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[00:00]
A
Foreign. This is Rhea. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People. I am very excited about our story today, which features our favorite mouse from Mouse Bakes a Cake. And I'm joined today by my friend, Mouse. Mimi the mouse. Remember Mateo the mouse? Well, Mimi is Mateo's sister. And since Mateo is on sabbatical from his teaching position, you did know he's a professor of mouse history, didn't you? Anyway, he's out of the country, so I asked Mimi to take his place. Mimi, thank you for sitting in for our story today. So I asked Mimi to draw me some pictures of her guesses as to what Mouse will in our story. Mimi, let's see your first drawing. Okay. It appears Mimi has drawn our friend Mouse baking cookies. No, Mouse is not baking cookies today. Mimi, let's see the next one. Oh, lovely colors. I adore these purples and oranges over there. All right. Looks like it depicts Mouse making a salad. That's a nice and healthy thought, Mimi. But no, Mouse is not going to make a salad in our story. Let's take a look at your last guess. Okay, this one, again, beautifully rendered, shows Mouse making pasta. So close, Mimi. But Mouse is not making pasta. Mouse is making pizza. Oh, Mimi's happy. Looks like she likes pizza. All right, let's listen to our story. Mouse Makes a pizza. Remember, there are no pictures. You'll have to imagine the pictures in your mind. You can imagine them however you want. Okay, here we go. It was the middle of the night, the perfect time for Mouse and Grandma to scamper into the kitchen to bake a cake together. Grandma knew the kitchen like the back of her paw, so she swiftly went to work, pulling out all the ingredients they'd need to make a delicious cake. Mouse was helping her, but he was strangely quiet. Just as Grandma dragged out a metal mixing bowl, Mouse gathered the courage to speak his mind. Grandma, I know you were planning to bake a cake. Grandma narrowed her eyes. Mouse, my dear, did you not see me just get out all of these ingredients? Cake ingredients. I did see you do that. And you did it with such panache, Grandma. But I'd really like to make a pizza instead. Grandma wiggled her nose. Mouse continued. You see, Larry did me a huge favor the other day, and I'd love to thank him with a pizza. Pizza's his favorite. Behind vegetable soup, of course. Please. What kind of favor did he do for you? Grandma asked, leaning against a measuring cup. Well, I went to visit Arnold. You know, the hamster next door? I just wanted to check in on him. He gets so lonely in that cage. And that wheel. That wheel gives me shivers. Grandma looked annoyed. Mouse knew she thought visiting Arnold was a dangerous thing to do. What happened, Mouse? Well, I was hanging out with Arnold, telling him some stories. Like how Uncle Horatio lost five whiskers trying to use his brand new whisker trimmer he got in the Mouse Shopping network. Grandma tried to hide it, but Mouse could see her laughing behind her paw. Anyway, mouse went on, we both cracked up laughing, I guess a bit too loudly, because don't you know, right around the corner comes Eddie, the orange tabby cat. Usually you can hear him coming because he has a little bell on his collar. But he didn't have his collar on for some reason, Grandma, so I didn't have much time. By now, Grandma's eyes were wide and her ears were wiggling like they did when she was upset. Mouse took a step backward, paws up in surrender. I know, Grandma. I know it doesn't sound good. I shouldn't have been there at all. But look, I'm here now. So it ended well. Grandma relaxed ever so slightly. So anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Eddie came round the corner, and I was scared. But you know Larry. He's always there when you need him. He just so happened to come to visit Arnold at that very moment. I could practically hear a mouse choir squeaking as I saw him appear. He sized up the situation pretty quick. He grabbed a laser pointer someone had left out of the bookshelf and started flashing it all over the wall. Eddie goes nuts for that laser pointer. Man, he was just jumping and scraping at the wall. It was pretty mew zing. Get it. Get it, Grandma? Uh, mew zing. I get it, Mouse. Anyhoo, I high tailed it out of there, and Larry followed right behind. So like I said, he did me a huge favor. That deserves a pizza, right? Grandma looked around at the