The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. But inside the house, at the end of the day, The children were tired, their eyelids were heavy, But the room was a mess, like a broken-down levee.
Toys on the carpet! Socks on the stair! There were blocks, there were books, scattered everywhere. “Oh dear,” said Sally. “We can’t go to sleep. The mess is too big, and the pile is too deep.”
Then… BUMP! From the front door, there came a soft thump. We looked! And we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him! The Cat in the Hat!
Chapter 1: The Picking-Up Machine
“Why do you sit there looking sad and awake?” Said the Cat. “With a mess like this, for goodness sake! You cannot rest well with toys on the floor. Wait! I have something right here at the door!”
He whistled a tune, low and sweet like a hum. And in rolled a machine with a thrum-thrum-thrum. “This is my Picker-Upper-Sleeper-So-Sweet! It picks up your toys and it makes the room neat.”
The Cat pressed a button. The machine gave a whir. It picked up the blocks with a soft, gentle purr. It picked up the cars and the dolls and the strings. It put them away in the box for the things. Swish, swish, swish. The sound was so light. The room was getting ready for the quiet of night.
Chapter 2: The Fish Says Hush
Our fish in the bowl, who was usually loud, Looked at the clean room and felt very proud. “The Cat is quite good,” said the fish in the pot. “He cleaned up the mess! He cleaned up a lot!”
“And now,” said the Cat, with a tip of his hat. “It is time to lie down on the rug or the mat. The Cleaning Machine has turned into a fan. It blows a cool breeze as soft as it can.”
The Cat waved his hand and the lights dimmed down low. Outside the window, it started to snow. Soft flakes of white, falling down from the sky. “Hush,” said the Cat. “Let us close every eye.”
Chapter 3: Thing One and Thing Two Get Ready
Then out of the box came Thing Two and Thing One! But they did not run! And they did not make fun! They were wearing pajamas of fuzzy and blue, Thing One had a pillow, and so did Thing Two.
“It is time for the teeth!” said the Cat with a grin. “We must brush them all well before dreaming begins.” They brushed up and down with a rhythm so slow. Brush… and brush… in a soft, steady row.
They put on their slippers. They crawled into bed. With soft fluffy blankets pulled up to their head. They did not jump up. They did not make a peep. Even Thing One and Thing Two were asleep!
Chapter 4: The Sleepy Dream Book
The Cat sat straight up on a chair near the bed. He took off his Hat from the top of his head. “The mess is all gone. The day is all done. Sleeping is peaceful and sleeping is fun.”
He opened a book that was heavy and old. With pages of silver and letters of gold. He started to read in a voice like a breeze. About magical gardens and slumbering trees.
His voice was a whisper, a rhythm, a rhyme. “Sleep tight,” said the Cat. “It is sleepy-time.” The words floated round like a boat on a stream. Carrying Sally and me to a dream.
Chapter 5: Goodnight to the Cat
The Cat closed the book with a very soft snap. “I think,” said the Cat, “I will take a small nap.” But he knew he must go, so he packed up his fan. “I will leave you to sleep as fast as I can.”
He tiptoed away on his soft, furry feet. Back out to the cold and the snowy white street. He waved a goodbye from the door on the mat. Then he disappeared! That old Cat in the Hat.
But inside the house, it was warm, it was deep. The fish and the children were fast, fast asleep. No bumps and no thumps. Just the moon shining bright. Goodnight to the Cat. And to all, a Goodnight.
The End.
🎩 No More Mess!
If the Cat helped you clean up and calm down, we have more friends waiting to meet you. Explore our complete collection of Bedtime Stories for Kids and find the perfect story for tomorrow night.
