← Sleep Tight Stories - Bedtime Stories for Kids
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Foreign and welcome to sleept Stories Shoutouts and Birthday Messages are such a special part of our show. They're our way of celebrating the families who make bedtime extra magical, whether by supporting the show or simply by being part of our listening community. Hello to E. Lynn in Edinah. Mommy and Daddy love you very much. You're smart, funny, kind and such a good big sister to Emma and Olivia. And hello to Grace from Mudgy, Australia. Happy belated 6th birthday to Lamaya on January 31st. Happy belated 8th birthday to Darcy C from Aberdeen, New Jersey on January 29th. Mom, dad and big sister Nora love you very much. Happy 6th birthday to Leo in Dublin, Ireland who is being such a good and brave boy. Mommy and Daddy and your little brother Cassius love you so much. Happy Birthday to Giannis Francis S. Guerrero from the Philippines on May 18th. Mom said Bernice thinks you are great. Happy 7th birthday to Dion from Pleasanton, California. You are such an amazing kid and we are always so proud of you. Love from Baba and Mama. Happy Birthday to our amazing belly. Watching you grow brings us so much joy and pride. Your imagination lights up every room and your kindness touches everyone around you. Today we celebrate the magic you bring into the world. Here's to a year full of exploration, growth and joy. We love you to the moon and back. Love Mama Nene and Grandpa Payson. Happy Birthday to Miriam from New York turning five on February 7th. We love you. Our little yellow baby birdie from Mommy, Daddy, Dawn, John and Clarissa. Happy 11th birthday Addison Rose. We love you so much and we are so proud of the young lady you are becoming. We hope you have the most amazing birthday ever. Love Mommy, Daddy, Andrew, Yeet, Sophie, Bean and Remy. And happy Birthday to Archer on February 4th. Love Mom. I love you so much. You're the best son and I am very lucky to be your mom. Happy Birthday to you all and thank you for supporting the show. If you'd like to support our podcast and enjoy ad free episodes, unlock bonus stories and so much more, you can join SleepType Premium subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show Notes now on to our story. Red's friends have decided to make the best of the snow day and meet in the park for a snowball fight. Red isn't sure what to expect and wonders why anyone would want to go outside in this weather. The transfer student Snowflake Red walked into the kitchen with the hood of her hoodie up, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The house wasn't exactly freezing, but it sure felt like it she understood why her mother kept the temperature low. Conserving energy was second nature to anyone from Mars. Energy production there was dedicated to science and essential systems, not entertainment and comfort. But Mars habitats were designed to retain heat and weren't constantly battling an unpredictable atmosphere. Here on Earth, the cold seeped into every corner. What's with the hood? Blue asked, barely looking up from his seat. Then with a smirk, he added, you look weird, but that's nothing for you. Red shot him a glare as she poured herself a hot drink. Did you say something, Blue? All I could hear was an annoying stinker. Her mother placed a bowl of porridge in front of her. I made you breakfast. Red groaned. Inside. You know, you wouldn't be so cold if you actually got dressed, her mother added. Those pajamas aren't exactly made for winter. I'll go back up and change after I eat, red said, drowning her porridge in maple syrup. If there was one thing Earth had gotten right, it was maple syrup. The gang asked if I wanted to go outside, she added between bites. Not sure what exactly they want to do. Throw snowballs or something. Whatever that is, is it okay? Oh, that sounds fun, her mother said, but as she glanced out the window, her smile dimmed. Although, maybe wait until the weather clears up a little. I wouldn't want you to get lost in a snowbank. Blue perked up, grinning. Maybe you should go out now. I can help you get lost if you want. Ha ha, very funny, red said flatly, forcing down another spoonful of porridge. It was so thick that without the maple syrup, it might as well have been concrete. When you go outside, you could study the structure of a snowflake, her mother suggested. It would be an interesting thing to do with your friends. I know all about snowflakes, blue interrupted, puffing out his chest. We studied them before we even left Mars. I bet you didn't know that no two snowflakes are exactly the same, just like human fingerprints. Red rolled her eyes. I know that the formation of snowflakes is a complex physical and thermodynamic process governed by principles of nucleation, diffusion, limited aggregation, and de dendric growth. Which is more than you know. She stuck out her tongue for emphasis. Red, don't be rude, her mother chided. I don't think the gang is that into science, red admitted, stirring her porridge lazily. I think they just want to go outside and have a few laughs. Likely at you, blue quipped, hopping up from his seat and dashing upstairs before she could retaliate. Red sighed, watching him go. He's probably already coming up with his next prank, she thought. You two should really try to get along better, her mother said with a note of exasperation. Just like you used to. Maybe someday, red replied, unconvinced. Her mother studied her for a moment, then smiled. You know, I've been meaning to tell you, your English has improved a lot. You're starting to sound more and more like a local. Red wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. She stood up and carried her and Blue's bowls to the dishwasher. I'm going to get ready. The storm's clearing up already. Okay, Red, her mother called after her. Just dress warm. Red surveyed her clothes. What does one even wear in a snowstorm? Back home they had survival suits for venturing out of the habitat. Hers had never fit properly, and to make