A Tailess Tale

Bedtime stories are the best,

Especially when they are tailless!

After the children settled down and were tucked in tight, a startling noise kept them up all night!

The trash can rang like a silver bell,

as if calling them all to the windowsill.

"What is this strange creature?" they asked?

as it rummaged through a buffet of trash!

Only seeing its eyes glow at first, they assumed it was nocturnal and could have come from the forest.

The hair had shine and they did notice a few lines, but then suddenly their mother shouted "it's past your bedtime"!

They dove into bed pretending to sleep but why was this animal only standing on two feet?

Tossing and turning they just couldn't rest, until this mystery was assessed and addressed.

This time the kids made sure to shut their door before sneaking back to the window once more.

Its pointy ears perked up as if he had heard them, even knowing they tried their hardest not to disturb him.

It wore a mask but strangely had no cape,

they watched in awe as it ate spoiled cheese cake!

It had little hands on both of its front feet, nodding and smiling at them while he'd eat.

They went down the list ruling out what they knew and came to agreement it hadn't come from the zoo.

It found leftover watermelon and ate corn off the cob, it looked like a burglar whose job was to rob!

It didn't have wings but it could climb a tree, whatever this thing was it looked kind of lonely.

Just then they noticed more eyes following behind, climbing back down after a short time.

This friend of his was much smaller in size,

and that's about when they began to realize...

He was a She and she was a Mother,

But why in the world didn't she look like the other?

Everything was the same except for one trait, but how could Mother Nature make such a mistake?

It was a raccoon but missing its tail,

That must be why every guess was a fail!

How could this have happened?

Did it get stuck in a trap?

I guess it's possible that she was born like that...

Her baby didn't seem to mind so neither should we, as long as they were both together, happy, and healthy.

While sitting there admiring what true love should be, that's when Their mother walked in with her tea.

"Why are you all still up and nobody listening to me"?

They replied with shrugged shoulders and each one looked guilty.

They couldn't possibly sleep due to their curiosity...

And that's why this is my favorite bedtime story!

You can't turn your brain off with some magical switch, If it was that easy you could just roll over and flip it.

One family's trash is some raccoon's treasure,

to feed their young they'd go to any measure.

We are all different yet all the same, when we waste food it's not the raccoons we should blame.

And living harmoniously with wildlife is a priority, because every life should have an equal seniority!

And don't forget not to judge a book by its cover,

because even a tailless raccoon can be the best mother!!!

My daughter doesn't remember the stories I read to her, I guess as you grow older your childhood becomes some big blur.

I know that growing up can be rough and also showing your parents you care is tough.

But never forget that they love you oh so very much!

Whatever your bedtime routine might entail,

I promise your kids won't forget this Tailless Tale!!!