Pirrewitje and the Golden Sunflower Field

This sunflower bedtime story for toddlers is meant to be read slowly, in a soft voice. Whenever you reach the words “slow and soft, slow and soft,” pause and let your little one say them with you. The words “golden, golden, sunny and warm” return a few times too, so your child can join in on those as well.

Step onto a new path

One warm morning, Pirrewitje stepped out of his little door and stretched his arms up high. The air smelled of dry grass and sunshine. The birds were singing very quietly, as if they did not want to wake the day too fast.

Beside his house there was a path he had never walked before. It curled away through the meadow, narrow and soft, with tiny white flowers along its edges.

“I think I will go this way today,” said Pirrewitje.

He walked slow and soft, slow and soft. There was no hurry at all.

Spot the first golden glimmer

After a while, Pirrewitje saw something shine over the top of the grass. It was a small patch of yellow, far away, glowing in the light.

He stopped and tilted his head. He watched the yellow glow for a long, quiet moment.

“Golden, golden, sunny and warm,” he whispered.

Then he walked on, slow and soft, slow and soft. The glow grew a little bigger with every step. A butterfly drifted past his shoulder and floated along beside him for a while.

Walk in among the sunflowers

The path ended at a field of sunflowers. They stood taller than Pirrewitje, hundreds of them, each one turning its round face toward the sun.

Pirrewitje walked in between the green stems. The leaves were wide and fuzzy, and they brushed his cheeks like gentle hands. The flowers nodded as he passed, one after another, as if they were saying good morning.

He tipped his head all the way back and looked up. Gold petals filled the sky above him.

“Golden, golden, sunny and warm,” he said again, a little louder this time.

The field answered with a soft rustle. It was the nicest sound Pirrewitje had heard all week.

Meet a small friend

In the middle of the field, on a big flat leaf, sat a small snail. Her shell was the color of honey, and she was looking up at a sunflower with great attention.

“Hello,” said Pirrewitje, very softly.

“Hello,” said the snail. “I came here early this morning. I am still looking at this one.“

Pirrewitje sat down beside her on the warm earth. Together they looked at the sunflower. They noticed the tiny seeds curled in a spiral in the center, round and round, neat as a sleeping cat. They noticed a bee, fat and fuzzy, walking slowly across the petals as if it had all the time in the world.

“It is a very good flower,” said the snail.

“It is,” said Pirrewitje. “Golden, golden, sunny and warm.“

The snail smiled and said it with him.

Share a quiet picnic

Pirrewitje had a little bundle of food in his pocket, so he opened it on the grass. There was a piece of bread and a handful of sweet berries.

“Would you like some?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” said the snail.

They ate together in the shade of the tall stems. Pirrewitje gave the snail the biggest berry, and she gave him the best seat on the leaf. Nobody said very much. The sun was warm on their faces, and the bee hummed a sleepy tune somewhere nearby.

When the berries were gone, the snail yawned a tiny yawn. Pirrewitje yawned a bigger one, and they both laughed quietly.

Walk home and go to sleep

The sun slid a little lower, and the whole field turned a deeper gold. Pirrewitje stood up and brushed the crumbs from his clothes.

“I will come back tomorrow,” he said.

“I will be here,” said the snail. “I will still be looking at my flower.“

Pirrewitje waved, and the snail waved her little feelers back. Then he walked home along the path, slow and soft, slow and soft. The sunflowers nodded goodbye behind him, one after another, all the way to the edge of the meadow.

At home, Pirrewitje washed his hands and climbed into bed. He closed his eyes and thought about the yellow petals, the spiral of seeds, and the small friend on her leaf.

“Golden, golden, sunny and warm,” he whispered.

And Pirrewitje fell fast asleep, with sunshine still glowing in his thoughts.

If your little one enjoyed the meadow, read another Pirrewitje story together next, Pirrewitje and the Lost Acorn.