cake ingredients she had carefully laid out on the counter. She frowned a little, but then she looked at Mouse and saw his whiskers twitching with excitement at the thought of making a pizza for his best friend. Oh, all right, Grandma said, and Mouse jumped with joy. Yes. Mouse started dancing around, and his tail nearly knocked the bottle of vanilla extract off the counter. Okay, Mouse, let's maybe plan to dance after we make the pizza, kay? Sure thing, Grandma. Mouse helped Grandma put away most of the cake ingredients, but kept out the flour, salt, and a few other things. Grandma preheated the oven to 425. Just then, Auntie Lemon appeared in the fourth hole in the wall. Oh, I'd better go talk to Auntie Lemon, Grandma said. Mouse, you can start getting things ready. I'll be just a moment. Grandma and Auntie Lemon disappeared into the hole. Now, Auntie Lemon liked to talk a lot. Auntie Lemon's stories were as long as they were winding, and they always included lots of details that were nearly impossible to keep track of. Mouse knew Grandma might be stuck talking to her for a while. Since Mouse baked such a good cake for Grandma's birthday, he'd grown rather confident in the kitchen. I'll just go ahead on my own, he thought to himself. Mouse found a big bowl in the cabinet and pulled it out onto the counter. He dragged the bag of flour over to the bowl and poured out a heaping mountain of it. He filled a cup with some water and added it to the bowl. He sprinkled some salt over top. Mouse fetched a wooden spoon and stirred the mixture until it started to look like dough. Mouse slid down the side of the bowl and worked that dough into a ball. Then he tossed it high in the air and began twirling it on the end of his paw. Woo hoo. Mouse exclaimed as the ball of dough expanded until it was flat and round. When it looked thin enough, Mouse carefully lowered the dough onto the counter. This totally looks like a pizza crust. Mouse said, proudly wiping his brow. Mouse sure loved to eat pizza. Yes, he did. But he'd never made one before. He stopped to think about what went on top of pizza. Dough. Cheese. Mouse knew there was cheese in pizza, but there was also red stuff. He was sure there was red stuff under the cheese on the pizza. Okay, red stuff. Red stuff. What could it be? Apples. Apples were red. No, no, that didn't sound right. Mouse went to the refrigerator and put all his strength into opening the huge door. The fridge swung open and knocked Mouse flat on his back. Ow. He squeaked. He shook his head and got up to see what was inside. Hmm. Something red. Jam. Raspberry jam. That must be it. Mm mm. Mouse loved jam. Mouse hoisted the jar of jam over his head and carefully lowered it out of the fridge. He twisted off the lid and poured out all the jam on his beautiful pizza crust. Then he grabbed a big spoon and used it to spread the jam all over the dough. Perfect. Just then, Grandma returned from her rendezvous with Auntie Lemon. Mouse, my. You're much further along in this than I anticipated. Grandma said, eyeing the pizza with trepidation. Figured I'd get a head start. Grandma. What a go getter you are, Mouse. Always have been. I remember when you Were just a baby. Mouse, you set up a cheese shop in the third hole in the basement wall. Everyone thought it was adorable, but you actually made a bit of profit from it. Anyway, Mouse, I haven't actually made pizza before, but I have to say this sauce is looking quite odd to me. Oh, grandma, it's Jamie. It's gonna be delicious. Don't you worry. Jam. Grandma said, pulling a face. Yes, Grandma, jam. Mouse. My ears are working perfectly. It just surprised me. You know that pizza does not have. Grandma stopped herself. She looked at mouse, who is beaming at his attempt to make a thank you gift for his best friend. Pizza does not have what? Grandma? Pizza does not have to be round, Mouse. Did you know that it can be square? Some very good pizzas are square. True, grandma, but I felt like going the traditional route. I'd like to be as authentic as possible. Right. Good choice. Grandma said. What's next then? Cheese. Grandma laughed. She and mouse found some cheese in the fridge and took turns hurling big looping curls of mozzarella onto the pizza. When it was covered with cheese, Grandma and mouse heaved the pizza into the oven. As soon as they managed to push the oven door closed, Mouse and grandma heard paw steps approaching. Larry