matters worse, it had been covered in bright colors, a ridiculous design choice she had always resented. She avoided wearing it whenever possible, but out on the surface there was no choice. Well, I guess I'll just have to layer up and hope for the best, she thought. Grabbing extra clothes from her drawer. She pulled on a long sleeve shirt, then another, then a sweater, then another sweater. Is this enough? No, I need another layer. She squeezed into a hoodie over the top of everything, feeling increasingly like a stuffed pillow. She had just managed to wrangle her arms through the sleeves leaves when Blue's head popped into her room. Ha ha. You look like some kind of weird snow sculpture. He cackled. No one dresses like that for winter here. Go away, you stinker. Red shot back, throwing a T shirt at him as he ducked out, laughing. She picked up her phone and sent a message to the group chat. My mom said I can go out. Are we still going? Yeah, I've been outside already, alexa replied. It's crazy windy, but not too cold. Let's meet at the park near your house, Red, kurt chimed in. Just don't get run over by a snowplow. She followed it up with a laughing emoji. Red frowned. Snowplows? She hadn't even considered that. How did they even make all this snow disappear? She knew the science, but Earth's whole snow creating system was still a mystery to her. Okay, I'll see you guys in a bit, she typed back. Getting downstairs in her many layers was harder than expected. Her arms didn't quite bend the way they should, and she felt like she was walking in slow motion. Halfway down, she miscalculated a step, wobbled dangerously, and flailed her arms like A malfunctioning robot. Great Red. Fall down the stairs before you even make it outside. That would be a great first snow experience. Somehow she recovered and managed to reach the front door without breaking anything. She shoved her feet into the new boots her mother had bought her. They had fur at the top, which, while not real, still made her uneasy. The thought of wearing another creature's hair, real or fake, was unsettling. Before stepping outside, she called out, mom, I'm off to the park to meet up with the gang. Wish me luck. Have fun, her mother called back. Red pulled the door open and instantly regretted it. A freezing gust of wind smacked her in the face, sending a shiver all the way to her bones. Yuck. It's even colder than yesterday. How does the temperature change so fast? It made no sense. Yesterday had been bad enough, but today was unbearable. Maybe she should just go back inside. Then her phone pinged. Alexa, are you on your way? Red, we've been waiting forever. Red sighed. Does Earth have time machines? No matter where I'm supposed to meet the gang, they always get there first. Even when she ran, somehow they still beat her. How was that possible? She texted back. On my way. She didn't add. Reluctantly, the wind howled as she made her way down the sidewalk. It had been cleared, but a slick layer of ice made it very slippery. She moved cautiously, placing one foot in front of the other. Don't fall, don't fall. Don't fall. She barely made it three steps before she slipped. It was not a complete fall, but but one of those awkward flailing stumbles where she windmilled her arms and did a weird half squat to regain balance. She straightened up quickly and glanced around. No one had seen good. Falling had been one of her biggest fears for as long as she could remember. Even back on Mars, she'd had recurring nightmares about it losing her footing and tumbling endlessly into a crevice or slipping on some smooth floors in the Habitat. The thought of falling here in this freezing, slippery mess made her nervous. Earth was ridiculous. Snow was ridiculous. And she still wasn't sure this whole snow experience was going to be worth it. Red made it to the park and spotted the gang in the distance. Or at least she assumed it was them. The wind was blowing through the snow, whipping it into swirling gusts that made it hard to see anything clearly. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, something slammed into her chest hard. Ugh. Red stumbled back, blinking through the snow. Bingo. Kurt's voice rang out, followed by laughter. I got you. Red looked down at the white explosion on her coat A snowball. She hadn't even seen it coming. She wasn't sure how to react, so she simply raised a gloved hand in a half hearted wave and kept trudging toward Kurt and Alexa. Charlie and Rachel were obviously too smart to be outside in this weather. Not much for snowball fights, huh? Kurt grinned, brushing snow off her mittens. We used to have them all the time when I was younger. Kind of falls out of favor as you get older. I guess. But I still still like playing outside in the snow. Before I came over, I built a massive snowman. Did Kurt even sleep? Red wondered. She was always doing something. Kurt squinted at her and snorted. Uh, Red, what's with the outfit? You look like some kind of abominal snowman. Were you expecting Antarctica? It's not that cold. Just a lot of snow and wind. Red tugged at her many layers. I'm not used to this kind of weather. She hesitated. Where I lived before, well, we didn't have storms like this. Kurt's face softened. Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, winter can be fun. You just gotta have the right attitude. Since it's just the three of us, a snowball fight wouldn't be fair. Hurt added. Even if you both ganged up on me, I'd still win. Alexis smirked. Big talk. Because it's true. Hurt grinned. So how about we make a snow fort near Charlie's house and see if we can lure him outside and then pelt him with snowballs a little. Alexa added with a mischievous laugh. Or, you know, just walk over and get some hot chocolate. Okay, Red replied. We could have just gone to my house for hot chocolate and I wouldn't have had to endure this cold, she thought. Though I suppose blue might be too much of a pain. Kurt clapped her hands together. All right, lets make the trek to Charlie's house. Trek? