Take Your Pet To School Night: A Little Hedgehog Story

Summary

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Podcast Summary: “Take Your Pet To School Night: A Little Hedgehog Story”

Podcast: Little Stories for Tiny People
Host: Rhea Pechter
Episode Date: February 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this whimsical and heartwarming episode, host Rhea Pechter presents an original story centered on the adventures of Little Hedgehog, Bebe, and their classmates as they prepare for the long-anticipated “Take Your Pet To School Night.” Blending gentle humor, imaginative storytelling, and relatable themes of friendship and resilience, the episode delivers a memorable tale about the anticipation, challenges, and unexpected delights that come with finding—and celebrating—companionship (both human and animal) in a young woodland world.

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Notable Characters

• Little Hedgehog: Our spiky protagonist, supportive and endlessly optimistic.
• Bebe: Little Hedgehog’s thoughtful, pragmatic best friend.
• Principal Petri Dish: The school’s pragmatic but quirky leader.
• Ms. Rutabaga: The math teacher and sometimes the voice of reason.
• Ms. Swindletooth: The enthusiastic school activities director with a penchant for unique songs.
• Ollie the Frog: Rhea’s surprise, in-studio guest and story-listener.
• Various woodland students and their pets: Creating a colorful supporting cast.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. A Surprise Studio Visit (00:09 – 02:00)

• Ollie the Frog interrupts Rhea’s introduction by knocking on her window and joining as a live audience, setting a playful, immersive tone.
  • Notable quote:
    Ollie: “He says he has listened to some of my stories from the other side of the window during his work break breaks, but they've been a bit muffled.” (01:06)
• Rhea notes the story will be especially fun for Ollie, as it’s all about pets.

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2. School Announcement & Musical Interlude (02:17 – 10:14)

• In Math class, an overly complicated cricket word problem by Ms. Rutabaga is interrupted by an intercom announcement from Principal Petri Dish.
  • Comedy as Principal mixes up announcements (“Glow in the Dark Yo-Yos”).
  • Wild guesses about the surprise announcement, including a visiting poet, or Principal replacements.
  • Principal Petri Dish finally announces:
    “We will once again hold Take Your Pet To School Night in one week's time.” (04:47)
• Classroom reactions: Excitement and concerns (notably, the pessimistic Garth the prairie dog).
• Ms. Swindletooth delivers a delightfully odd and catchy original song about the event.
  • “Take your pet to school night. Yes, you heard that right. It's Take your pet to school Night...” (06:12–06:36)
• Brief, tongue-in-cheek “history” of the event by Rhea, referencing previous mishaps (roller skate day, giving out fleas as prizes), and why the event was paused after incidents (scorpion scare, bitten tails, pet mishaps).
  • “The worst incident...was the evacuation of the entire school, prompted by a young pig named Philbin letting his pet scorpion out of its tank in the middle of gym class.” (09:14)

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3. The Quest for the Perfect Pet (11:13 – 19:27)

• Little Hedgehog prepares her pet chameleon “Little Guy”; Bebe is notably quiet.

• Revelation: Bebe does not have a pet yet, despite months of searching.

  • “It was true. Bebe did not have a pet of her own. It was not for lack of trying…” (11:54)

• Pet Shop Visit: The girls reach the Forest Pet Shop hoping to find a pet.

  • Shop is closed due to a “never ending ribbits” outbreak.
  • Comic world-building: “Neverending ribbits” is a (fictional) frog-induced contagion causing weeks or years of compulsive ribbiting.
    • “The condition lasts for weeks, months. I heard of a mouse who had the ribbits for three years.” (15:02)
  • Possum shopkeeper closes up, leaving everyone still pet-less.

• Bebe’s Attempts: She attempts to recruit a mysterious insect, which turns out to be a mosquito (humorous interview, rejected as a pet), and fails to catch any suitable pet due to strong winds.

