Goatina Plants A Garden

Summary

Episode Summary: "Goatina Plants A Garden"

Podcast: Little Stories for Tiny People: Anytime and Bedtime Stories for Kids
Host: Rhea Pechter
Episode Date: May 9, 2026

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Overview

This delightful episode centers around Gotina, a goat who feels left out among her quilting circle friends because she doesn’t have a garden, unlike everyone else. The story warmly explores themes of insecurity, community, perseverance, and self-discovery as Gotina decides—somewhat reluctantly—to start her own garden.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Goatina’s Quilting Circle Dilemma

[00:56-03:39]

• Gotina is embarrassed at her quilting circle because she’s the only goat without a garden (besides Granny Hoofton, who is excused from gardening due to age).
• Conversations at quilting circle regularly shift to gardening tips and successes, causing Gotina to feel awkward and self-conscious.

Notable Quote:

"She would bring her quilting project up to her face to inspect it. She would remain quiet until the topic was exhausted and attention turned back to quilting." (Narrator, 02:20)

2. The Fateful Question and Gotina’s Decision

[03:45-04:59]

• A new quilting member asks Gotina directly about her garden, putting her on the spot.
• Flustered, Gotina says she’ll plant something this weekend and resolves to actually do so, not wanting to be dishonest.

Notable Moment:

"In those few awkward moments of silence, Gotina had decided to begin a garden that very weekend." (Narrator, 04:26)

3. Learning to Garden: Asking for Help

[05:00-07:14]

• Gotina seeks advice from Lolli, a kindly neighbor pig, who gives her whimsical and practical gardening tips, such as “say hello to the soil.”

Quote:

"Turn over the soil. Let it see the sun. Fluff it up to give it air. Say hello to it to warm it up to you." (Lolli, remembered by Gotina, 06:16)

4. A Surprising Response from the Soil

[07:15-07:32]

• When Gotina nervously whispers “hello” to the soil, a worm surprisingly answers back.

Quote:

"Hello." (Gotina, 07:14)
"Hello, came a voice from below. Gotina felt her heart trip over itself. She looked down and saw a worm..." (Narrator, 07:15)

5. The Reality of Gardening

[08:35-10:48]

• Gotina feels hopeful after planting tomatoes, but quickly overwhelmed by the technical gardening talk at the next quilting circle (soil pH, delphiniums, dolomite lime).
• She worries she’s out of her depth.

Notable Moment:

"She didn't know anything about pH. She didn't know anything about delphiniums." (Narrator, 09:33)

6. Growth—Green Shoots and Confidence

[10:53-12:39]

• Despite her worries, Gotina’s garden sprouts—her tomatoes are growing!
• She enthusiastically plants green beans and cabbage, her confidence boosted.
• She faces classic gardening challenges: deer eat her lettuce, rabbits munch her beans, and aphids invade the tomatoes.
• Lolli offers practical advice: “Get yourself some hungry ladybugs at the next quilting circle.” (Lolli, 12:32)

7. Finding Community Through Sharing

[13:00-14:22]

• Gotina hopes to join in gardening conversations, but quilting topics keep taking over.
• Her tomatoes ripen beautifully; she shares them with Lolli, who admires Gotina’s growth as a gardener.

Quote:

"You really connected to the soil. I can tell." (Lolli, 14:18)

8. Gotina Joins In—Almost

[14:22-16:37]

• At the next quilting circle, Gotina brings her green beans and feels prepared to join the gardening discussion.
• Just as she’s ready to speak up about her experiences, conversation is derailed by Granny Hoofton’s needle prick.
• Then, in an amusing twist, the group shifts to unicycling, leaving Gotina once again quietly observing.

Humorous Moment:

"Unicycling? It must be a joke. It wasn't a joke." (Narrator, 16:40)

9. Another Social Curveball

[17:28-18:17]

• The newest member turns to Gotina and asks, “What kind of unicycle do you ride?” (Gotessa, 18:17)
• Ending mirrors the beginning: Gotina once more is stuck for an answer, her cheeks flushed, surrounded by the curious eyes of her peers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Moment | |-----------|---------|--------------| | 02:39 | Kian (Gotina) | "Go, Trella. I love that border you've chosen. And that thread. Just marvelous." | | 06:16 | Lolli (via Gotina’s memory) | "Turn over the soil. Let it see the sun. Fluff it up to give it air. Say hello to it to warm it up to you." | | 07:14 | Gotina & Worm | "Hello." ... "Hello, came a voice from below." | | 09:33 | Narrator | "She didn't know anything about pH. She didn't know anything about delphiniums." | | 12:32 | Lolli | "Aphids. Those are. Get yourself some hungry ladybugs at the next quilting circle." | | 14:18 | Lolli | "You really connected to the soil. I can tell." | | 16:40 | Narrator | "Unicycling? It must be a joke. It wasn't a joke." | | 18:17 | Gotessa | “What kind of unicycle do you ride?” |

