WishingTalesAges 8-12

Night

Stories that happen after the lamp is lit.

13 stories here, 9–12 minutes each — read aloud or read alone.

A girl in a patched coat holds a small brass lamp on a dark beach while a cloud of pale moths swirls above the sea behind her.

Slice of life9 min read

Every summer, moths follow the old keeper's lamp to the sea. This year the lamp is broken and the keeper's granddaughter has one night to fix it before the moths fly into the waves.

A girl in a patched coat holds a glowing glass jar above her head on a dark hilltop, while a thin silver thread of moonlight curls out of the jar toward the empty sky.

Quest11 min read

When the moon vanishes from the night sky, a girl with a jar of captured darkness sets out across the hills to bring it home, learning that courage sometimes means letting go of what you carry.

A woman in flowing robes rises through an open window toward a full moon, a small crystal castle glowing on its surface, while a shadowy figure chops at a tree below.

Retold classicMyth and legend12 min read

When ten suns scorch the earth, the archer Hou Yi shoots nine down and wins a herb of immortality. His wife Chang'e is left alone with it, and must choose what to do when the sky calls her name.

Retold from The Lady of the Moon

A girl holding a small paper lantern walks beside a goat through a winding market path under a deep blue night sky, with stalls and lanterns glowing softly behind them.

Quest9 min read

When the night market's guiding lantern vanishes, a shy girl and a talkative goat must follow a trail of strange clues through the dark to bring it home before dawn.

A girl in pajamas holds a flashlight under her chin while her little brother peeks from behind a sofa cushion, a small brass bell glinting on the floor between them.

Funny9 min read

Mira's little brother Bo has one job: ring the bell at bedtime. Tonight the bell is gone, and Mira must track it down before their whole night routine falls apart.

A girl stands in a moonlit graveyard holding a lantern, while a shadowy figure rings a large bell behind her.

Spooky11 min read

When a strange bell begins ringing backward at midnight, a girl must find the courage to face what it calls out of the dark.

A boy with a long nose sits on a dark road beside a limping fox and a silent cat, a single gold coin glinting in his hand.

Retold classicFolk tale12 min read

A wooden boy with five gold coins meets two clever strangers who promise him a fortune. All he has to do is bury his money and wait.

Retold from The Fox and the Cat

A young woman sits at a spinning wheel in a moonlit room filled with straw, while a tiny man watches from the shadows.

Retold classicFolk tale11 min read

A miller's boast traps his daughter in a room of straw, and a strange little man offers help for a price. When he returns for her firstborn, she must guess his name to keep her child.

Retold from Rumpelstiltskin

A girl and a boy sit on the floor of a dim attic, a dusty music box glowing faintly between them as moonlight streams through a round window.

Spooky9 min read

When Mila moves into her grandmother's old house, she hears a strange humming at night. With her new friend Sam, she must uncover what the house wants before the sound fades forever.

A girl holding a glowing lantern on a dark mountain path, looking up at a starry sky where the moon should be.

Fantasy11 min read

When the moon fails to rise over the village of Oaksend, a girl who has always feared the dark must carry her father's last lantern up the mountain to wake it again.

A girl with a lantern climbs down a mossy stone well, looking up at a tiny bright star resting on the water below.

Fantasy9 min read

When a star falls into the village well, a girl named Nia must climb down into the dark to bring back its light before the village lanterns go out forever.

A boy in a lamplit window at night, pen in hand, looking at an open ledger on the sill, with a dark hill rising beyond the glass.

The Weather Ledger · Part 1Everyday magic10 min read

Otis keeps the weather ledger for his grandfather, but one night a line appears in a hand that isn't his. A quiet, bright story about a boy, a hill, and a patient answer.

A girl in a yellow raincoat climbs a spiral staircase inside a lighthouse, carrying a small oil can, while rain streaks the window behind her.

The Lantern Keepers · Part 1Family12 min read

Nell and Tessa must keep the harbour light burning through a storm while their father is away. A story of courage, sisters, and the long dark hours before dawn.