Malik and the Blanket That Was Too Big

Pop! Pop-pop! A little bubble floated up past Malik's nose. Malik was a little whale. He had a round gray head and a tail that went swish, swish, swish.

Mama Whale swam beside him through the soft blue water. "Today is a daycare day," she said.

Malik blew one small bubble. "Will you come back?" he asked.

"I always come back," said Mama. "I drop you off, and then I come back at pickup time. I always come back."

"Daycare is a new place," said Mama. "It is warm and soft. You will like it there."

The daycare was a warm cave with a round window. It smelled like warm milk and fresh laundry. A kind old turtle waved from the door.

Malik bumped his nose on Mama's nose. "Pickup time," he said.

"Pickup time," said Mama. And off she swam, with one slow flick of her tail.

The old turtle had a slow, soft voice. "Hello, Malik," she said. "Come in. We will look after you here."

Inside the cave, Malik met Ines. Ines was a little dolphin with a quick, splashy tail. "Come and see the sleepy rock," she said.

The cave had a soft sandy floor. There were shells on a shelf and a rug made of soft green weeds.

The sleepy rock was round and flat. On it sat a big soft blanket, as soft as a cloud.

"Nap time soon," said Ines. "We push the blanket up. Then we nap."

Malik pushed the blanket with his nose. He pulled it with his tail. Swish, swish, swish. The blanket stayed right where it was.

Ines pushed too. She pushed with her nose and her flippers. The blanket did not move. Not even a little.

"Together, together, we can do it," said Ines.

Malik pushed. Ines pulled. Swish, swish, splash. The blanket stayed right where it was.

"Together, together, we can do it," they said again.

Then up swam Pip. Pip was a tiny seahorse, small as a thumb, with a curly tail.

"The blanket is stuck," said Malik.

Pip looked with small bright eyes. "Look," said Pip. "That corner is tucked under a shell."

"Together, together, we can do it," said all three.

Pip slipped into the little gap, small and quick, and popped the corner free. Pop!

Malik pushed with his big strong tail. Ines pushed with her splashy nose. Pip held the corner tight.

"Ready?" said Pip. "Ready," said Malik. "Ready," said Ines.

Up went the blanket. Up, up, and over, onto the sleepy rock.

"Together, together, we did it!" they said. "Hooray," said Ines, and she splashed her tail.

Then came a big soft yawn. Yaaawn. Ines yawned. Pip yawned. Malik yawned the biggest yawn of all.

The three friends lay down on the sleepy rock. Malik pulled the blanket up to his chin. Shhh, went the sea. Shhh, shhh.

Somewhere far off, Mama sang one low note that hummed through the water. Malik smiled with his eyes shut.

The moon looked in through the round window. It made a small silver puddle on the floor, round as a pearl.

Malik's eyes went slow. His tail went still. The cave was warm, and the blanket was soft, and the sea went shhh, shhh, shhh.

Tap, tap, tap. Something soft bumped his nose. It was Mama.

"Pickup time," said Mama. "I came back."

"You always come back," said Malik.

He floated home beside Mama, slow and sleepy, past the round window and the quiet moon. The water went shhh. The moon went with them, round and warm.

Goodnight, Malik. Goodnight, soft blanket. Goodnight, moon at the window.