That evening, in Pumpkin Hollow, the fog was very soft and the air smelled of cold, the kind of cold that nips the tip of your nose and announces that winter is arriving on tiptoe. And in the Hollow, when the cold arrives, there is only one thing to do: the famous Night-Warming Soup, the one that warms you right down to your toes, even the toes at the very back. Zélie and Réglisse are already delighted… but Granny Brindille, the old witch, is pacing about, quite distraught.

«I've lost my recipe!» The recipe for the Night-Warming Soup, learned from her own granny, who had it from HER granny. Granny Brindille has known it by heart for a hundred years, but tonight, poof, the magic words have flown away. She remembers the cauldron, she remembers the fire… but the recipe itself has vanished from her head, and the panic is beginning to rise.

Rather than searching harder and harder, which muddles everything up, Zélie invites Granny Brindille to sit down, to breathe, to remember gently the gestures, the smells, the memories of all those evening soups. And there, once calm has returned, the recipe surfaces all on its own, like a little fish rising quietly back up to the top.

This story shows your child something very useful: when you search too hard and panic, you find nothing, but when you calm down and breathe, your memory and good ideas come back all by themselves. A lovely message about calm, self-confidence and patience, slipped into the warmth of an evening soup.

And when the great Night-Warming Soup finally simmers in the cauldron, a good smell fills the whole house, and everyone is warm right down to their toes. The story ends gently, by the fireside, a spoonful of warmth in your tummy, right in time to close your eyes.

Zélie doesn't scold Granny Brindille for forgetting, and she doesn't make fun of her muddle. She reassures her, she helps her find her calm again, and she reminds her that the recipe is still there, deep inside: helping someone regain their confidence rather than rushing them is the whole spirit of Tilibou bedtime stories. And in the hearth, the fire crackles softly while the cauldron begins to sing.

A gentle, screen-free Halloween story for toddlers from age 3, lovely at bedtime, at nap time, or on the road. As always with Tilibou, the ending stays soft and quiet, without music, so your little one can settle down calmly. 🎃

👉 All the Tilibou bedtime stories at tilibou.com

💡 Tip: to listen to one world back-to-back, choose its season (Noisette, Léo, Cassie, Marin, Tom the Pirate, or the Christmas, Halloween and School seasons).

✉️ Contact: contact@tilibou.fr

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