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:56]: Story begins—Gotina’s embarrassment among the quilting circle
• [03:39]: The direct question about her garden
• [06:16]: Gotina gets advice from Lolli
• [07:14]: Gotina talks to the soil, meets the worm
• [10:53]: Green shoots begin to appear in Gotina’s garden
• [12:32]: Lolli helps with aphids
• [13:00]: Gotina wants to join the gardening chat
• [14:18]: Gotina is complimented for connecting to the soil
• [16:40]: Unexpected turn to unicycling
• [18:17]: Gotina faces a new social challenge

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Tone and Style

The story is told in a light, whimsical, and gently humorous tone, with playful observations about group dynamics and personal growth. Animal characters are given relatable, human-like insecurities and quirks, making the themes accessible for young listeners and enjoyable for adults.

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Takeaways

• Perseverance and Openness: Gotina overcomes self-doubt, learns through trial and error, and discovers new joys by trying something new.
• Community and Sharing: The importance of helping and sharing with others is highlighted through Gotina’s interactions with Lolli and the quilting circle.
• Humor in Everyday Life: Social anxiety is depicted lightly; the quilting goats’ sudden shift from one topic to another mirrors real group idiosyncrasies, reassuring listeners that everyone has moments of uncertainty.

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Concluding Thoughts

"Goatina Plants A Garden" is a charming, funny, and heartwarming tale about overcoming self-consciousness, growing through new challenges, and finding one’s place in a community—even if just as you’re ready to join in, life throws another new thing at you (like unicycling!). Perfect as a lesson in kindness, perseverance, and the joy of trying something new.

Transcript

[Rhea Pechter]

This is Rhea. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People.

[Narrator]

Oh, that's my tell a story alarm.

[Rhea Pechter]

Sometimes I walk into my studio and forget why I came into it in the first place. So I have this alarm to remind me. That's normal, right?

[Narrator]

I'll take your silence as agreement.

[Rhea Pechter]

Let's get to our story. It's called Gotina Plants a Garden.

[Narrator]

Take it away, Kian.

[Kian]

Remember, there are no pictures. You'll have to imagine them in your mind. You can imagine them however you want. Okay, here we go.

[Narrator]

Gotina did not have a garden, which was proving to be a reliable source of embarrassment for her. At weekly quilting circle, every other goat had a garden. Except for Granny Hoofton, who was getting on in years and was well past an age where anyone would expect her to weed flower beds. She took every opportunity to remind them of this.

[Kian]

I weeded plenty of garden beds for years. Can't be expecting me to scuff my hoofs for another lousy crop of cucumbers.

[Narrator]

But everyone else had a garden. And not just pretty flower gardens. Sure, they had some flowers around the borders, but these were real working gardens, bursting with things to eat. Whenever discussion about quilting stitches or patterns or the high cost of fabric these days ran dry for too long, conversation invariably turned to gardening.

[Kian]

I'm thinking about planting banana peppers for the first time this year.

[Narrator]

Oh, you have to. I pickled mine last year. They were fabulous. When this happened, Gotina would suddenly become a lot more focused on her stitches. She would bring her quilting project up to her face to inspect it. She would remain quiet until the topic was exhausted and attention turned back to quilting.

[Kian]

Go, Trella. I love that border you've chosen. And that thread. Just marvelous.

[Narrator]

Each year, when fall gave way to the frost of winter, Gotina was relieved that the subject of gardening likewise went dormant. Now it was early spring, prime garden season. Gotina had coasted through previous springs by giving some well timed nods and smiles when her least favorite topic arose. But just last night, a newer member of quilting circle, Gotina wasn't even sure of her name. Gotel, was it? Her name doesn't really matter. What matters is this. This new goat turned, looked directly into Gotina's eyes, seemed to look directly into

[Kian]

her soul and said, what's your garden like, Gotina?