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4. A Glimmer of Hope: The Classified Ad (19:28 – 23:21)

• During another math class, Bebe reveals a plan:
  She found a classified ad for a “Delightful Hummingbird available for adoption.” (20:29)
• Little Hedgehog and Bebe run out after school to the designated spot (“big tree by the river”), walnuts as payment in tow.
• As they approach, a flying squirrel swoops in and snatches away the hummingbird, leaving only dried cranberries behind.
  • “Your mom was right. She always is.” (22:54) — Bebe admits her mother’s wisdom about quick competition for such opportunities.

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5. Resignation, Friendship, and a Little Luck (23:22 – 27:52)

• Pet Capture Commentary: Rhea remarks on “pet capture” as a common but controversial hedgehog practice, interspersed with funny family anecdotes.
  • “Hedgehogs capture pets. It's totally normal and makes complete sense if you think about it for even 20 seconds.” (24:13)
• Bebe, after repeated failures (ants, windblown ladybugs), resigns herself to renting a hermit crab for the event.
  • “She resigned herself to the fact that tomorrow evening she would be renting a hermit crab from the cart.” (25:10)
• On the event night, as Bebe waits for Little Hedgehog, a gust of wind brings a small, papery creature into her face—
  • It is Martha, a hummingbird moth needing a break from the wind. (26:23–27:06)
  • Martha: “It's been going on for days. I need a break from it to get my bearings.”
  • Bebe offers her companionship for the evening, finding not a permanent pet but a serendipitous friend.

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6. Take Your Pet To School Night: Festivities & Frogs (27:53 – 31:40)

• The event is as vibrant as expected: contests, pet look-alikes, unique prizes.
  • Standouts:
    • A sloth and his pet moss win the lookalike contest.
    • Best web development: Spider named Quincely.
    • Best power lifter: Ant named Kincaid.
    • Best poet: Worm named Rosalind (28:56–29:07).
  • Notable quote:
    “A fire warms the night. A bird takes flight. A giraffe eats.” — Rosalind the worm’s poem (29:07)
• A brief scare: Student’s pet “snake” is actually a blue-tongued skink—relief ensues.
• Glenn’s pet cricket performs tricks, then says “ribbit,” indicating the outbreak has spread.
  • “The cricket wheeled around the surface of the lunch table...and said, ribbit.” (29:48)
  • The lunchroom fills with ribbits, laughter, and worry that the event may be postponed again next year.
  • Little Hedgehog and Bebe giggle and soak up the moment:
    • “They both knew this might mean take your pet to school night would possibly be put on ice for another few years, so they enjoyed it while they could.” (30:15)

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7. Ollie the Frog’s Review & Final Thoughts (31:40 – end)

• Rhea checks in with Ollie, who complains that crickets are terrible at riding unicycles and that the one frog in the story had no lines—playful meta-commentary.
  • “He says he has pet sit many crickets and they are notoriously bad at riding unicycles. Also, he was disappointed that Cavendish, the only frog mentioned in the story, had no lines.” (31:42)
• The episode closes with credits, sincere thank-yous to listeners and contributors, and a reminder to spark imagination.

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Memorable Quotes & Standout Moments

• Ms. Rutabaga: "If I've collected nine crickets in the wicker basket given to me by my Aunt Iris, and my mother puts five of the crickets in a pie..." (02:26) — Her delightfully complex math problems.
• Principal Petri Dish: “We will once again hold Take Your Pet To School Night in one week's time.” (04:47)
• Bebe: “It was true. Bebe did not have a pet of her own. It was not for lack of trying…” (11:54)
• Ms. Rutabaga: “The condition lasts for weeks, months. I heard of a mouse who had the ribbits for three years.” (15:02)
• Rhea (meta-commentary): “Hedgehogs capture pets. It's totally normal and makes complete sense if you think about it for even 20 seconds.” (24:13)
• Rosalind the worm: “A fire warms the night. A bird takes flight. A giraffe eats.” (29:07)
• Rhea: “They both knew this might mean take your pet to school night would possibly be put on ice for another few years, so they enjoyed it while they could.” (30:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:09 | Ollie the Frog joins Rhea in the studio | | 02:17 | Start of the core story in the classroom | | 03:06 | Principal Petri Dish's announcement and class reaction | | 05:09 | Event reveal: Take Your Pet To School Night is back | | 06:12 | Ms. Swindletooth’s original song | | 09:14 | Recap of prior disastrous events | | 11:54 | Bebe confides she doesn't have a pet | | 13:42 | Visit to the Forest Pet Shop, discover the ribbits outbreak| | 15:29 | What causes “never ending ribbits” explained | | 19:28 | Bebe presents the hummingbird classified ad | | 22:54 | The hummingbird is snatched away; plan foiled | | 23:22 | Pet-capture montage and commentary | | 25:10 | Bebe decides to rent a hermit crab | | 26:23 | Bebe meets Martha the hummingbird moth | | 27:53 | Take Your Pet To School Night festivities begin | | 29:45 | Cricket’s performance and ribbit outbreak | | 31:40 | Rhea and Ollie’s story debrief |

