Daniel’s Night Garden

Daniel wants to paint the garden at night. He remembers the pale moon above the fence. Mum brings paper, a white wax crayon and a tray of dark blue paint.

Daniel draws a round moon with the crayon. On the white paper, it is hard to see. He tips the sheet towards the window, looking for the waxy mark.

“My moon has nearly disappeared,” he says. Mum points to the place where the light catches it. Daniel finds the edge with his eyes. The drawing is still there.

He adds broad leaves and some simple flowers. Some lines are hard to follow. Daniel works slowly, remembering where he has already drawn. He leaves room around the moon.

Mum offers a damp brush. Daniel dips it in the blue paint and sweeps across one corner. A pale leaf shape shows through the colour. He leans closer.

“There you are,” he says. He moves the brush farther. The painted blue settles around his wax lines, and another leaf appears. Daniel keeps his strokes gentle.

As he reaches the middle, he adds too much water. A little pool of blue spreads towards the moon. Daniel stops and lays the paper flat on its board.

Mum helps him touch the puddle with a clean cloth. Daniel waits, then uses less water on his brush. He paints around the last flowers without scrubbing the paper.

The finished garden is dark blue with pale shapes showing through. His moon looks quiet above the leaves. Daniel decides the empty space beside it can stay dark.

He puts the picture where it can dry. “I could hardly see it at first,” he tells Mum. Now he can follow every leaf. His night garden has come into view.