New Baby — Bedtime Tales from Dad

The Loving Brothers

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Long, long ago, in a small village, there lived two brothers. The older one was hardworking, and the younger one was kind. The two of them loved each other very, very much.

When autumn came, the fields turned the color of gold. Side by side, the brothers cut the rice, tied it into bundles, and shared everything exactly in half. One pile for the older brother, one pile for the younger. The two piles were just the same.

That night, the older brother lay in his bed and thought quietly to himself. "My little brother has only just set up his own home, so he must have so much he needs." Softly, he rose from his bed.

He gathered an armful of his own rice bundles and tiptoed under the moonlight. He stacked them gently in his brother's storehouse and slipped back home. His heart felt warm, so warm.

But on that very same night, the younger brother could not fall asleep either. "My older brother has such a big family to feed. I should add a little of mine to his." And so the younger brother quietly got up, too.

He carried his rice bundles all the way to his older brother's storehouse. Ever so softly, he stacked them up and crept back home. Up above, the stars in the night sky twinkled and twinkled.

The next morning, the older brother tilted his head, puzzled. He was sure he had carried bundles away, yet his own storehouse looked exactly the same. "How strange," he said, rubbing his eyes.

The younger brother felt just the same. The rice in his storehouse had not gone down even a little. "How can this be?" he wondered, tilting his head too.

So that night, the older brother set out once more with an armful of rice. And the younger brother set out with his armful, too. There, in the bright moonlight, the two met smack in the middle of the path between the fields.

An armful of rice in the older brother's arms, an armful in the younger brother's arms. The two of them stopped still and looked at each other. And in that moment, they understood everything.

The older brother took his little brother's hand. The younger brother leaned his head softly on his older brother's shoulder. Something warm rose up in both their eyes.

"Brother, it was you, thinking of me all this time." "No, no. It was you who thought of me first." And the moonlight wrapped the two brothers up, gently and snug.

For many, many years after that, the brothers lived together in happiness. The love that thinks of the other first never ran low, no matter how much they shared it. In fact, it only grew and grew.

The people of the village named that path "The Way of the Loving Brothers." And they say that even now, on nights when the moon rises full, that path shines the brightest of all.

A word from Dad

All through those nights, the brothers passed more than bundles of rice back and forth. They were quietly handing each other something else, too: a heart that thought of the other one first, that gentle, warm-hearted love.

My little one, you will live your whole life with someone close beside you. And if you ever find a person who thinks, "Even if I have a little less, I hope they have plenty," then that person is truly blessed. More than anything, Daddy hopes you grow into someone like that, someone with a generous heart who thinks of others first.

And the strangest, sweetest thing is that this kind of love never runs low. The more you give it away, the more of it you have. That love is the most precious treasure Daddy could ever pass on to you.

Sleep well, little one. 🌙

The Girl Who Became Stars

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl with no one to lean on. All she had in the world was the dress she wore and a single crust of bread in her hand. And yet her heart was as warm as warm could be.

Looking for somewhere to go, she wandered down the country lanes, step by gentle step. Up above, the stars were beginning to peek out, one by one. With her kind and trusting heart, she simply looked to the sky and kept walking.

She had not gone far when she met a hungry old man. "Child," he said, "I am so very hungry." Without a moment's hesitation, she held out the bread in her hand. "Please, eat this. You need it far more than I do."

A little farther on, she came upon a child shivering in the cold. "My head is so chilly," the little one whispered. So the girl took off her own cap and tucked it softly over the child's head. "There now, you'll be warm soon."

As she walked on, she met another child, trembling in clothes far too thin. The girl slipped off the jacket from her own shoulders and gave it away. And still she did not stop walking.

The night grew darker, and she reached a cold, deep wood. There she met yet another shivering child, and she gave away the last thing she had, her very skirt. Now the little girl truly had nothing left at all.

In the middle of that cold, dark wood, the girl stood quietly still. She had given everything away, and yet, somehow, her heart felt warm and snug. "At least the others won't be so cold now," she said, and she smiled a small, soft smile.

And it was just then that it happened. High in the deep black sky, the stars began to tremble and shimmer. And then, one by one, they came gently drifting down toward her.

The moment each falling star touched the ground, it turned into a bright and shining silver coin. At the little girl's feet, the coins gathered softly, higher and higher. And the whole wood glowed warm with starlight.

But that was not all. Without her even noticing, a brand-new dress had wrapped itself around her, soft and pure white. It was warm and cozy, lovelier than any gown she had ever known.