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Tone and Style

The episode is warm, funny, and filled with gentle satire aimed at childhood social anxieties and celebrations, topped with witty asides and imaginative world-building. The narration and dialogue maintain an inviting, playful tone accessible and enjoyable for listeners of all ages.

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In summary:
This delightful episode delivers on its promise to spark imagination, blending a cozy woodland setting, endearing characters, and a playful take on childhood dilemmas. Fans of the series will relish the return to Little Hedgehog's world, while new listeners will find a rich and accessible story full of charm, laughs, and important lessons in friendship, perseverance, and embracing the unexpected.

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Transcript

[Rhea Pechter]

This is Rhea. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People. Hang on a second. There is. Well, there's a frog on the ledge outside my window. And I know how this is going to sound, but it appears to be trying to get my attention. The frog just knocked on my window. Hello. Is there something you. Oh, of course.

[Bebe]

Yes.

[Rhea Pechter]

Come in. This is amazing. I have a guest that I didn't even have to coordinate schedules with. Everyone, please welcome. Sorry, what was your name? Please welcome Ollie the Frog. Ollie. I do hope you'll excuse the clutter in my studio. I was planning to move all those zebra figurines after lunch tomorrow. Hmm. Oh, yes. Take a seat anywhere you can. Just push aside that pile of toothpicks. Oh, is that right? Ollie says he has listened to some of my stories from the other side of the window during his work break breaks, but they've been a bit muffled. So here he is, to hear his story clearly for the first time. Oh, what kind of work do you do, Ollie?

[Little Hedgehog]

Huh.

[Rhea Pechter]

That's funny. He says he's a pet sitter. It's a bit of a coincidence because our story today is about pets. And in fact, as you'll hear, Ollie, there are quite a few ribbits in this story. But there are. No, you know what? I shouldn't give that away. You'll just have to listen to the story. Let's hear it. It's called Take youe Pet to School Night. Take it away, Hazel.

[Bebe]

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.

[Rhea Pechter]

Little Hedgehog. Her best friend of all time were in the middle of Math class with Ms. Rutabaga.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Now, children, if I've collected nine crickets in the wicker basket given to me by my Aunt Iris, and my mother puts five of the crickets in a pie and the other four crickets hop away, but two of them skip out the window before I can grasp them in my clutches. Then how many crickets?

[Rhea Pechter]

When the intercom crackled to life, drawing everyone's attention, including Ms. Rudabagas.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Hold that thought, children.

[Rhea Pechter]

Up to the speaker in the corner of the classroom ceiling.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Attention, students and faculty. This is Principal Petri Dish with a truly informative announcement. All this week, Glow in the Dark, Yo Yos will be on sale at Barnaby's Yo Yo Palace.

[Rhea Pechter]

Wait a second.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Apologies, students and faculty. I seem to have mixed up my clipboards. I'll be just a moment.

[Rhea Pechter]

The students blinked up at the intercom. Little Hedgehog turned to her Best friend.

[Bebe's Friend]

Bebe, what do you think this is all about? Give me the first idea that comes to mind.

[Rhea Pechter]

Perhaps a famed author or poet such as Lawrence o' Tooling Toad is visiting the school and will recite one of his award winning poems, such as my personal favorite, under every log there is a hopeful toad.