appeared in the kitchen doorway. Mouse. Grandma? What are you guys doing in here? Larry sniffed the air. What's that smell? Smells really good. Hey, is the oven on? It's rather toasty in here. Uh, Larry? Well, you know, sometimes it just smells really good and feels very warm in the kitchen. It's a. It's a kitchen thing. You know, kitchens. Always smelling good and feeling toasty. Mouse, are you alright? Did you drink cough syrup? Again, not a good call, Mouse. Actually, Larry, Mouse and I are cooking something special for grandma. It's supposed to be a surprise. Oh, Mouse. The jig is up. Larry. We're making you a pizza. Larry's whiskers twitched and his eyes lit up. Pizza for me? Pizza's my favorite. Besides vegetable soup, of course. But I love pizza. Larry started doing something that looked somewhat like dancing. Larry had many talents. Dancing wasn't really one of them. Wait a second. Larry stopped dancing. Mouse, you made this pizza? Larry thought back to when Mouse baked a cake for grandma. While a loving gesture, it wasn't necessarily a delicious one. Larry carefully lowered his expectations. Uh, a pizza. Great. I'm looking forward to it. Larry said. Well, grandma helped me a little bit. And you have to admit, it looks great, doesn't it? Mouse climbed up to the oven's control panel and pressed a button. A light bulb flicked on behind the pizza and the three mice gazed inside at the large, delicious looking pie. The cheese was beginning to bubble and crisp. That does look good, Larry noted with surprise. It looks good and it looks done. Mouse said proudly. Together, the three of them heaved open the oven door. A gust of hot air wafted out at them, and they rushed to shield their eyes. Mouse and Larry fetched some potholders and dragged them over to the oven, then used them to cover their paws as they slowly pulled out the tray. The pizza took a while to cool off. As they waited, Larry told Grandma and Mouse all about the wild adventure he had earlier that day. And then, just when that skunk looked ready to spray me, I looked him straight in the eye and I said, stuart, I get that you want to spray me right now, but I sense that none of this is actually about me. You need to go home and express your feelings to your brother. I think you'll both feel a lot better. Don't forget to give him a hug, too. And you know what? Stuart put down his tail, turned around, and had a good cry. Then he thanked me, told me I should become a life coach, and left to go make up with his brother, Stanley. Grandma looked at Larry with admiration. Larry, you are like an onion. So many layers. I think it's ready, guys. Let's dig in. Mouse wielded a pizza cutter and carved out eight big slices. They each grabbed the end of one and began to nibble. Grandma, knowing the pizza was slathered in jam, tried to look excited as she bit in. Huh? Larry murmured. Um, Mouse, I'm sure I'm wrong about this, but is there strawberry jam on this pizza? You are wrong, Larry. It is raspberry jam. Larry looked perplexed, then started laughing and put his paw to his forehead. Oh, Mouse, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but this is really good. Of course it is. Mouse exclaimed. No, but it's really delicious. A pizza with jam on it. Only you, Mouse. Now Grandma was laughing too. It really is good. When I saw that he used jam, I I. Now Larry and Grandma were both doubled over with laughter. Mouse just grinned. You know, I'm thinking about becoming a chef. They both kept on laughing. Surprisingly, Larry said, I think you would make a great chef, Mouse. And thank you for my pizza. It's my new favorite. Besides vegetable soup, of course. Larry, Mouse, and Grandma were soon joined by Auntie Lemon, Uncle Horatio, and a dozen others, who all raved about Mouse's raspberry jam pizza. Oh, Mimi just handed me a new drawing. Aw, I love it. It's a drawing of Mouse Larry and Grandma all laughing together as they eat jam pizza. Very cute. Mimi, I'm so glad you could join me today. I hope you enjoyed the story too. Little Stories for Tiny People is written, performed and produced by me, Rhea Pechter, my in house Tech Director. Peter K. Runs my website and puts my stories on the Internet for all of you to enjoy. If you'd like to unlock the full Little Stories library and access Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast, visit littlestories premium.com and thank you as always for listening in. Sam.