The girl gathered up the silver coins in both her hands. She had given everything away, and the heavens had given it back to her twice over. From that night on, she was never cold or hungry again.

And the wood where the stars had poured down was remembered, bright and shining, for years and years to come. Just like the heart of one little girl who gladly shared all that she had. And even tonight, the stars in the sky twinkle on, telling that warm and tender story once more.

A word from Dad

The little girl gave it all away, one thing after another — her bread, her cap, her clothes. And when she was done, she had nothing left for herself at all. Yet, somehow, her heart stayed warm in that cold dark wood.

I hope you grow up to be someone who knows how to share, my love. Sharing can feel like losing a little of what's yours, but the strange and beautiful thing is that it leaves your heart fuller than before. And a hand held out with kindness comes back to you one day, twice as bright, like starlight.

Of course, Daddy hopes you'll never have to stand somewhere so cold that you give away everything you own. I only wish for this: when someone beside you is cold, may you have the warm heart to slip off your own cap and offer it freely. That, more than anything, is who Daddy hopes you'll become.

Sleep well, little one. 🌙

The Jade Rabbit in the Moon

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Long, long ago, deep in a quiet forest, a rabbit, a fox, and a monkey lived together as the dearest of friends.

The three of them went everywhere side by side, chattering happily, and whenever something good came their way, they always shared it with one another.

One cold evening, a weary old man sank down by the forest path. "Oh dear," he sighed, "I am so very hungry. Could you spare me a little something to eat?"

The three kind friends scattered at once, each hurrying off to find something they could bring to the old man.

The monkey scrambled up a tall tree and gathered an armful of ripe, sweet fruit. The fox darted to the stream and carried back a shimmering fish.

But the rabbit, no matter how far he hopped across the open fields, could find nothing at all to offer. The little rabbit, you see, had nothing of his own to give.

He came back with his ears drooping low, yet he could not bear to return with empty paws. His small chest went thump, thump, thumping inside.

So the rabbit thought very hard, then crept up close to the old man and said, "Grandfather, I have nothing to bring you... but my whole heart, I would give to you."

And then, just for the old man, he gathered dry grass and little twigs, hopping this way and that on his tiny feet, and carefully made a warm and cozy resting place.

The rabbit's little heart was so very kind that the whole cold forest seemed to glow with light.

Now, that old man was truly someone who had come down from the heavens. All along he had been quietly watching the tender hearts of the three friends.

With a gentle smile, the old man cupped the rabbit in both his hands and lifted him softly. "Your heart is wonderfully kind," he said. "I wish this warmth could shine over the whole wide world."

And so he placed the little rabbit ever so gently upon the round and glowing moon.

Perhaps that is why, when the moon rises bright in the night sky, it looks as though a little rabbit is living inside it. A sweet and gentle jade rabbit, who gave away all he had, with nothing held back at all.

A word from Dad

Of all of them, the little rabbit had the very least to give. But his heart, my love, was the most generous of all. He was ready to share even the tiny things he had.

I think the heavens lifted that rabbit up to the moon so his gentle heart could become a light, shining over the whole world night after night. A warm heart reaches that far, you know, all the way across the sky.

When you look up at the moon someday, little one, I hope you remember this. Even the smallest hands, when they are full of sharing, can grow bright enough to light up a whole night. Daddy hopes your heart stays warm like that, always.

Sleep softly now, little one. 🌙

The North Wind and the Sun

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Long, long ago, high up in the sky, the North Wind and the Sun were arguing over which of them was stronger.

The North Wind puffed out his chest and said, "I'm the strong one, of course! When I blow, the trees sway and even the rooftops rattle."

The Sun smiled softly and answered, "Hmm, but does being strong have to mean being rough?"

Just then, down below on a country road, a traveler in a thick coat came trudging along.

The North Wind, as if struck by a clever idea, said, "Then let's say whoever can take that man's coat off first is the winner."

The Sun nodded. "All right. You go first."

The North Wind filled his cheeks and blew a cold, fierce gust—whooo! But the harder the wind blew, the more the startled traveler clutched the edges of his coat with both hands.

The North Wind blew harder, and harder still. And what do you think happened? The traveler hunched up against the cold and wrapped his coat even more tightly around himself.

No matter how he blew, the coat would not come off. At last the North Wind stopped, gasping for breath. "Phew, there's just no doing it."

Now it was the Sun's turn. The Sun peeked gently out from between the clouds and let a warm light fall softly upon the traveler.

