Dharshith flopped onto his soft, blue pillow just as the room went dark. A tiny squeak came from under his cheek. 'Tickle me here!' whispered something.
Dharshith froze, his eyes wide in the moonlight. The pillow giggled. 'Why did the banana go to the doctor? It wasn't peeling well!' he laughed so hard he nearly rolled off the bed.
He pulled the pillow closer. 'Tell another one!' he whispered eagerly. The pillow rustled as if thinking, then began to speak again in a wobbly, creaky voice.
'The spoon went dancing with the plate, clink clank, every late-night date!' The pillow recited. Dharshith covered his mouth to stay quiet, but his shoulders shook with silent giggles.
He patted the pillow's fabric softly. 'Go on, go on!' he urged between laughs. The pillow seemed to swell with pride, puffing up slightly under his touch.
Suddenly, the pillow let out a loud, dramatic snore! It sounded exactly like a rumbling train. Dharshith gasped and scrambled backward, pulling the blanket over his head.
He peeked out from under the blanket. The pillow lay silent and still, looking just like a regular pillow again. The room was quiet once more. Dharshith let out a small breath.
Hours passed. The moon moved across the sky. Dharshith slept peacefully, one arm draped over the blue pillow, dreaming of silly jokes and dancing spoons.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, warm and golden. It tickled Dharshith's toes on the cool wooden floor. His eyes fluttered open to a new day.
Dharshith hugged the quiet pillow tightly. It felt ordinary and soft in his arms. But he knew something special was waiting inside, just for him.
He rested his head on the pillow one more time. A tiny giggle escaped from somewhere deep inside. Dharshith grinned. Tonight, the jokes would start all over again.
The blue pillow waited patiently for nighttime. Somewhere deep inside its soft stuffing, a banana joke and a dancing spoon rhyme were ready and waiting to be told again.
