The Teddy Bear Guardian

Every teddy bear has a secret. When children fall asleep, teddy bears wake up and become guardians of the night.

Buttons was a small brown teddy with one button eye and patches on his paws. He belonged to a little boy named Sam, who was sometimes afraid of the dark.

Every night, when Sam's breathing became slow and peaceful, Buttons would stretch his fuzzy arms and begin his patrol. He'd check under the bed (nothing but dust bunnies), peek inside the closet (just clothes and shoes), and stand guard at the window (all clear!).

"Nothing scary here," Buttons would whisper. "Not on my watch."

One night, a shadow crept across Sam's wall. Buttons puffed out his chest and marched right up to it.

"Excuse me," said Buttons firmly, "but this room is protected. No shadows allowed."

The shadow shrunk back. "I'm just a tree branch," it whispered. "The wind is pushing me."

"Well, please sway more gently," said Buttons. "My boy is sleeping."

The branch agreed, and the scary shadow became a gentle wave good night.

In the morning, Sam woke up feeling safe and warm. He hugged Buttons tight.

"I had good dreams last night," Sam said.

If teddy bears could smile, Buttons would have grinned from ear to fuzzy ear. That's what guardians do—they keep the good dreams in and the scary things out.

The End