← Little Stories for Tiny People: Anytime and bedtime stories for kids
Little Stories for Tiny People: Anytime and bedtime stories for kids
PREMIUM PREVIEW: A Trip to the Midnight Market
00:17:13
A Story for Kids
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- [00:01]
Rhea
Hello, everyone. This is Rhea with a quick note. This is a preview of an episode exclusive to Little Stories Premium. Little Stories Premium gives you more of the stories you love, an ad free listening experience, and access to Little Stories for Sleep, an exclusive bedtime podcast featuring brand new sleepy stories. Perfect for that last track on a bedtime playlist. Subscribe or purchase a gift subscription by visiting littlestoriespremium.com now onto the show.
- [00:52]
Rocky Raccoon
This is Rhea.
- [00:53]
Rhea
Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People.
- [00:59]
Rocky Raccoon
Sorry, I am so tired. It's the middle of the night. I don't record stories in the middle of the night usually, but it seemed fitting for this story, which takes place in the middle of the night. Plus, I'm expecting. Oh, there's my guest. This is so exciting. Come in. Yeah, that seat is fine. Just. Yeah, just push those lizard figurines out of the way. There you go. Everyone, please welcome my guest, Rosalie the Raccoon. Rosalie, I'm so glad you could make it. I stayed up super late for this, so let's hope I don't nod off. Alrighty. Let's get to our Rosalie. What are you doing? Uh huh. Oh. Hmm. I could see why you would. Right, Right. Yeah. It's just that I can't have you eating popcorn right now. Well, the mic picks up everything, so it's really. Why don't you just eat all of it right now? Just get it out of the way. We'll wait. You've got eight seconds. Let me just put on some music and go. Okay, ready or not, I'm taking that snack. You'll be fine. Just curl up and listen to the story. And I will try to stay awake. It's called a trip to the midnight Market. Take it away, Emery.
- [02:50]
Mr. Opossum
Remember, there are no pictures. You have to imagine the pictures in your mind. You can imagine them however you want. Okay, here we go.
- [03:08]
Rocky Raccoon
Rocky was in the middle of doing cartwheels across the floor. Wee. When his mother caught him and pressed something crinkly into his paw. I can't have you making all that noise up here, she said. If you have so much energy, go to the market for me. Rocky stared at his mother fairly astonished. She had never sent him to the market by himself before. In fact, she'd often remarked on how he needed to be more responsible. Rocky, have you seen my hat? Hmm? My hat. I want to wear it to book club. Is it green? Yes. With feathers? Yes, that's it. Where is it? I might have possibly. Well, it just seems like it would be a really excellent boat. Rocky, for my pet Rock, No. In the pond. No, no, no. It turned out not to be a very good boat. Rocky, I'm sorry. That was just one time. There were lots more. So after his mother had suggested that he be trusted with going to the market for her, he waited to see if it was a joke. Rock. Rocky, that's my list. Hello. It was not a joke. Um, yes. Yep. I am Rocky Raccoon, at your service. Alright, we'll get ready. Rocky hurriedly found his backpack, the one he'd scrounged out of a dumpster. It was green and blue and had zippers. So many wonderful zippers. He folded his mother's list and zipped it securely into one of its small pockets. Be good, Mother Raccoon said, narrowing her eyes. Aren't I always? No, not by a long shot. Rocky flashed her a sly grin. And get everything on my list? Rocky gave a nod that said, I am taking this job very seriously. And watch out for, well, you know, the unusual stuff. Bears, bobcats, foxes riding those ridiculous tandem bicycles. They shouldn't be allowed. I was almost mowed down the other night. Anyway, I won't let you down, Mom. Rocky slung his backpack over his shoulders, hugged his mother, assured her he would bring honor to the family with a job well done. Which made her chuckle and headed for the window. He couldn't believe it. This was his big chance to show just how responsible he could be. Hold on a minute, Mother said. Rocky thought he could almost hear the gears turning in her head. Take your sister. But Rocky began thinking he'd be so much quicker on his own, and Edie would inevitably have lots of opinions about everything. And Edie. Mother Raccoon called. Rocky's little sister appeared immediately, as if she'd been waiting to be called. Suspicious, Rocky thought to himself as Edie sidled up next to him with an overly innocent smile. Oh, and you need this. Mother Raccoon pressed a drawstring pouch into her son's paw. Don't lose that or you'll have nothing to trade. The Raccoon family lived in the attic of a house. The house was getting old. Its wooden floorboards creaked. The roof sometimes leaked. The people who lived down below in the main part of the house were getting old. 2. One of them walked with a cane. The other shuffled slowly from room to room. They didn't seem to have very good hearing. This was a positive discovery for the Raccoon family. When they were house shopping months ago. They had a loud, rambunctious son, Pow Kazaam, and a daughter who played the trumpet it would not serve them to have people down below taking note of every bump in the night. Presently, Rocky slipped out of the attic window and scrambled down the aging cedar siding of the house until he could hop down to the back deck. His feet barely made a sound when they hit the old wooden boards. He'd done this particular stunt too many times to count in the brief time his family had lived there. Edie, come on. He called up to the window. I'll catch you. His little sister's face appeared above promise. Rocky nodded and held out his paws. Edie scrambled out the window and clung to the side of the house. Slowly, very slowly, she lowered herself an inch at a time. Rocky glanced around at the dark trees. He heard an owl somewhere calling in the night and faint rustles in the nearby woods. Without a word of warning, Edie let go of the cedar siding. She fell directly on top of her brother. Oof. Sorry.