[Bebe's Friend]

That would be so enriching. Bebe, what's your second guess?

[Rhea Pechter]

Perhaps Principal Petri Dish is stepping down from her post in order to sail across the sea to distant archipelagos. And she will be replaced by Principal Centipede, who will roam the hallways and classrooms crawling underfoot in an effort to literally keep students on their toes. Oh, that would be so funny.

[Bebe's Friend]

Okay, Bebe, what is your third and final guess?

[Rhea Pechter]

Perhaps. But Bebe didn't have the chance to share her third idea, so we will never know if it was correct because Principal Petri Dish resumed her announcement.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Apologies. I have now located the correct clipboard. We are pleased to announce that after a three year pause taken due to completely unforeseen incidents that we will not go into here. We will once again hold Take youe Pet to School Night in one week's time.

[Rhea Pechter]

The classroom erupted in gasps and cheers. A lone voice belonging to Garth, a prairie dog who tended to see the puddle half empty. Empty said, I'm not sure why everyone is celebrating. Taking pets to school is obviously a bad idea. Think of everything that could go wrong. But the class was too exuberant to hear him.

[Principal Petri Dish]

And now for an original song from Ms. Swindletooth, your favorite school activities director.

[Rhea Pechter]

Ms. Swindletooth, a rabbit of unusual size with especially prominent ears and front teet, was known for her interesting and different original songs. The children never quite knew what to expect. When she came to the microphone, they stared up at the intercom with questioning expressions.

[Little Hedgehog]

Take your pet to school night.

[Rhea Pechter]

Yes.

[Little Hedgehog]

Take your pet to school night. Yes, you heard that right. It's Take your pet to school Night. It's usually not allowed. No, no, it's usually not allowed. But in this instance, it's Take your pet to school night. Yes, take your pet, pet. Unless it bites to sk. Oo oo.

[Rhea Pechter]

This might go on for a while. So it seems like a good time to break in with a bit of history. On Take youe Pet to School Night. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was the brainchild of our dear Miss Swindletooth. In fact, Take youe Pet to School Night was dreamed up by a school principal of yesteryear named Mrs. Glenda Goose Wilder. A smallish Goose with a largish personality, who often came up with thrilling plans for the student body without fully considering the consequences. Take, for example, Roller Skate Day.

[Little Hedgehog]

Let the good times roll at our upcoming inaugural Roller Skate Day.

[Rhea Pechter]

That was held precisely once. Then there was the time Mrs. Goose Wilder ran a contest for who could read the most books during the school year. Which was laudable, of course. But then for prizes, she gave out fleas.

[Bebe's Friend]

A flea for you, and a flea for you. And you, my dear, you read the most books, you get three fleas to take home.

[Rhea Pechter]

Needless to say, the next few days were on the itchy side.

[Bebe]

It itches. Oh, it itches.

[Rhea Pechter]

But more than anything else, Mrs. Goose Wilder's truly shining moment in the moonlight was her introduction of Take youe Pet to School Night. And amazingly, it went off without a hitch for several years. Despite the fact that no rules were put in place. Anything goes, children. That worked for a time. But reality has a way of catching up. And three years ago, it did just that. Let's just say there were some injuries.

[Bebe]

My tail. That rat bit off my tail.

[Rhea Pechter]

And a few unfortunate encounters between pets.

[Bebe]

Fluffy, stop eating that snail. Oh, no. Snelson.

[Rhea Pechter]

But the worst incident that ultimately put Take youe Pet to School Night on ice for several years was the evacuation of the entire school, prompted by a young pig named Philbin letting his pet scorpion out of its tank in the middle of gym class space. Friendly, I promise. Unable to face the consequences of her whimsy, Mrs. Goose Wilder ultimately left education entirely to become a professional candle wick maker. But despite its hazards, Take youe Pet to School Night had become one of the most beloved events of the year. The students clamored for its return the following year. But the new principal, a pragmatist at heart, Principal Petri Dish held off until.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Now.

[Rhea Pechter]

Let's get back to Ms. Windletooth's song, shall we?