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: Little Stories for Tiny People – “Mouse Makes a Pizza”

Host: Rhea Pechter
Date: June 13, 2026
Guest Characters: Mimi the Mouse (Mateo’s sister), Mouse, Grandma, Larry, Auntie Lemon, Uncle Horatio

Overview

In this delightful episode of Little Stories for Tiny People, host Rhea Pechter is joined by Mimi the Mouse to present a charming tale featuring the return of Mouse, the beloved character from “Mouse Bakes a Cake.” This story, “Mouse Makes a Pizza,” explores creativity, gratitude, and kitchen misadventures as Mouse attempts to make a pizza for his friend Larry—a journey that leads to unexpected (and delicious) results.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Introductions and Setup (00:00–03:00)

Rhea welcomes listeners and introduces Mimi the Mouse as her guest, explaining that Mateo is away on sabbatical.
Mimi presents humorous drawings to guess what Mouse will make:
- Baking cookies – wrong.
- Making salad – incorrect.
- Cooking pasta – close, but not quite.
- Big reveal: Mouse will be making pizza, to Mimi’s delight.

“It appears Mimi has drawn our friend Mouse baking cookies. No, Mouse is not baking cookies today.” – Rhea Pechter (00:56)

2. The Story Begins: A Twist on Tradition (03:00–07:00)

Middle of the night, Mouse and Grandma plan to make a cake.
Mouse requests to make pizza instead, as a thank-you for Larry, who recently saved Mouse from a cat encounter.

“Larry did me a huge favor the other day and I'd love to thank him with a pizza. Pizza's his favorite. Behind vegetable soup, of course.” – Mouse (04:11)

3. Mouse’s Daring Adventure (07:00–10:00)

Mouse recounts a recent adventure:
- Visiting lonely Arnold the hamster.
- Nearly caught by Eddie, the orange tabby cat, but saved by Larry, who distracts the cat with a laser pointer.
- Comedic moment:
  
  “It was pretty mew-zing. Get it. Get it, Grandma? Uh, mew-zing.” – Mouse (08:06)

4. Grandma Relents – Pizza-Making Commences (10:00–15:00)

Grandma is touched by Mouse’s intention and agrees to pizza.
The kitchen is cleared of cake ingredients; some basics are kept for the dough.
Auntie Lemon's arrival sidetracks Grandma with one of her famously long-winded stories; Mouse is left alone to start prepping.

5. Mouse’s Improvised Pizza (15:00–22:00)

Confident from past baking, Mouse tackles the pizza dough solo.
When it comes to sauce, Mouse logically but mistakenly reasons that “red stuff” must mean raspberry jam.
Mouse spreads jam on the dough, feeling proud.
Grandma returns, surprised but supportive, masking her skepticism for Mouse’s sake.

“Jam. Grandma said, pulling a face. Yes, Grandma, jam.” – Mouse & Grandma (19:12)

6. Cheese, Teamwork, and the Oven (22:00–25:00)

Grandma and Mouse add generous mozzarella curls to the pizza.
They slide their creation into the oven just as Larry arrives.
Rhea’s familiar, gentle humor shines as Grandma and Mouse try to keep the pizza a surprise.

7. Larry’s Arrival and the Taste Test (25:00–30:00)

Larry is delighted (and a bit wary) to discover the pizza is for him.
Memorable quote as Larry remembers Mouse’s unconventional cake:

“While a loving gesture, it wasn't necessarily a delicious one.” – Narration (27:38)
All three mice are surprised by how appetizing the jam pizza looks and smells.

8. An Unexpected Success – The Jam Pizza (30:00–34:00)

Larry shares a story about talking a skunk out of spraying.
At last, the trio tastes the pizza.
Larry realizes the sauce is raspberry jam, but—shockingly—declares it delicious.
Laughter and good-natured teasing erupt.

“Oh, Mouse, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but this is really good. ... A pizza with jam on it. Only you, Mouse.” – Larry (33:02)

Grandma agrees, and soon the whole family gathers to enjoy the unique creation.
Heartwarming closure:

“They both kept on laughing. Surprisingly, Larry said, ‘I think you would make a great chef, Mouse. And thank you for my pizza. It's my new favorite. Besides vegetable soup, of course.’” – Narration & Larry (34:23)

9. Story Wrap-up and Mimi’s Participation (34:30–End)

Mimi draws the trio laughing and sharing pizza.
Rhea thanks Mimi and wraps up the episode.