- [09:26]
Mr. Opossum
And thank you. Let's go.
- [09:31]
Rocky Raccoon
It was near midnight when the two raccoons slipped through the trees surrounding the house and made their way to a hidden trail. The night sky was a deep black, punctuated by thousands of brilliant stars. The moon was a slim crescent, providing much beauty but scant light. No matter. The raccoons were unmatched in their ability to see in the dark. Come on, Edie. Here's the trail. Soon they were in the woodsy area beyond the neighborhood. They traveled swiftly and silently, both knowing it was unwise to draw attention to themselves at this hour. But Rocky noticed it had become too quiet, and he stopped short. Edie? Edie, Where'd you go? He put his nose to the air and found her in under a minute, crouched on the ground. What are you doing? Rocky said. But he already knew what she was doing because she did it all the time, slipping objects into her pockets, piling them up in her room at home. I found something, edie said, slipping a something into her little knapsack. You should have told me you were stopping. Sorry. It's okay. Come on. Rocky grabbed Edie's paw in his own and continued down the trail in the woods, thinking it would have been so nice to leave her at home. It was the edge of winter, and it felt like it. The air had a distinct chill that had not been there a week earlier. And when Rocky and Edie stepped into a clearing, there were no longer any trees to block the frigid wind. But they were distracted from that by the warm glow of lanterns. I didn't think you would really get us here, edie said, elbowing her Brother. My own sister doubting me. Rocky said, shaking his head. Come on. The raccoons scampered into the midnight market. Mother always knew exactly what she wanted at the market, always made a beeline for the booths she wanted to visit, ignoring everything else. But Mother wasn't there. Rocky, look. Oh, can we please go to that paw paints booth? You have so many paw paints. You do not need any more paw paints. Rocky said, patting himself on the back for being such a responsible older brother. What about the lollies? Oh, Rocky, they've got ant flavored lollies. Rocky did not like ant flavored lollipops. He preferred beetle flavored, so it was quite easy for him to steer her away from the booth. Come on, Edie. Mom gave me a list. But as they scampered past booth after booth, Rocky got a whiff of something so delicious it stopped him in his tracks. Rocky, do you smell that? Rocky and Edie grinned at each other, then headed for the pie booth run by Mr. Opossum.
- [13:38]
Mr. Opossum
Elderberry pie, huckleberry pie, Persimmon rudabag pie. Excuse me? Persimmon rhubarb pie. BlackBerry walnut pie. What are you kids looking for again?
- [13:56]
Rocky Raccoon
Do you have any raspberry lemon pie? Edie asked, standing on her tiptoes so that her nose reached just over the edge of the booth.
- [14:07]
Mr. Opossum
Raspberry lemon.
- [14:09]
Rocky Raccoon
Hmm.
- [14:10]
Mr. Opossum
Raspberry lemon. Let me check. Hold on a minute. I've got raspberry orange with an acorn crumble on top.
- [14:21]
Rocky Raccoon
Oh, Rocky, that sounds so good.
- [14:24]
Mr. Opossum
Can we get it?
- [14:26]
Rocky Raccoon
Rocky leaned over the pie counter, his eyes as big as saucers as he took in the wondrous sight of the raspberry orange pie. It smelled heavenly, but he remembered his mother's list and the drawstring pouch and her words. Be good. Uh, thank you, Mr. Opossum, but we have a number of things we need to get.
- [14:58]
Mr. Opossum
I can't set it aside for you.
- [15:01]
Rocky Raccoon
The baker said apologetically. I understand, Rocky said, but. But, Rocky. Edie protested, her eyes huge. Edie, come on. Rocky grasped his sister's paw and guided her away from the pies. She pouted and kept turning back to stare forlornly at the pie booth, which now had a line of animals trailing away from it, each one walking away with a steaming hot pie. They're gonna eat all the pies. Rocky studied the list. He was the very picture of responsibility, wasn't he? Running his paw beneath his mother's meticulous notes, furrowing his brow in concentration. Anyone who happened to walk by would think, my, what a mature young raccoon that is. His mother must be so proud. And all that was true. But it was also true that as he looked over the list, Rocky was developing a plan. One that would make his little sister love him even more than she already did.
- [16:30]
Rhea
There is so much more to this story. You can hear the full episode by becoming a Little Stories Premium subscriber. Visit littlestoriespremium.com to join. And thank you, as always, for listening in.