The Little Wolf and the Blue Cloud
Little Wolf wakes up with a quiet knot in his chest. He yawns. He sniffers the air. The sun is warm. The birds sing. But Little Wolf feels small inside. He does not know the word.
He walks to the meadow. The grass tickles his paws. He sees his friends playing. He wants to join. He takes a step. His paws stop. His tail tucks a little. He sits on a soft rock.
A tiny blue cloud floats down. It is not a big rain cloud. It is soft and round. It settles above Little Wolf's head like a little hat. It hums quietly.
"Hello," says the cloud in a whisper. "I am Blue."
Little Wolf touches the cloud with his paw. It feels like a cool blanket. "I feel funny," he says. "I want to play, but I want to stay here."
Blue drifts lower. "That is me," says Blue. "I am called sad." The word sounds soft. Little Wolf hears it again. "Sad," he says out loud. The word sits in his mouth. It fits like a small stone in his paw.
He watches his friends. The rabbits hop. The squirrels chatter. Little Wolf watches their bright faces. He feels the soft blue cloud on his head. It does not push him. It does not shout. It only sings low.
"Sometimes I come when you miss someone," Blue says. "Or when a toy breaks. Or when you feel left out. It is okay." Blue hums a gentle tune.
Little Wolf remembers yesterday. He shared his red ball. He watched it roll away. He could not find it. He felt a wet drop near his eye. He did not like that feeling. Now he knows the name. "I was sad," he says. Saying it makes him breathe a little deeper.
Blue shows Little Wolf a small mirror made of lake water. Little Wolf looks. His cheeks are soft. A tiny tear shines. Blue does not make him hide it. Blue sings, "Tears help hearts clean their rain."
A rabbit hops near. "Are you okay?" she asks. Little Wolf nods. He tries the word again. "I am sad," he says. The rabbit sits. She pats his back with a furry paw. "Do you want a hug?" she asks. Little Wolf nods again. The hug is warm. The blue cloud grows a little lighter.
They walk to the willow tree. A squirrel brings a shiny small stone. "It is pretty," says the squirrel. He rolls the stone to Little Wolf. Little Wolf smiles slowly. The blue cloud lifts a tiny bit. His knot loosens like a soft string.
Blue whispers, "You can name me. You can breathe. You can share. You can rest." Little Wolf listens. He breathes in. He breathes out. He says the word one more time. "Sad."
Home and a Gentle Night
As the sun goes down, the friends sit together. Little Wolf feels warm inside. The blue cloud is now thin like a scarf. He knows his feeling. He knows what helps.
"Good night," says the rabbit. "Sleep well."
Little Wolf curls in a small nest of leaves. He hugs the shiny stone. He remembers that it is okay to feel sad sometimes. He remembers the hug, the word, the breath. He remembers Blue and the little song. The cloud hums one last soft note and drifts up, smiling.
Little Wolf closes his eyes. He feels calm. The knot is gone for now. He feels safe. He sleeps. He dreams of bright mornings and friendly clouds. The world feels gentle, and he knows he can say the word "sad" and find comfort when he needs it.
