The forest was quiet as the Dream Elves got ready. They packed little glowing bottles into their bags. Each bottle held light from a star, waiting to become dreams for sleeping children. “Hurry up!” called Pip, the youngest elf. “The Starry Messenger will be here soon!”

The elves worked quickly. Tonight, they had something special—a bottle with light from a new star. It was the brightest one yet, shining with new dreams.

Soon, the Starry Messenger arrived. He wore a sparkling robe, and his eyes were kind. “Is everything ready?” he asked the elves.

Pip nodded and held up the special bottle. “This one is from the new star. It’s really bright!”

The Messenger took the bottle gently. “I’ll make sure it reaches the right child,” he said. Then, he flew into the night, going over houses and into children’s rooms, leaving dreams behind.

As he flew, he whispered to each dream, guiding it to the right child. But when he got to the last house, he noticed something strange. The special bottle wasn’t glowing as much. The light inside flickered and dimmed.

“This isn’t right,” the Messenger said, worried. He flew back to the forest, where the elves were waiting. “The star’s light is fading,” he told them. “We need to find out why.”

The elves were confused. “Stars never lose their light,” one elf said.

“Maybe it’s scared,” said another.

Pip looked up at the sky. “Or maybe… the star is missing.”

The Messenger’s eyes widened. “A missing star?” Stars were supposed to stay in the sky. But this one was gone, and they had to find it.

The Messenger and the elves searched everywhere. They looked behind clouds, under the moon, and even in the lake where stars sometimes rest. But the missing star was nowhere to be found.

Finally, Pip saw a faint glow near the forest edge. He ran over, and there was the missing star, dim and tired.

“What happened?” Pip asked softly.

The star blinked weakly. “I fell,” it said. “I tried to shine, but it was too hard.”

The Messenger knelt beside the star. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “You don’t have to be the brightest right away.”

The star’s light grew a little stronger. “I wanted to make the perfect dream. But I got scared.”

The Messenger smiled. “Every dream is special, even the small ones. You don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help.”

The Dream Elves came closer, sharing their light with the star. Slowly, the star started to shine again, warm and bright.

“See?” Pip said. “You’re not alone.”

The star smiled, feeling better. “Thank you,” it whispered.

The Messenger took the bottle, now full of the star’s light again, and held it up high. The light was back, and it was beautiful.

Together, they watched as the star floated back up into the sky, glowing happily among the other stars. The Messenger waved goodbye and set off to deliver the last dream, knowing that even the smallest stars can light up the night.

And every child slept soundly, dreaming bright and happy dreams, thanks to the Starry Messenger and the little star who found its light again.