillow. His tummy was warm. His toes were warm. His whole body felt soft and heavy.
He thought of the golden hay and his sleepy friends.
Mason yawned a great big yawn.
And with a little smile, he fell fast asleep.
馃寵 The End 馃寵
This story was written by AI for an example child named Mason, and it passed the same safety check every Tuck-In Tales story gets before it's sent.