Noelle the Sleeping Panda: Learning to Love Herself

Noelle the little Panda was unlike any other. While all the other pandas enjoyed playing and foraging for food, Noelle loved nothing more than to sleep. She snoozed through the morning, afternoon and evening, waking up only to eat before promptly dozing off again.

Her parents worried that Noelle was sleeping too much and missing out on all the fun activities in the forest. They tried to coax her into playing with the other panda cubs, but Noelle would always decline and head straight back to her bamboo bed.

One day, Noelle's parents decided to take her to see Love Yourself, the wise old owl who lived deep in the forest. Love Yourself was known to have the answers to many of life's questions and regularly helped the animals of the forest.

As Noelle and her parents approached Love Yourself's tree, the wise old owl opened his eyes and looked down at them. "What brings you here today?" he asked.

Noelle's parents explained their concerns about their daughter's sleeping habits. Love Yourself listened intently before speaking. "You're worried about Noelle sleeping too much," he said. "But perhaps, just like some animals need more food than others, Noelle needs more sleep. And there's nothing wrong with that. Love yourself for who you are."

Noelle listened carefully as Love Yourself's words sank in. She had always felt ashamed of sleeping so much, but now she realised that it was just who she was. She was a panda who loved to snooze, and that was perfectly okay.

Feeling reassured and content, Noelle smiled at Love Yourself as her parents thanked the wise old owl and led her back home.

From that day on, Noelle slept as much as she liked, and her parents no longer worried. And although she still didn't join in with the other panda cubs, they began to understand and respect her desire for sleep, and even brought her bamboo snacks as she slept.

Noelle was just as happy as she had always been, and Love Yourself's wise words remained with her for the rest of her life. So whenever she felt ashamed of her habits or who she was, she would smile to herself and remember to love herself, just as Love Yourself had taught her all those years ago.