Woolly the Little Sheep and the Counting Song
In a green field under a wide evening sky, there lived a little sheep named Woolly — and Woolly had the most important job of all. Every night, when children all over the world lay down to sleep, it was Woolly and his flock who leaped, one by one, over a little wooden fence, so the children could count them and drift off to dreams.
One… two… three… Over the fence the sheep would jump, soft and slow and woolly, while sleepy children counted them and felt their eyes grow heavy. Four… five… six… It worked every time. There was nothing so cosy, so calming, so perfectly sleepy, as counting the little sheep hop gently over the fence.
Woolly loved his job. He loved being soft and slow. He loved helping children fall asleep.
But one night, when all the children of the world were finally sleeping, and the flock's work was done, Woolly found that he was still wide awake.
"Everyone's asleep now," he said to the old grey sheep. "Even the children. But I'm not sleepy at all. Who counts the sheep to sleep?"
The old grey sheep smiled a soft, woolly smile. "Why, we count each other, little one. Come. Lie down in the sweet grass, and I'll do for you what you do for all those children."
So Woolly lay down in the cool, sweet grass. And the old grey sheep began to count, in a slow and gentle voice, as one by one the stars leaped softly over the dark hill above them.
One little star… over the hill. Two little stars… over the hill. Three…
Woolly watched the stars jump gently, slow and quiet, just the way he always jumped for the children. His woolly legs went still. His breathing went slow. His heavy eyes began to close.
Four little stars… five…
And before the old sheep could even count to six, little Woolly — soft and warm in the sweet green grass — was fast, fast asleep.