[Principal Petri Dish]

Students will be bringing you more information closer to the big night, including a lengthy list of rules and prohibited pets. And as a note, we will be offering hermit crab rentals for those students without pets or who have pets on the prohibited list. That's all for now.

[Rhea Pechter]

Enjoy the rest of your night.

[Principal Petri Dish]

And take care. It's windy out there.

[Rhea Pechter]

Ms. Rutabaga attempted to proceed with her word problem.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Now then, recall. We started with nine crickets in my wicker basket given to to me. Bye.

[Rhea Pechter]

But the class was electrified with excitement about Take your Pet to School Night.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

I can't wait to bring my ladybug. His name is Gregorio.

[Rhea Pechter]

Wait till you guys see my pet. He's actually taller than I am. Little Hedgehog and Bebe were similarly distracted from the lesson.

[Bebe's Friend]

Little Guy's going to be so excited.

[Rhea Pechter]

Little Hedgehog said, referring to her darling pet Chameleon.

[Bebe's Friend]

Time to break out his tuxedo. I just knew there would be an occasion for it.

[Rhea Pechter]

Bebe was uncharacteristically quiet. Not in a sad way, in a thinking way. Little Hedgehog noticed. Of course.

[Bebe's Friend]

Bebe, aren't you so excited to bring your. Oh, wait a second, Bebe, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

[Rhea Pechter]

She was. You do not have a pet. It was true. Bebe did not have a pet of her own. It was not for lack of trying. In fact, ever since her mother had given her permission to acquire a pet some months back, Bebe had tried to find the pet of her dreams. But it had yet to materialize. And now she only had one week to get the job done. She obviously did not want to have to rent a hermit crab. So the following night, after school let out, the two friends skipped along the trail beneath the moon to find an acceptable pet for Bebe to bring to take your pet to school night. Little Guy tagged along too, snoring peacefully on Little Hedgehog's shoulder. Prickles. The wind howled as they skipped along. It had been terribly windy for days, so they were grateful to reach their destination, which was well protected by a cluster of tall trees. The Forest Pet Shop. Bebe had been there now and then to check for potential pets, but none of the options were quite right. Though as the pet shop owner often

[Ms. Rutabaga]

said, we get new ones in every

[Rhea Pechter]

day, so it didn't hurt to look. But when they neared the well lit cave of the pet shop, they heard the sound of dozens of frogs and saw the elder possum who ran the shop dropping a curtain over the entrance.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Hello.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Greetings.

[Rhea Pechter]

The elder possum shifted the curtain to peek at the small hedgehogs and the chameleon asleep on one of their shoulders.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Oh dear. I'm afraid we're closed.

[Rhea Pechter]

Closed? But we're in dire need of a pet.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Everyone is, my dear. Everyone is, but. Well, do you hear those sounds coming from my shop?

[Bebe's Friend]

Bebe, would you consider a frog for a pet?

[Rhea Pechter]

Perhaps if.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Oh, those aren't frogs. Well, I do have one frog in there. And Cavendish. Lovely fellow. Delightful shade of swamp water.

[Rhea Pechter]

Little Hedgehog and Bebe exchanged a look.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

But the rest have come down with the never ending ribbits.

[Bebe's Friend]

The never ending ribbit.

[Rhea Pechter]

At this little guy startled awake and Fixed one large eye on the possum.

[Principal Petri Dish]

What?

[Rhea Pechter]

What are the neverending ribbits? Bebe asked.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Oh, they're terrible. Not truly.

[Rhea Pechter]

Never ending, of course, but the condition

[Ms. Rutabaga]

lasts for weeks, months. I heard of a mouse who had the ribbits for three years.

[Rhea Pechter]

Three years.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

It was awful. He had to quit his mouse choir.

[Rhea Pechter]

They couldn't have a bunch of ribbits

[Ms. Rutabaga]

punctuating every line of every song.

[Rhea Pechter]

How did the animals acquire the neverending ribbits?

[Ms. Rutabaga]

By being elbowed by a frog, of course. That's usually how it starts. Then it just keeps spreading from there.

