A Farm Bedtime Story: The Windmill List

This farm bedtime story follows a hen who likes checking things off. Its ending makes room for resting after the jobs are done, without turning the tale into a lesson a child has to repeat.

The Windmill List

Nell the hen kept the evening list on a board beside the old windmill. Close the feed bin. Stack the empty baskets. Bring in the cloth from the line.

She made a neat mark beside each job with the end of a soft pencil.

The goat closed the bin. The pony carried the baskets to the porch. Nell tugged the cloth from the lowest line and folded it with the duck, who was very good at holding corners still.

Three marks. Three finished jobs.

Nell looked up at the windmill. Its little wheel turned in the breeze with a soft wooden click.

“We should make another list,” she said.

“Of what?” asked the duck.

Nell looked around. There must be something. She checked beneath the bench. Nothing to put away. She checked beside the gate. No basket forgotten there.

At the far end of the yard, the pony stood looking at the sky. Nell hurried over with her pencil.

“Have you found a job?”

“No,” said the pony. “I’ve found the first star.”

Nell looked up. A single pale point stood above the barn roof.

The goat came to see what they were watching. So did the duck. Nobody said much. The windmill clicked once, then paused as the breeze eased.

After a while Nell remembered the folded cloth. She brought it to the bench and spread it over the rough part of the seat. The duck sat beside her. The goat leaned against the fence. The pony stayed standing, which was how he liked to watch.

“What are you writing?” asked the duck.

Nell had added one line beneath the three completed jobs: SIT WITH EVERYONE.

She considered making a mark beside it. Then she put the pencil down. This was something she could do without hurrying to finish.

The star grew clearer. Another appeared near it. Across the yard, the closed feed bin and stacked baskets waited quietly for morning.

At last Nell carried the board indoors. The final line had no mark, and she did not mind.

A gentle way to end

You can stop after the last line rather than asking your child what the hen learned. The story has already shown the change through Nell’s actions.

For a child who enjoys joining in, let them name the three completed jobs at the beginning. There is no need to turn the story into a real bedtime checklist unless they want to make one another day.

Day2Tale is an optional way to turn a moment from your child’s day into a personalized narrated story. A parent sets it up and reviews the result before sharing it. The story above is an original editorial example, not a recording of app output.

Sources: Day2Tale support and product features