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The Slow River

A soothing, wordless-feeling wander down a gentle river — soft sounds for the very youngest.

StoryAges 0–23 min read

The story

Listen. The river is moving softly tonight. Hush… hush… over the smooth round stones. Hush… past the reeds that bow and sway.

A leaf floats by, turning slowly, slowly around. The water is warm and calm and dark. Somewhere a frog says one small, sleepy sound, and then is quiet.

On and on the slow river goes, gentle and steady, carrying the quiet night along. Hush… hush… hush… Sleep now, little one. The river will keep flowing while you dream.

Reading it aloud

For babies the sound matters more than the words: keep a soft, repetitive "hush" rhythm throughout.

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Source: Original story written for TempoLife. Free to read aloud. · checked 2026-09-04

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