Sweet Dreams, Roary!

Mama Tiger tiptoed into the room, her heart doing a little happy dance. There he was, her Roary, a fluffy orange ball of snoozing tiger, nestled deep within the plush branches of the giant fern. He’d chosen it himself, this secret, leafy hideaway, and after Papa Tiger’s clever “Hide-and-Sleep” game, it had miraculously transformed from a mischievous escape into a perfectly acceptable napping spot. Mama Tiger’s whiskers twitched with a mixture of relief and a tiny bit of amusement. She’d been so worried, pacing the jungle floor, her ears straining for any sound that wasn't a happy, energetic roar. But now, only the softest, most contented little snores filled the air.

She knelt beside the fern, her big, gentle paws carefully pushing aside a few stray fronds. Roary’s little striped body was curled up tight, his tail tucked neatly around his nose. He looked so small, so peaceful, so… asleep. Mama Tiger couldn’t help but smile. She remembered all the frantic attempts, the whispered negotiations, the near-desperate attempts to coax him into his cozy bed. The story of the brave little firefly who got lost in the dark, the lullaby that sounded suspiciously like a grumpy badger’s grumble, even the elaborate pillow fort that had nearly collapsed under Roary’s enthusiastic bouncing. And then Papa’s brilliant, slightly bonkers idea. Hide-and-Sleep. Who would have thought that a game designed to *find* a missing cub would actually be the key to him *staying* found, and more importantly, staying asleep?

Papa Tiger padded softly into the room, his own tail giving a slow, satisfied swish. He peered at Roary, a wide grin spreading across his stripey face. "Well, I'll be a bamboo shoot," he rumbled, his voice low so as not to disturb the slumbering cub. "He actually did it. He hid himself right into a nap."