Little Bo Peep lived in a cozy cottage right next to a big, green field. She loved her sheep very much. There were fluffy white ones, a couple of patchy brown ones, and even a tiny lamb with wobbly legs. Every morning, Bo Peep would open the gate, and her sheep would skip out into the sunshine to munch on the sweet grass.
Today was extra sunny and warm. The sheep were feeling playful! They chased butterflies near the old oak tree and nibbled clover by the babbling brook. Without even realizing it, they wandered further and further from Bo Peep, over a little hill and out of her sight.
After a while, Bo Peep looked up from her knitting. She blinked. Where were her sheep? The field looked empty! A small worried feeling fluttered in her chest. She stood up and called out, "Little ones? Where are you?"
There was no answer, only the whisper of the wind through the grass. Bo Peep decided she must go and find them. She walked towards the old oak tree, her eyes scanning the dips and rises of the field. "Are you behind that bush?" she wondered, but they weren't.
She walked towards the brook, listening hard for a 'baa'. She saw some hoof prints in the soft mud, leading over the little hill. So, she climbed the hill, her heart hoping they were just on the other side. But the other side was empty too, stretching out quietly.
The sun was starting to dip low in the sky, painting orange and pink stripes across the clouds. Bo Peep felt tired. Her legs ached a little from walking. She sat down on a smooth, grey stone and sighed. "Oh dear," she whispered, "where could they be?"
She closed her eyes for just a moment, taking a quiet breath. And then... she heard it. A soft, familiar sound. "Baaaaaa."
Bo Peep's eyes popped open! There, slowly ambling over the little hill, were her sheep! They looked a little dusty and very happy to see her. The tiny lamb even did a little hop.
Bo Peep jumped up, all her tiredness gone. "You're back!" she cried, rushing towards them. The sheep gathered around her, nudging her gently with their soft noses. It felt so good to be together again.
Bo Peep knew the old rhyme: "Leave them alone, and they'll come home..." And they had! She felt a warm wave of relief and happiness. They had found their way back, and she had been patient.
Gathering her flock, Bo Peep led them back towards the cottage. The sky was turning a deep, sleepy blue, and the first stars were beginning to twinkle like little diamonds. The sheep trotted happily beside her, their woolly sides bumping gently against her legs.
Soon, they were back at the cozy cottage. Bo Peep tucked her sheep safely into their pen for the night, each one warm and accounted for. She looked up at the moon and felt grateful for her fluffy friends, safe and sound, just as a bedtime story should end.