When your mother wakes you up in the morning for school, don’t you wish you could sleep a little longer? Well, many of us love to sleep but unfortunately, we can’t do that throughout the day as we have to go to school or work. It is important to have at least 8 hours of sleep for a healthy life. However, too much or too little would adversely affect our health. What do you think is important for good sleep? Let’s read the story of a sleepy sloth to know the answer to this question.
Sid the Sloth is Sleeping Comfortably on a Branch
On a warm and sunny afternoon, Sid the sleepy sloth felt very sleepy. He wanted to find the perfect branch for his bed and take a nap. He looked around and found a tall and strong tree. Sid thought to himself, “This tree seems to be the perfect place for my bed. Let me climb its branches and find a comfortable branch.”
Just as Sid the sleepy sloth was about to lie down on the branch, the Giraffe said, “Hey, Sid! I’m eating the leaves from this branch. Don’t sleep here.” Sid replied, “Oh, Giraffe I’m sorry. I’ll look for another place to nap.” Sid climbed to a different branch, a little higher than the previous one. He thought, “Ah, this seems like the perfect spot. I can sleep on this branch.”
Giraffe Requesting Sid not to Sleep on the Branch
Sid prepared to sleep on the new branch but soon there was some noise, “Buzz buzz buzz…” He couldn’t sleep and looked around to find a beehive. Sid requested the Queen Bee, “Your Highness, I’m trying to sleep here. Could you please ask your bees to go elsewhere?” To this, the Queen Bee said, “Sorry Sid but our beehive is here. We can’t go to another place. We have to collect honey.” Disappointed, Sid decided to look for another branch nearby. He came upon a long and smooth branch and climbed towards it.
Sid Requesting the Bees to go Elsewhere
“This is a very comfortable branch. I can sleep here” Sid said to himself. Just then, a hissing sound came from the branch, “Ouu ouuu…Sid let go of me. I’m not a branch; I’m Snake.” Sid jumped in surprise. “Snake!!! Are you okay? I’m sorry for hurting you. I didn’t realise it was you.” Snake replied, “No problem, Sid.” Sid climbed a little higher to find a branch for him to sleep comfortably.
Sid Pulling Snake thinking it to be a Branch
This time Sid the very sleepy sloth looked around carefully, hoping to not bother anyone and sleep peacefully. He then lay down his head on the branch and slept. He was about to fall asleep when a bird came flying to the branch and kept squawking. The noise kept Sid awake and no matter how hard he tried, neither could he sleep nor could he drive the bird away. Sid was on the verge of giving up. He thought, “Will I not be able to sleep? I’m so sleepy. I can’t stay awake any longer.”
The Bird’s Squawking Did not let Sid Sleep
Finally, Sid was determined to climb to the highest branch of the tree. He went higher and higher and finally reached the highest branch. Now, Sid found a comfortable branch for his bed and could sleep peacefully. The Sun was about to set, so it was not that warm any longer and the cold breeze blew. After all that climbing, Sid eventually managed to find a comfortable branch to sleep.
So, did you find the answer to the question of what is important for good sleep? That’s right! A comfortable bed. For most people, a comfortable bed is necessary to have a sound sleep. As we can see in the “Sid the Sleepy Sloth Finds a Bed” story, an uncomfortable bed or a noisy environment hinders sleep. Hence, Sid had to climb a lot to find the best and most comfortable branch for his nap.
1. What did the Giraffe and the Queen Bee tell Sid?
When Sid tried to sleep on the first branch, the Giraffe requested him to not sleep on that branch as he was eating the leaves from it. When Sid tried sleeping on the branch with the beehive, the buzzing of the bees did not let him sleep. When he requested the Queen Bee to ask the bees to work elsewhere, she refused, saying that their beehive was on that branch and they had to collect honey.
2. How many creatures did Sid encounter while finding the perfect branch for him to sleep?
Sid encountered four creatures while trying to find the perfect branch for him to sleep. In order, these creatures were the Giraffe, the Queen Bee and her bees, the Snake, and the bird. He could not sleep on any of their branches and had to climb to the highest branch of the tree.