It was a special night in the woods, one of those nights when the sky fills with shooting stars. All the animals were excited and prepared for the great celestial show. But there was a problem: Riccio the Hedgehog was afraid of the dark.
"I can't go out tonight," Riccio said sadly to Pino the Mouse, as he looked out of his hole. "What if the darkness makes me feel lost? What if I see something scary?"
Pino, who knew his friend well, smiled sweetly. "Riccio, you don't have to worry. I'll be with you all night. The dark isn't so scary when you're with a friend. In fact, it can be full of wonderful things, like shooting stars. Do you want to try coming with me?"
Riccio hesitated, but there was something in Pino's reassuring voice that made him feel a little braver. "Okay," he said in a small voice. "But only if you always stay by my side."
"I promise," Pino replied, squeezing Riccio's little paw. And so, with some trepidation, Riccio emerged from his den, as dusk slowly turned to night.
Pinky the sheep joined them, hopping happily along the path. "What a magical night!" she exclaimed. "Every shooting star is a wish come true. What will yours be?"
Riccio thought for a moment. "I wish I wasn't afraid of the dark anymore," he whispered. "I wish I could go out at night and not be scared."
Pinky smiled sweetly and approached Riccio. "You know, the dark is not an enemy. It's just a blanket that wraps the world to give rest to everything underneath. And under that blanket, beautiful things happen, like shooting stars."
Little by little, the sky filled with stars. Pino sat down next to Riccio, holding his paw, to make him feel that he was not alone. "Look up, Riccio. The stars are starting to fall!"
With a deep breath, Riccio looked up at the sky. And that was when he saw it: a shooting star streaking across the sky with a bright trail. His heart was beating fast, but not with fear, but with wonder. "It's beautiful," he whispered, feeling a strange calm grow inside him.
As the night wore on, Riccio realized that the darkness wasn’t as scary as he had always thought. Instead, it was a soft, silent blanket, under which a world of wonders was hidden. The stars were falling, and every time a bright streak crossed the sky, Riccio felt safer. With Pino and Pinky beside him, the darkness seemed almost welcoming.
"You see, Riccio," Pino said, "the darkness is just a part of the night, like the stars. It's not something to run away from, but something to explore, especially if you have a friend with you."
Riccio nodded, feeling calmer. "Maybe you're right," he said, with a small smile. "Maybe the dark isn't so scary after all."
As the last shooting star crossed the sky, Riccio closed his eyes and made one last wish. "I wish the darkness would become my friend, so that I would no longer be afraid."
As they prepared to go home, Riccio felt different. Braver. He understood that the darkness was not an enemy, but simply a part of the night, full of surprises and beauty. And with his friends, he really had nothing to fear.
That night, as he curled up in his den, Riccio looked out his window and smiled. The darkness was still there, but it no longer scared him. Now he knew that, with a friend by his side and a little courage in his heart, the darkness could also be the place where the most beautiful dreams are born.