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

Rhea: “You'll have to imagine the pictures in your mind. You can imagine them however you want.” (02:28)
Mouse: “He just so happened to come to visit Arnold at that very moment. I could practically hear a mouse choir squeaking as I saw him appear.” (08:24)
Grandma: “What a go-getter you are, Mouse. Always have been. I remember when you were just a baby mouse, you set up a cheese shop in the third hole in the basement wall.” (19:48)
Larry: “Did you drink cough syrup? Again, not a good call, Mouse.” (25:39)
Grandma: “Larry, you are like an onion. So many layers.” (31:12)
Mouse: “You know, I'm thinking about becoming a chef.” (34:08)

Conclusion

This episode blends humor, family warmth, and a celebration of creativity. Mouse’s well-meant mistakes yield an unexpectedly joyous result: a raspberry jam pizza that delights his friends and family. The story gently encourages children to try new things, appreciate others’ kindness, and embrace a little imagination in the kitchen—and in life.

Little Stories for Tiny People is written, performed, and produced by Rhea Pechter. For more stories, visit littlestoriespremium.com.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. This is Rhea. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People. I am very excited about our story today, which features our favorite mouse from Mouse Bakes a Cake. And I'm joined today by my friend, Mouse. Mimi the mouse. Remember Mateo the mouse? Well, Mimi is Mateo's sister. And since Mateo is on sabbatical from his teaching position, you did know he's a professor of mouse history, didn't you? Anyway, he's out of the country, so I asked Mimi to take his place. Mimi, thank you for sitting in for our story today. So I asked Mimi to draw me some pictures of her guesses as to what Mouse will in our story. Mimi, let's see your first drawing. Okay. It appears Mimi has drawn our friend Mouse baking cookies. No, Mouse is not baking cookies today. Mimi, let's see the next one. Oh, lovely colors. I adore these purples and oranges over there. All right. Looks like it depicts Mouse making a salad. That's a nice and healthy thought, Mimi. But no, Mouse is not going to make a salad in our story. Let's take a look at your last guess. Okay, this one, again, beautifully rendered, shows Mouse making pasta. So close, Mimi. But Mouse is not making pasta. Mouse is making pizza. Oh, Mimi's happy. Looks like she likes pizza. All right, let's listen to our story. Mouse Makes a pizza. Remember, there are no pictures. You'll have to imagine the pictures in your mind. You can imagine them however you want. Okay, here we go. It was the middle of the night, the perfect time for Mouse and Grandma to scamper into the kitchen to bake a cake together. Grandma knew the kitchen like the back of her paw, so she swiftly went to work, pulling out all the ingredients they'd need to make a delicious cake. Mouse was helping her, but he was strangely quiet. Just as Grandma dragged out a metal mixing bowl, Mouse gathered the courage to speak his mind. Grandma, I know you were planning to bake a cake. Grandma narrowed her eyes. Mouse, my dear, did you not see me just get out all of these ingredients? Cake ingredients. I did see you do that. And you did it with such panache, Grandma. But I'd really like to make a pizza instead. Grandma wiggled her nose. Mouse continued. You see, Larry did me a huge favor the other day, and I'd love to thank him with a pizza. Pizza's his favorite. Behind vegetable soup, of course. Please. What kind of favor did he do for you? Grandma asked, leaning against a measuring cup. Well, I went to visit Arnold. You know, the hamster next door? I just wanted to check in on him. He gets so lonely in that cage. And that wheel. That wheel gives me shivers. Grandma looked annoyed. Mouse knew she thought visiting Arnold was a dangerous thing to do. What happened, Mouse? Well, I was hanging out with Arnold, telling him some stories. Like how Uncle Horatio lost five whiskers trying to use his brand new whisker trimmer he got in the Mouse Shopping network. Grandma tried to hide it, but Mouse could see her laughing behind her paw. Anyway, mouse went on, we both cracked up laughing, I guess a bit too loudly, because don't you know, right around the corner comes Eddie, the orange tabby cat. Usually you can hear him coming because he has a little bell on his collar. But he didn't have his collar on for some reason, Grandma, so I didn't have much time. By now, Grandma's eyes were wide and her ears were wiggling like they did when she was upset. Mouse took a step backward, paws up in surrender. I know, Grandma. I know it doesn't sound good. I shouldn't have been there at all. But look, I'm here now. So it ended well. Grandma relaxed ever so slightly. So anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Eddie came round the corner, and I was scared. But you know Larry. He's always there when you need him. He just so happened to come to visit Arnold at that very moment. I could practically hear a mouse choir squeaking as I saw him appear. He sized up the situation pretty quick. He grabbed a laser pointer someone had left out of the bookshelf and started flashing it all over the wall. Eddie goes nuts for that laser pointer. Man, he was just jumping and scraping at the wall. It was pretty mew zing. Get it. Get it, Grandma? Uh, mew zing. I get it, Mouse. Anyhoo, I high tailed it out of there, and Larry followed right behind. So like I said, he did me a huge favor. That deserves a pizza, right? Grandma looked around at the cake ingredients she had carefully laid out on the counter. She frowned a little, but then she looked at Mouse and saw his whiskers twitching with excitement at the thought of making a pizza for his best friend. Oh, all right, Grandma said, and Mouse jumped with joy. Yes. Mouse started dancing around, and his tail nearly knocked the bottle of vanilla extract off the counter. Okay, Mouse, let's maybe plan to dance after we make the pizza, kay? Sure thing, Grandma. Mouse helped Grandma put away most of the cake ingredients, but kept out the flour, salt, and a few other things. Grandma preheated the oven to 425. Just then, Auntie Lemon appeared in the fourth hole in the wall. Oh, I'd better go talk to Auntie Lemon, Grandma said. Mouse, you can start getting things ready. I'll be just a moment. Grandma and Auntie Lemon disappeared into the hole. Now, Auntie Lemon liked to talk a lot. Auntie Lemon's stories were as long as they were winding, and they always included lots of details that were nearly impossible to keep track of. Mouse knew Grandma might be stuck talking to her for a while. Since Mouse baked such a good cake for Grandma's birthday, he'd grown rather confident in the kitchen. I'll just go ahead on my own, he thought to himself. Mouse found a big bowl in the cabinet and pulled it out onto the counter. He dragged the bag of flour over to the bowl and poured out a heaping mountain of it. He filled a cup with some water and added it to the bowl. He sprinkled some salt over top. Mouse fetched a wooden spoon and stirred the mixture until it started to look like dough. Mouse slid down the side of the bowl and worked that dough into a ball. Then he tossed it high in the air and began twirling it on the end of his paw. Woo hoo. Mouse exclaimed as the ball of dough expanded until it was flat and round. When it looked thin enough, Mouse carefully lowered the dough onto the counter. This totally looks like a pizza crust. Mouse said, proudly wiping his brow. Mouse sure loved to eat pizza. Yes, he did. But he'd never made one before. He stopped to think about what went on top of pizza. Dough. Cheese. Mouse knew there was cheese in pizza, but there was also red stuff. He was sure there was red stuff under the cheese on the pizza. Okay, red stuff. Red stuff. What could it be? Apples. Apples were red. No, no, that didn't sound right. Mouse went to the refrigerator and put all his strength into opening the huge door. The fridge swung open and knocked Mouse flat on his back. Ow. He squeaked. He shook his head and got up to see what was inside. Hmm. Something red. Jam. Raspberry jam. That must be it. Mm mm. Mouse loved jam. Mouse hoisted the jar of jam over his head and carefully lowered it out of the fridge. He twisted off the lid and poured out all the jam on his beautiful pizza crust. Then he grabbed a big spoon and used it to spread the jam all over the dough. Perfect. Just then, Grandma returned from her rendezvous with Auntie Lemon. Mouse, my. You're much further along in this than I anticipated. Grandma said, eyeing the pizza with trepidation. Figured I'd get a head start. Grandma. What a go getter you are, Mouse. Always have been. I remember when you Were just a baby. Mouse, you set up a cheese shop in the third hole in the basement wall. Everyone thought it was adorable, but you actually made a bit of profit from it. Anyway, Mouse, I haven't actually made pizza before, but I have to say this sauce is looking quite odd to me. Oh, grandma, it's Jamie. It's gonna be delicious. Don't you worry. Jam. Grandma said, pulling a face. Yes, Grandma, jam. Mouse. My ears are working perfectly. It just surprised me. You know that pizza does not have. Grandma stopped herself. She looked at mouse, who is beaming at his attempt to make a thank you gift for his best friend. Pizza does not have what? Grandma? Pizza does not have to be round, Mouse. Did you know that it can be square? Some very good pizzas are square. True, grandma, but I felt like going the traditional route. I'd like to be as authentic as