Lily's room was very quiet and very dark. She hid under her big, soft blanket, cuddling her teddy bear close. "I don't like the dark," she whispered. "It's too spooky."

Just then, a gentle shadow slipped into her room. It wasn't a scary shadow. It was tall and kind, wearing a long cloak that twinkled with tiny, faraway stars. "Hello, Lily," a soft voice said. "I am Mr. Dark."

Lily peeked out a little more from her blanket. "I'm scared of you," she said in a small voice. "You make everything hide."

Mr. Dark looked sad. His starry cloak seemed to droop a little. "That makes me sad," he said quietly. "Sometimes, I get scared, too."

"You get scared?" Lily asked. She sat up, forgetting to be afraid. "Why?"

"I get scared that children don't like me," Mr. Dark confessed. "They think I am here to be spooky. But I am just here to help the world get some rest."

He opened his cloak a little wider. Inside, Lily could see the big, smiling Moon and a handful of sleepy, twinkling stars. "I bring these friends out to play," Mr. Dark whispered. "They can only shine when I am here."

Lily looked at the gentle Moon and the happy little stars. They weren't scary at all. They were beautiful. "You bring the Moon and the stars?" she asked.

"I do," said Mr. Dark. "I give the flowers a quiet time to sleep and the busy bees a chance to rest." Lily smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Dark," she said. "You're not a monster. You're a friend."

Mr. Dark smiled back, his cloak twinkling brightly. Lily snuggled back into her bed, feeling safe and cozy. Darkness isn’t here to frighten, but to protect.