As the cozy sunshine settled on his shoulders, the traveler smiled and said, "Oh, the day has turned so warm."

When the Sun shone a little warmer, tiny beads of sweat gathered on the traveler's brow. And then, all by himself, he quietly slipped off his coat and slung it over his shoulder.

The Sun smiled gently. "You see? Warmth opens a heart without ever having to push."

The North Wind nodded too. And on that day, the North Wind quietly understood that a warm heart can be a far greater strength than the mightiest force.

A word from Dad

The harder the North Wind blew, the tighter the traveler held on to his coat. Yet the Sun did nothing but shine down warmly, and the traveler took the coat off all on his own.

When you want to open someone's heart, pushing harder isn't always the answer. Sometimes simply staying close and shining gently is stronger than any fierce wind.

As you grow, my little one, there will be times your heart doesn't match someone else's. When that happens, be the warm sunlight rather than the cold wind. Dad hopes you'll carry that kind of gentle strength.

Sleep well, little one. 🌙

Heungbu and Nolbu

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A very long time ago, in a quiet little village, there lived two brothers. The older brother was named Nolbu, and the younger brother was named Heungbu.

Nolbu, the older brother, was a man who had a great many things. But Heungbu, the younger one, had a heart as soft and sweet as candy, warm through and through.

When their parents set off on a long, faraway journey, greedy Nolbu took everything their parents had left behind, all for himself. And then he sent kind, gentle Heungbu far away with nothing but empty hands.

Heungbu's little home was full of children, so many of them. There was never quite enough to eat, never quite enough to wear. And yet Heungbu never lost the warmth in his heart. "We may have little," he would say with a soft laugh, gathering the children close, "but our hearts are rich."

One warm spring day, a pair of swallows built a cozy nest beneath the eaves of Heungbu's roof. Before long, tiny, darling baby swallows hatched from their eggs.

But one day, one of the little swallows tumbled right out of the nest. Its thin, slender leg was broken, and it lay there trembling, ever so softly.

Heungbu cupped the tiny swallow in his two hands as gently as anything. He bound up its little leg with the greatest care, made a soft warm bed for it in a sheltered place, and looked after it every single day. And it was not long before the swallow's leg was all healed, and it could soar high and free across the sky once more.

When autumn came, the swallows flew far away to the warm lands of the south. And then, the very next spring, the swallow that Heungbu had healed came flying home again. In its beak it carried a single small seed, and it let the seed fall ever so softly, right there in front of Heungbu.

Heungbu planted that little seed in his yard. The gourd vine grew and grew, until great big gourds hung heavy and ripe all along the roof.

When autumn came again, Heungbu and his family took up a saw and sawed the gourds open, back and forth, back and forth. And oh, what wonders! From the first gourd came shining gold and silver and jewels. From the second came rice and grain. And from the third rose a fine, beautiful new house. And so kind Heungbu became very rich indeed.

Soon this happy news reached the ears of his older brother, Nolbu. Greedy Nolbu was eaten up with envy. "If I mend a swallow's leg too," he thought, "then I shall be rich as well!"

So Nolbu caught a perfectly healthy swallow on purpose, broke its little leg himself, and then bound it back up again. The poor swallow flew off to the south, and the next spring it brought a seed to Nolbu, too.

Nolbu planted his gourd in great excitement. But this time, out of the gourds came tumbling a whole crowd of mischievous goblins! They carried off every last bit of Nolbu's riches and went far, far away. Left with nothing at all, in the blink of an eye, Nolbu was so ashamed of his own greed that he sat down and wept and wept.

And what did Heungbu do when he heard this news? Heungbu did not hate his brother at all. Instead he hurried to him and, reaching out a warm and tender hand, he said, "Brother, come and live with us."

Nolbu, full of shame, gently took his little brother's hand. And from that day on, the two brothers cherished one another, living happily and kindly together for many, many long years.

A word from Dad

Heungbu was blessed, my love, but not because of the treasure tucked inside the gourds. He was blessed because, when a tiny swallow lay there with a broken leg, he did not look away. He gathered it up in his warm, gentle hands and cared for it.

This is how the heart of the world works. The smallest kindness you offer to the smallest creature is never forgotten. It is quietly remembered, and one day it comes drifting back to you, round and full and overflowing.

And so, my little one, when you meet someone smaller or weaker than yourself, I hope you will be the kind of person who quietly reaches out a hand. That, more than any treasure, is the truest riches in all the world. That is what your daddy wishes most for you.

Sleep well, little one. 🌙