[Narrator]

It was such an unremarkable question that none of the other quilters even looked up from their stitch. After all, quilting does require intense concentration. Gotina paused for a very long moment. The heads began turning up one by one to look at her. Gotina coughed then, loudly, and she was so flustered she didn't even know herself whether it was a genuine cough or whether she was stalling for time. After she'd attracted every single goat's attention, she cleared her throat and said, I'm going to put in some new plantings this weekend. They stared at her, blinking their strange eyes. All goats have strange eyes. Then they turned back to their quilting. It wasn't technically a lie. Not quite, Gotina told herself as she clomped home that evening. She hadn't actually answered the new quilter's question, but what she had said was true in those few awkward moments of silence. Gotina had decided to begin a garden that very weekend. Now she stood, spade in hoof, looking at the stretch of ground where she planned to make her garden. Planned is probably too strong a word, too generous. It was the only place that made any sense. The rest of the area around Gotina's little cottage was too shaded. So there she was. She had her spade, her seeds, and a watering pail. The weather had cooperated. Gotina didn't really care to have a garden, but she wasn't a dishonest goat. She'd told the quilters she'd be planting this weekend, so that's exactly what she would do. The day after the fateful quilting circle, she'd gone straight to her neighbor, a kindly pig named Lolli, to get advice. Gotina tried to remember Lolli's words as she went to work with her spade.

[Kian]

Turn over the soil. Let it see the sun. Fluff it up to give it air. Say hello to it to warm it up to you.

[Narrator]

Gotina went along, turning over the soil and fluffing it. But when it came time to say hello, she hesitated. It was odd. Gotina wondered if it was just something Loli liked to do, something that wouldn't really make a difference to the plants. But then she wondered if saying hello to the soil was in fact very important, and she'd doom her garden to failure from the start if she didn't do it. Gotina looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching her. There was a crow in a nearby tree. That was all. She leaned down close to the soil and whispered.

[Kian]

Hello.

[Narrator]

Hello, came a voice from below. Gotina felt her heart trip over itself. She looked down and saw a worm, and it nodded to her and squirmed away. Gotina's heart slowed to a normal pace. She felt warmth spread over her. There was a worm in her garden. Gotina knew very little about gardening, but she knew worms were good. It took a very long time to turn over all the soil. By then it was midday and the sun was warm on Gotina's back. She took a moment to duck inside her cottage to find a wide brimmed hat. An elderly muskrat who lived by the pond ambled by. Gotina waved hello as she wiped away a bit of perspiration on her brow. It struck her that with her dusty hoofs, her dirt covered spade, and her wide brimmed hat, she looked every bit the gardener. She got back to work and soon she'd planted a whole row of tomato seeds. It was so easy. She couldn't believe it had taken her this long to plant a garden. Already she was a gardener. She felt hope brim in her chest. Gotina got a reality check at the next quilting circle. She'd only ever listened to the gardening talk with half an ear, since it never seemed relevant to her. But now she was a gardener too. She might learn something. She leaned forward in her seat. She listened so eagerly that her quilting project sat neglected in her lap, and what she heard absolutely terrified her.

[Kian]

Well, I found out why my delphiniums have been struggling. So did you. My soil ph is much too low. It isn't. It is.

[Narrator]

Gotina felt her cheeks grow hot. She didn't know anything about phone. She didn't know anything about delphiniums. All the satisfaction she'd felt after dropping a few tomato seeds in the ground seemed to vanish in an instant. The conversation went deeper into the weeds, so to speak.

[Kian]

My friend Dahlia swears by dolomite lime. You must.

[Narrator]

Gotina leaned back in her seat. She barely heard the rest of the conversation. She felt completely, utterly out of her depth. When she did tune back in, the group had mercifully moved on to discussing embroidery transfers. For a few days, Gotina did little except stare out the window at her garden bed. She wondered about the PH of her soil and wondered how she would even figure out what it was. She imagined the other quilters laughing at her.

[Kian]

I heard she actually said hello to her soil.

[Narrator]

Could you believe it? But a few days after that, when Gotina looked out the same window, she saw green shoots climbing up from the ground. She dashed outside to get a better look. Sure enough, her tomato plants were growing. She got down close to the soil and eyed the little tendrils of green. Hello, she said, this time not bothering to check to see if she had any witnesses. She was so inspired that she planted more Seeds, a row of green beans, and one of cabbage. By sundown, Gotina was exhausted and hopeful. Over the next few weeks, Gotina's plants grew. They grew so well and so beautifully, in fact, that they attracted the attention of other creatures. She came outside one day to find several deer munching away at her lettuce. Another morning, there were two rabbits standing suspiciously close to her green beans. When she drew near, she saw green beans disappearing into their mouths like logs into a woodchipper. The next day, she discovered tiny little insects running up and down her tomato vines. Lolly identified them straight away.

