A nighttime story (or Bit by Bit)

Beck was a sweet, playful boy who never wanted to go to sleep. One night, he was up late and would not go to sleep. It was so late that the sky was a deep dark purple, the stars shone bright and the moon was high in the sky.

His parents told him it was time to go to sleep. He was tired and it was too late. He kept insisting he wasn’t tired.

Beck yawned a giant yawn.

“Aha,” exclaimed mama. You are tired!

“I’m not tired,” Beck replied. “That’s my arm, my arm is tired.”

His parents looked at him with doubt in their eyes.

He yawned a yawn so big you could see his epiglottis.

“Aha,” his tata cried. “You’re tired.”

“I’m not tired,” Beck replied. “That’s my elbow, my elbow is tired.”

Eyebrows raised.

Yawwwn and a burst of warm air flew out of Beck’s mouth.

His parents just looked at him with knowing smiles.

“I’m not tired,” Beck replied. “That’s my tummy, my tummy is tired.”

His mama picked him up and his body relaxed in her arms. His eyes were half closed.

“I’m not tired,” Beck struggled weakly in his mama’s arms. “That’s my cheeks, my cheeks are tir….”

The rest of his words never made it out of his mouth. Beck had fallen asleep.

His mama placed him gently in his bed, covered him with his favorite turtle blanket. She kissed his cheek and left him to sleep.