Little Pine fell asleep that night before his mother’s goodnight kiss had left his forehead. His day had been one of those wonderfully satisfying ones where he had a hundred things to do and got them all done.
He had walked all the way around the large lake spreading the word that the Elf King and the Spirits of Play were coming. The sun had set and the first stars were glimmering in the sky by the time he got home and even then he could hear the excited laughter floating above the lake.
He was remembering the light of the stars as he fell asleep and drifted into the world of dreams.
The next thing he knew, a red bird was calling his name from snowy branches beyond the stars.
“Hello, Little Pine,” it sang. “I bring you greetings!”
“Hello, Red Bird,” Little Pine answered. “Where did you come from?”
“Most recently,” the red bird said, “I’ve been visiting the Home World of the Red Oaks. And some friends of yours asked me to bring you their greetings. So, as you can see, I slipped right into your dreams.”
“Too? Too? You’ve seen my friend, Too?” Little Pine said excitedly.
“Yes, and your dear pal Red Leaf, who thinks of you with warmth and joy.”
“Wow,” breathed Little Pine. “That’s wonderful!”
“They watched you today as you visited all the lakeside dwellers, and they know you have much to do in the days ahead. They said they would send you winds of happiness so that you could float as lightly as a leaf as you helped the elves prepare the woodland for your guests. Their wish for you is that you may work with ease and joy.”
“Oh, thank you, Red Bird!” Little Pine said in his dreams.
“You’re welcome, dear one,” said the red bird, her bright feathers fluttering in a sudden breeze.
Little Pine caught the fragrance of oak on the dream-wind that rose, blowing the snow from the trees and turning it into stars. Then the red bird slowly faded away, sweetly singing, “Sleep well, Little Pine. Sleep well.”