[Rhea Pechter]

Wow.

[Bebe's Friend]

I didn't even know frogs had elbows.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

It's a pity. And it's why I must close the shop. They've all got it. All 37 of them. I can only hope my business will sur.

[Rhea Pechter]

Ribbit, little hedgehog. And Bebe's eyes went wide and the elder possum's face turned ashen.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Oh, no. Oh, dear.

[Little Hedgehog]

Ribbit.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Children, I must go.

[Little Hedgehog]

Ribbit.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Take care, children. I'll be fine. I'll see you in a few months.

[Rhea Pechter]

And with that, the elder possum let the curtain fall. The next several nights were fruitless. The one time Bebe thought she might have found a contender, things did not go as expected. An adorable looking insect was carried on the blustery wind into her dimly lit burrow and followed her around as she readied for school. One evening, she decided to interview it for a pet position. Would you be open to serving as a loyal companion?

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Sure.

[Rhea Pechter]

We would have to spend a lot of time together.

[Bebe]

Perfect. It would benefit me greatly to spend time with you.

[Rhea Pechter]

What kind of food do you require?

[Bebe]

Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that.

[Rhea Pechter]

This is not required, only preferred. Would you be able to serve as a protector of the burrow?

[Bebe]

I think I could drive some animals away.

[Rhea Pechter]

Interesting. But as Bebe ate her breakfast, the insect landed on her paw. And just after it was too late, she discovered that the adorable insect was in fact, a mosquito. We need to get better lighting in here. At school the following evening, Little Hedgehog and Bebe were in the middle of math class.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

Now, children, let's say A frog named Mr. Pickle Pickleton has baked 17 grasshoppers into a pie. A crow swoops down and plucks three and a half grasshoppers from the pie. Mr. Pickleton's sister shows up unannounced and adds a dollop of mud cream on top of the pie. If Mr. Prickleton cuts the pie into seven equal slices, how many when the

[Rhea Pechter]

intercom once again crackled to life.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Attention, students and faculty. It is I, Principal Petri Dish, with some important reminders regarding our upcoming Take youe Pet to School night, to be held at the end of the week.

[Bebe]

I can't wait.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

And neither can my pet, Inchworm Fred.

[Principal Petri Dish]

First, I'd like to review the rules that will ensure this is an enriching, non life threatening event for all involved. Rule number one. All pets must be fed a large meal at home prior to attending the Evening's festivities. Rule 2. All pets must have taken a bath within the last six months in order to enter the school building.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

How am I supposed to give my fish a bath?

[Principal Petri Dish]

Rule 3.

[Rhea Pechter]

Bebe, dutiful student that she was, had already studied the rules for Take your pet to school night. So as Principal Petri Dish went on, she turned to Little Hedgehog with her own important update. Little Hedgehog, I believe I may have found the perfect pet.

[Little Hedgehog]

What?

[Bebe's Friend]

Tell me immediately.

[Rhea Pechter]

Here, take a look. Bebe reached into her vest pocket.

[Bebe's Friend]

Bebe, you mean to tell me you've had a pet in your pocket this whole time? Is it a Japanese garden beetle?

[Rhea Pechter]

Bebe smiled. Unfortunately, no. Although they are quite destructive, so I suppose I should say fortunately, no. Bebe withdrew a newspaper from her prickly giggles and unfolded it to reveal an ad in the classifieds section. Little Hedgehog read it, her eyes widening with every word.

[Bebe's Friend]

Delightful Hummingbird available for adoption. She loves to perch for nanoseconds at a time. Excellent at hovering, though. Takes care not to read over your shoulder. Adoption fee.

[Rhea Pechter]

One pouch of walnut.

[Bebe's Friend]

Dried cranberries. Also accepted. Big tree by the river. Oh, Bebe, I can just imagine you were the darling little hummingbird.

[Rhea Pechter]

I will name her Humbelina. My mother warned me that with classified ads such as this one, it is common for creatures to swoop in at the last second to beat one to the punch.

[Bebe's Friend]

Then let's go right after school. We have to be there first.

