Milo the Mushroom and the Midnight Hum

the moss beneath milo's little cap began to it was a soft deep sound a sound you feel more than you hear just last night we watched twinkle the star find her special glow way up high but this was a different kind of magic this was the magic of the deep quiet earth milo was a very small mushroom his cap was the color of cream with tiny brown speckles he lived under the shelter of a big green fern leaf usually the night was for sleeping the moon would send down sleepy silver light the crickets would sing a slow soft song but tonight there was this this gentle rumbling purr he

was not scared oh no he was curious he poked his little head out from under the fern the air was cool and smelled of damp soil and sweet pine needles the humming was a little louder out here it seemed to come from everywhere at once and with it came a light a very very faint glow it pulsed softly in the dirt between the tree roots it was the color of the moon but warmer milo had never seen anything like it he wiggled his stem a little mushroom shuffle he wanted a closer look slowly so slowly he crept from his cozy spot each step was a tiny adventure he passed a sleeping ladybug curled up on

a blade of grass he tiptoed around a shiny black beetle who was dreaming of juicy leaves the glowing light grew a little brighter the humming grew a little warmer he followed the light to the base of a great big oak tree and there he saw it the ground was woven with a web of beautiful glowing threads they snaked around roots under stones and connected everything it was like the whole forest floor was holding hands in the dark it's the heart of the woods a quiet voice said milo looked up a snail with a beautiful swirling shell was slowly making his way down the tree trunk he had long gentle eye stalks and a kind smile

my name is silas the snail said and you found the quiet magic milo just stared his little mushroom cap tilted all of us down here are connected silas explained his voice a gentle whisper the trees the roots the flowers even little mushrooms like you this is how we talk to each other when the world is asleep it's the forest's lullaby the glowing threads pulsed a soft warm beat milo could feel it in his stem he wasn't just a small mushroom under a leaf he was part of this big warm glowing family he was part of the song he felt so cozy so safe he gave a tiny nod to

silas thank you for sharing the secret then slowly so slowly he made his way back to his fern leaf he snuggled back into the soft moss the humming was still there the gentle light still pulsed beneath him but now he knew what it was it was the sound of everyone saying good night it was the feeling of being tucked in by the whole entire forest and as milo closed his eyes listening to the forest's heartbeat he drifted off into the sweetest most peaceful sleep

and maybe if you listen very very closely you can hear a little bit of that magic too