One day, the sun had so much fun he refused to go to bed and wanted to stay up longer.

This caused such trouble that the whole big world was turned upside down.

It was one of those happy summer days meant only for play. Mamas and papas were standing, sitting and strolling about.

Children, small and tall, were playing in the sands, beaches, grass and water. Some were cycling. Some played ball. Everyone was jolly.

The sun beamed down from high in the sky on top of the world. He glowed with pleasure to see everyone having such a good time. Nothing pleases him more than the chorus of children's happy laughter.

But clocks all over the land were ticking towards the day's end. "I can't go to bed now," the sun thought, "it will spoil everyone's fun." The sun did not want to be a spoilsport. "I am staying put," he said gleefully.

It was fast approaching the time when mamas and papas call children for clean ups. It was time for children to wave goodbye to friends. It was getting to the dreaded bedtime.

The sun was not moving. He stubbornly remained rooted at the same spot. Normally the shadows would grow longer, the later it got. But on that day, the shadows did not grow any longer. The sun refused to go to bed.

Below, children were still playing, laughing, skipping and jumping, although it was long past their playtime.

Parents, being parents, looked with worry at their watches. They were puzzled. What should they do? The clocks showed it was past playtime, but the sun still stood at playtime!

In faraway villages, parents were saying, "Children it is time for bed." And children, being children, responded, "But the sun is still shining brightly."

Mamas and papas looked at each other. Then they looked up to the sky and wondered, "Should we send our children to bed? It is late, but the sun is still at the midday spot."

It was getting so late now that the moon and the stars were ready to appear.

The moon whispered sternly to the sun, "You must go to bed immediately. It is my time to be awake."

The moon warned the sun, "If you do not go to bed now, the children will never go to bed, neither will the animals nor the plants. The world will turn upside down."

But the sun shook his head. "Look," he said, "the children love it. "They want me to stay. They want to have more fun."

The moon was starting to lose patience. She urged the sun more sternly. "Go to the bed!" said the moon. "No!" said the sun.

A furious wind joined in. He shrieked in an angry voice, "To bed, to bed, to bed." But the sun stood firm."

What could the moon do? The world was turning upside down.

Animals that were supposed to sleep during the day and come out at night, kept on sleeping. Flowers that were supposed to close their buds when the sun sets, stayed open. Little bugs that were supposed to come out at night stayed in their little homely holes.

The moon asked the wind, "Please help me to change the sun's mind."

So the wind tried a different approach. He said softly to the sun, "Please go to bed now, little sun. You must be very tired after so much shining?"

Then the wind gushed strongly, "To bed, now, sun." But this did not work either.

The wind howled stronger and louder, causing a wave of air to sweep the earth. Mamas, papas, children, other legged and winged creatures scrambled for cover.

Worried parents called their children inside. It was getting later and later. Children were getting tired. Some were even dozing off.

"What about whistling a lullaby to the sun?" twinkled one little star to the wailing wind. "I guess I could try," huffed the wind.

So he began to whistle a soothing slow melody. It was the same bedtime lullaby his mother whistled to him when he was a little breeze. The sun's eyelids began to get heavier and heavier.

The sun couldn't stay awake any longer. He finally collapsed into bed.

The moon and the stars returned. The animals which stayed awake during the day could also now fall asleep. The flowers could close their buds and finally sleep. The night animals could come out.

Because the sun had gone to bed so late, the next morning, he was so tired that he could not wake up.

The moon whispered to the sun, "Wake up now, lazy bones." The sun did not hear her. The wind whistled noisily but the sun did not wake up.

Although it was supposed to be morning, it remained night. The world was upside down.

On earth the animals remained sleeping. The flower buds that were supposed to open, remained closed.

Children remained in bed. Because they went to sleep so late, they were too tired to wake up for breakfast.

Those children who did manage to open their sleepy eyes, closed them again, thinking it was still night because the sun was not up.

Because the sun did not wake up, the flowers did not spread open their petals. Bees and butterflies stayed in their beds because the flowers were still asleep.

The birds did not sing to welcome the morning. And although it was late morning, it was as dark as the middle of the night.

The moon and stars shouted at the sun to wake up. They were tired now and wanted to go to bed, after being up all night.

The wind wailed to wake up the sun. The birds chirped loudly. Dogs barked. Cats meowed. Cocks crowed.

All the noise finally made the sun wake up with a jolt!

Because the sun did not wake up in time, because he went to bed so late, the world was upside down.

Everything and everybody was late. Parents and children woke up late. Parents went to work late. Children went to school late.

The birds' singing was late. The insects' buzzing was late. The flowers were late in opening their buds.

Everybody, including the sun, was grumpy, sleepy and confused. Everybody was angry with the sun.

The sun was embarrassed. He promised he would never again go to bed so late.

"I will always try to go to sleep on time, and wake up on time," said the sheepish sun to the upside down world.