[Rhea Pechter]

Indubitably. Later, when the school bell rang, the two friends bolted from their seats and scampered out of the building into the moonlight. They ran breathless, collecting walnuts in a pouch as they went to the big tree by the river. Beneath the tree, a whimsical looking raccoon sat with a large book open on her lap and a charming humming hummingbird circling her head.

[Bebe's Friend]

Pee Pee. That's Jambalina.

[Rhea Pechter]

She is within our sights. The hedgehogs ran as fast as their little legs could carry them, which was. Well, to be honest, it was not that fast. It did not Help That. The wind was blowing against them as they ran. Still, they made it there in due course. The raccoon looked up, smiling. As they neared, the hummingbird seemed to brighten as well. When she was just feet away, Bebe outstretched her paw with the pouch of recently collected walnuts and and a flying squirrel swooped down in a blur. Snatched the hummingbird, dropped a pouch of dried cranberries on the raccoon's head, and sailed away into the night. Oh, the raccoon said, grasping the pouch.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

So sorry. Guess he beat you to the punch.

[Rhea Pechter]

Wow, Bebe, little Hedgehog said, catching her breath. Your mom was right. She always is. The following night, Little Hedgehog spent several hours working with Little Guy on learning new tricks to perform at Take youe Pet to School Night. Okay, Little Guy, now I want you to tie your bow tie.

[Bebe's Friend]

You have 23 seconds. On your mark, get set, go.

[Rhea Pechter]

Meantime, Bebe resorted to trying to capture a pet. Unfortunately, the forest winds had only gotten worse, which made things difficult. Each time she got close to netting a ladybug, for instance, it was carried away in the breeze. Now might be a good time to drop in with a brief message about pet capture. Firstly, do not try it at home. Among people, pet capture is a touchy subject and should never be attempted without a permission slip. Secondly, you must understand that pet capture is extraordinarily commonplace among hedgehogs. In fact, Bebe's aunt Wilma famously lassoed a poison dart frog and kept it as a pet for three long years, during which she tamed it and trained it to enjoy tea parties without approaching anyone. Hedgehogs often capture crickets and then make quick decisions as to whether to keep them as companions and as outfit them with little jackets and top hats or to bake them into muffins. It's a tough call, but someone has to do it anyway. Hedgehogs capture pets. It's totally normal and makes complete sense if you think about it for even 20 seconds. But we don't have 20 seconds for you to think about it, because we have to get back to the story. Near dawn, Bebe Reluctance reluctantly gave up her pet capture efforts after an ant scurried out of her clutches.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

I mean, Paws, Prickle, Bear, I do

[Bebe]

apologize, but I do not wish to be your companion.

[Rhea Pechter]

And she resigned herself to the fact that tomorrow evening she would be renting a hermit crab from the cart. She fell asleep inside her boy burrow and had unsettled dreams. At long last, it was Take your pet to school night. Bebe Dutifully packed up her things and set off on the trail towards school beneath the moon. Meanwhile, Little Hedgehog helped Little Guy into his tuxedo and placed him on her shoulder.

[Principal Petri Dish]

Prickles.

[Little Hedgehog]

Little Guy.

[Bebe's Friend]

This is going to be so fun.

[Little Hedgehog]

Yay.

[Rhea Pechter]

But instead of saying, yay, Little Guy said ribbit.

[Little Hedgehog]

Hmm.

[Rhea Pechter]

The night was exceptionally windy, and Bebe had to brace herself as she slowly made her way forward. She finally made it to the fork in the trail where she and Little Hedgehog often met. And as she stood waiting for her friend, something small and papery crashed into her face.

[Bebe]

Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm having such trouble hovering in this wind.

[Rhea Pechter]

Bebe could hardly believe her eyes. She held up a paw as an offering to the small creature, and it immediately flew into it. BB put up her other paw to shield the animal from the wind. There in her paws was a delightful hummingbird moth. Indeed it was. A beautiful, colorful hummingbird moth.

[Bebe]

Yes? My name is Martha.

[Rhea Pechter]

Martha.

[Bebe]

Common mistake, Martha.