[Kian]

Aphids. Those are. Get yourself some hungry ladybugs at the next quilting circle.

[Narrator]

Unlike many times in the past, Gotina didn't feel any nerves about the discussion turning to gardening. In fact, she started to want it to happen. She felt sure it would when the group began discussing the honeybee print on Gotellope's quilt.

[Kian]

Gotellope. I love that print. I love anything with honeybees on it. They are a gardener's best friend, of course.

[Narrator]

Gotina glanced around, expecting someone, anyone, to launch yet another conversation about gardening. But there was an ouch when Granny Hoofton pricked herself with her needle. The rest of the group worried over her for a minute.

[Kian]

I'm fine. My hoofs are just not as steady as they used to be.

[Narrator]

And the moment passed.

[Kian]

Does anyone have a good recipe for tzatziki?

[Narrator]

Gotina felt a strange sense of disappointment at not having the opportunity to chime in and share her it experience. The feeling faded when she returned home to find that her tomatoes had turned bright red. It was a delight to pluck them off the vine at the height of ripeness. They were red through and through and had a perfect texture on the inside. When she sliced one open to put on her salad. She had so many perfect tomatoes that she brought a whole basket over to Lolly, who was most impressed.

[Kian]

You really connected to the soil. I can tell.

[Narrator]

Gotina showed up at the next quilting circle with a spring in her step. She had such a big yield of green beans that she brought some to share, and the other goats nodded approvingly at their crunchiness. Still, Gotina hadn't yet done what she'd been looking forward to doing ever since she began her garden. She wanted to join in on the conversation and feel part of the group, so you can imagine Gotina's delight when conversation about quilting hit a lull. They'd all been debating the best type of quilt.

[Kian]

Batting bamboo is the best, and don't try to convince me otherwise. Wool is obviously the best, although then you have to deal with sheep. Precisely.

[Narrator]

You're making my argument for me. But after a few minutes it was as if there had been a pitcher full of quilt batting commentary that had been poured out until not even a drop was left. Silence fell, and every goat seemed to focus in on her stitches. Gotina smiled to herself, thinking that gardening must be the next topic. And it was. Goatzella broke the silence, saying, well, you

[Kian]

won't believe who visited my garden this week. That old crow, Harold. He came by to eat my sweetie drop peppers.

[Narrator]

Not again.

[Kian]

Again. I couldn't believe his nerve.

[Narrator]

Gotina knew something about sweetie drop peppers, having planted some just that week. She straightened herself, thinking perhaps she might add something to the conversation, when all of a sudden, ouch. It was Granny Hoofton pricking herself with a needle again. Again the goats worried over her for a minute, chatting about how it can be difficult to have steady hoofs after so many years of quilting.

[Kian]

I can't seem to get rid of

[Narrator]

these shakes, granny Hoofton muttered. Gotina nodded along with everyone else. There was a pause, and Gotina just knew they'd circle back to gardening instead. Gotrella said, I am so thrilled to be back in unicycling season. I can't wait to hit the trails. Gotina nearly laughed out loud. Unicycling? It must be a joke. It wasn't a joke.

[Kian]

I just pulled my unicycle out of the shed. I spiffed it up. It looks nearly new again. Oh, mine needs a major work done. And there's a mouse that keeps napping in the wheel when I'm not there. I have to get rid of him.

[Narrator]

Has anyone tried the trail up on Blueberry Pass? Gotina suddenly became much more focused on her stitches. She drew her project up to her face, inspecting non existent errors. She waited for the conversation to drift back to gardening, or at least quilting. There was the briefest lull in conversation, and Gotina breathed a sigh of relief. Then the newest member of quilting circle, Gotessa, was. Doesn't really matter what her name is. She turned to Gotina and blinking sweetly,

[Kian]

said, what kind of unicycle do you ride?

[Narrator]

Gotina slowly pulled her eyes from her work and faced her interrogator. She felt heat rise in her cheeks. Silence gathered around her like a quilt. Gradually, the heads of the other goats began turning up one by one to look at her.

[Rhea Pechter]

I hope you enjoyed this story. Little stories for Tiny People is written, performed and and produced by me, Rhea Pechter, my in house Tech Director Peter K runs my website and puts my stories in the Internet for all of you to enjoy. Little Stories Premium Subscribers, thank you so much. You are truly making it possible for me to keep sharing stories with children around the world. Thank you to Kian for the super important reminder message at the beginning and thank you as always for listening in.