Mira lay in her bed. It was soft as a cloud. She held her teddy bear Rufus in her arms. The bear had a little space suit. When Mira closed her eyes, the bed became a rocket. It was called Starstreak.

Five, four, three, two, one. Start the engines! Vroooom! They lifted quietly through the night. A rocket is a fast spacecraft. It flies high, higher than the clouds.

Mira wore a helmet. A helmet protects the head. Around her, stars blinked. A star is a burning sun far away. They glided past blue planets and yellow rings. They saw a comet. A comet is a snowy rock that flies with a long tail. Far away, a galaxy glittered. A galaxy is a big family of stars.

Starstreak whispered: We're approaching Purple-Purple. It's a kind planet. Mira smiled. She pressed the little wave button. The door opened gently. The air smelled of violet and vanilla.

On the ground hopped a little creature. It was round like a ball and glowed faintly. Hello, it said. My name is Lumo. Lumo had two small antennae. Antennae are feelers that sense things. Lumo looked worried. My night lamp is gone. It makes me feel safe when I sleep.

We'll help you, said Mira. It's brave to ask for help. Courage means to dare when it feels tingly. They floated lightly over the ground. Weightless means almost without weight. They looked behind rocks and under shiny moon-leaves. They counted stars like tiny grains of sand.

Suddenly the sky rustled. A swarm of meteors danced by. Meteors are also called shooting stars. They whooshed but did no harm. Mira took a calm breath. We'll fly around them, she said. She steered Starstreak in gentle curves. Rufus pressed his paw against the window and giggled.

There! shouted Lumo. Behind a moon-bush shone something warm and yellow. It was the night lamp, a little star-lantern with a friendly glow. Thank you, thank you, thank you! said Lumo and spun around. As thanks, Lumo gave a package of star seeds. Star seeds can be planted in the sky. When they burst open, they become pictures of light. A constellation is a picture made of stars.

Mira and Lumo chose a spot in the sky. They opened the window and scattered the seeds. They drew a sleeping bear in the sky. The bear blinked slowly. When we help others, the night shines a little more, Mira whispered. Lumo nodded and yawned.

It's time to sleep, said Starstreak gently. Mira hugged Lumo goodbye. Good night, little planet. Sleep well, she said. They flew home through the star path. Comets waved with their tails. The galaxy glittered like a sparkly shawl.

The bed landed quietly in Mira's room. She put the helmet on the chair. She tucked in Rufus. She whispered her new words: rocket, comet, galaxy, constellation. I'll remember them tomorrow. Curiosity is like a lamp in the dark, she said. It lights the way. Mira closed her eyes. Far out there, the sleeping bear blinked. Good night, space. Good night, Mira.