[Rhea Pechter]

Okay.

[Bebe]

I'm so sorry I flew into your face. This wind has been just awful. It's been going on for days. I need a break from it to get my bearings.

[Rhea Pechter]

A break?

[Bebe]

Just for a few hours. If only I could go inside somewhere. Somewhere warm and windless. Perhaps somewhere bursting with laughter and good cheer.

[Rhea Pechter]

I think I know just the place. When our favorite hedgehogs finally made it to take your pet to school night, little hedgehog might have had to rent a hermit crab.

[Bebe's Friend]

Look, Bebe. His name is Mr. Crabapple. Isn't that the perfect name for a dapper hermit crab?

[Rhea Pechter]

I believe it is. And Bebe might have only had a temporary pet for the evening.

[Bebe]

I enjoy your company greatly, but I am not fit to be a pet. I am a wanderer at heart, you see.

[Rhea Pechter]

But it was just as exciting as they'd hoped it would be. There was a student pet lookalike contest with participants including a chinchilla with her pet mouse, a turtle with his pet snail, a pig and her pet naked mole rat, and a sloth and his pet moss. No surprise, the sloth and the moss won. There were prizes, such as for best web development, that went to a spider named Quincely. Best power lifter, that went to an ant named Kincaid, who lifted a paperclip more than 18 times his own weight. And best poet. That, of course, went to a worm by the name of Rosalind.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

A fire warms the night. A bird takes flight. A giraffe eats.

[Rhea Pechter]

There was a bit of a scare when a wombat by the name of Robert opened his pet's cage and as it slithered out, students feared it was on the prohibited pets list.

[Bebe]

Is that a snake?

[Rhea Pechter]

But it was only a blue tongued skink, so totally fine.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

His name's Heinrich.

[Rhea Pechter]

Everything went off without a hitch until during lunch, Little Hedgehog and Bebe's classmate, a rabbit named Glenn, told them about his pet cricket.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

I just got him from the Forest Pet Shop last week.

[Bebe]

Check this out.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

He can ride a unicycle.

[Bebe's Friend]

Wow.

[Rhea Pechter]

Impressive. The cricket wheeled around the surface of the lunch table, did a few figure eights, then leapt off his unicycle, spun in a circle, waited for applause, and said, ribbit. Little Hedgehog and Bebe exchanged a significant look.

[Bebe]

That's weird.

[Ms. Rutabaga]

I've never heard him say ribbit before.

[Little Hedgehog]

Hmm.

[Rhea Pechter]

More ribbits echoed from different spots around the lunchroom, slowly building until it sounded as if the cafeteria was filled with a great frog chorus. Little Hedgehog and Bebe giggled. They both knew this might mean take your pet to school night would possibly be put on ice for another few years, so they enjoyed it while they could. It was a very memorable night. So Ollie, what did you think of the story? Uh huh. Oh, I see. Ollie is apparently displeased about several things. For one thing, he says he has pet sit many crickets and they are notoriously bad at riding unicycles. Also, he was disappointed that Cavendish, the only frog mentioned in the story, had no lines. Okay, he might have said a ribbit or two. Seems like Ollie might want to go back to listening to the stories through the window so that he won't actually hear them.

[Principal Petri Dish]

But thank you for coming.

[Rhea Pechter]

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. Thank you to my Little Stories Premium subscribers for supporting the show. And if you'd like to unlock the full Little Stories library, join or gift a subscription to Little Stories Premium by visiting littlestoriespremium.com thank you to Hazel for the super important reminder message at the beginning. And thank you to the many premium subscribers who supplied sound effects used in this story. Thank you to Lola, Cora, Lily, Ethan, Riley, Kai, Sammy, Cal, Avi, Hadley, Willow, Nolan, Morgan, Ember, Titus, Ginger, Kalani, Zoe, Brooke, Felix, Barrett, Kira, Zoe, Riley, Sophia, Briar, Mabel, Nora, Cameron, Theo, Grace, Nicholas, and Samuel. And thank you as always for listening in.

[Little Hedgehog]

Sam.