possible. Right. Good choice. Grandma said. What's next then? Cheese. Grandma laughed. She and mouse found some cheese in the fridge and took turns hurling big looping curls of mozzarella onto the pizza. When it was covered with cheese, Grandma and mouse heaved the pizza into the oven. As soon as they managed to push the oven door closed, Mouse and grandma heard paw steps approaching. Larry appeared in the kitchen doorway. Mouse. Grandma? What are you guys doing in here? Larry sniffed the air. What's that smell? Smells really good. Hey, is the oven on? It's rather toasty in here. Uh, Larry? Well, you know, sometimes it just smells really good and feels very warm in the kitchen. It's a. It's a kitchen thing. You know, kitchens. Always smelling good and feeling toasty. Mouse, are you alright? Did you drink cough syrup? Again, not a good call, Mouse. Actually, Larry, Mouse and I are cooking something special for grandma. It's supposed to be a surprise. Oh, Mouse. The jig is up. Larry. We're making you a pizza. Larry's whiskers twitched and his eyes lit up. Pizza for me? Pizza's my favorite. Besides vegetable soup, of course. But I love pizza. Larry started doing something that looked somewhat like dancing. Larry had many talents. Dancing wasn't really one of them. Wait a second. Larry stopped dancing. Mouse, you made this pizza? Larry thought back to when Mouse baked a cake for grandma. While a loving gesture, it wasn't necessarily a delicious one. Larry carefully lowered his expectations. Uh, a pizza. Great. I'm looking forward to it. Larry said. Well, grandma helped me a little bit. And you have to admit, it looks great, doesn't it? Mouse climbed up to the oven's control panel and pressed a button. A light bulb flicked on behind the pizza and the three mice gazed inside at the large, delicious looking pie. The cheese was beginning to bubble and crisp. That does look good, Larry noted with surprise. It looks good and it looks done. Mouse said proudly. Together, the three of them heaved open the oven door. A gust of hot air wafted out at them, and they rushed to shield their eyes. Mouse and Larry fetched some potholders and dragged them over to the oven, then used them to cover their paws as they slowly pulled out the tray. The pizza took a while to cool off. As they waited, Larry told Grandma and Mouse all about the wild adventure he had earlier that day. And then, just when that skunk looked ready to spray me, I looked him straight in the eye and I said, stuart, I get that you want to spray me right now, but I sense that none of this is actually about me. You need to go home and express your feelings to your brother. I think you'll both feel a lot better. Don't forget to give him a hug, too. And you know what? Stuart put down his tail, turned around, and had a good cry. Then he thanked me, told me I should become a life coach, and left to go make up with his brother, Stanley. Grandma looked at Larry with admiration. Larry, you are like an onion. So many layers. I think it's ready, guys. Let's dig in. Mouse wielded a pizza cutter and carved out eight big slices. They each grabbed the end of one and began to nibble. Grandma, knowing the pizza was slathered in jam, tried to look excited as she bit in. Huh? Larry murmured. Um, Mouse, I'm sure I'm wrong about this, but is there strawberry jam on this pizza? You are wrong, Larry. It is raspberry jam. Larry looked perplexed, then started laughing and put his paw to his forehead. Oh, Mouse, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but this is really good. Of course it is. Mouse exclaimed. No, but it's really delicious. A pizza with jam on it. Only you, Mouse. Now Grandma was laughing too. It really is good. When I saw that he used jam, I I. Now Larry and Grandma were both doubled over with laughter. Mouse just grinned. You know, I'm thinking about becoming a chef. They both kept on laughing. Surprisingly, Larry said, I think you would make a great chef, Mouse. And thank you for my pizza. It's my new favorite. Besides vegetable soup, of course. Larry, Mouse, and Grandma were soon joined by Auntie Lemon, Uncle Horatio, and a dozen others, who all raved about Mouse's raspberry jam pizza. Oh, Mimi just handed me a new drawing. Aw, I love it. It's a drawing of Mouse Larry and Grandma all laughing together as they eat jam pizza. Very cute. Mimi, I'm so glad you could join me today. I hope you enjoyed the story too. Little Stories for Tiny People is written, performed and produced by me, Rhea Pechter, my in house Tech Director. Peter K. Runs my website and puts my stories on the Internet for all of you to enjoy. If you'd like to unlock the full Little Stories library and access Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast, visit littlestories premium.com and thank you as always for listening in. Sam.