A Unicorn Bedtime Story: The Unfinished Ribbon

This unicorn bedtime story is about making room for a small imperfection. There is a garden celebration, a ribbon that will not reach, and an ending that leaves the work finished for tonight.

The Unfinished Ribbon

Tessa the unicorn had promised to decorate the garden gate for the morning picnic. She carried a blue ribbon across the grass, holding one end gently between her teeth.

The ribbon shimmered in the evening light. It would look wonderful tied from one gatepost to the other.

Tessa fastened the first end. She walked across the gateway. The ribbon stretched out behind her—and stopped a hoof’s length before the second post.

She moved the knot lower. Still too short. She moved it higher. Still too short. She stood on one side of the gate and then the other, as though looking at the gap differently might close it.

A beetle crossed the path carrying nothing at all. “You look busy,” he said.

“My ribbon doesn’t fit my idea.”

“Could your idea fit the ribbon?” asked the beetle. Then he continued home before the stepping-stones grew cool.

Tessa sat down. She had imagined a splendid line of blue above everyone’s heads. She liked that picture. It was difficult to put it aside.

From where she sat, she noticed the old apple tree beside the gate. Its lowest branch bent toward a wooden bench. A small fork in the branch was just the right place for a bow.

Tessa untied the ribbon from the post. She looped it around the branch and pulled the ends through carefully. One loop was larger than the other. She adjusted it once, then left it alone.

The bow moved gently whenever the leaves moved. It did not cover the gateway. It marked a lovely place to sit.

Rabbit arrived with a folded picnic cloth. “Shall we put the basket under the blue bow?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Tessa. “That is exactly where it belongs.”

Together they placed the cloth on the bench for morning. Tessa stepped back. The garden gate was plain, the apple tree was decorated, and both looked ready.

On her way home, she passed the beetle’s small door. A light shone beneath it. Tessa did not knock. She had a good answer to his question, and she could tell him tomorrow.

An optional question for another time

If your child enjoys discussing stories, ask which other place could hold the bow. There is no correct answer to find. You can also finish on the beetle’s lit doorway and leave the conversation for the morning.

To personalize the tale, change the ribbon color. Keeping the rest familiar makes it easy to tell again without turning it into a different adventure.

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