That evening, in Pumpkin Hollow, it was Halloween night, the one when, usually, all the children run outside from door to door for the great candy hunt. But tonight… listen. It was raining. A soft, fine rain, falling on the pumpkins and making Lantern Square glisten, a velvet rain. Zélie is quite disappointed: with this rain, the candy hunt is impossible, and even her big hat goes drip.

Réglisse, on the other hand, is perfectly happy, warm by the fire: rain, at least, is a noise that doesn't frighten, soft, plip plop plop, like a lullaby. Then there's a knock at the door: it's Boubou the monster, all wet and all sad, come to fetch Zélie. But it's raining far too hard, and every house has switched off its lanterns. The lovely Halloween party seems to have well and truly fallen through.

So, rather than sulking over the ruined evening, Zélie has a warm idea: what if, instead of running outside, they threw the party indoors? Invite the friends, light the candles, share the sweets by the fire, tell stories while the rain sings at the window. And the candy hunt turns, as if by magic, into the coziest of gatherings.

This story helps your child tame disappointment, when something they've been looking forward to doesn't go as planned. It shows, gently, that a plan that falls through can turn into an even lovelier moment, and that you can choose to enjoy what you have rather than regret what you've lost. A lovely message about letting go and simple joy.

And when the whole little gang gathers snug and warm, amid laughter, shared sweets and the velvet rain drumming softly outside, no one misses the candy hunt anymore. The story then settles gently down, rocked by the plip plop of the rain, right in time to close your eyes.

Zélie doesn't let herself be crushed by disappointment, and she doesn't pretend it isn't there either: she welcomes it, then looks with her friends for a way to reinvent the evening. Showing a little one that you can bounce back gently when a treat is cancelled is the whole spirit of Tilibou bedtime stories. And outside, the velvet rain goes on singing its lullaby over the sleeping pumpkins.

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).

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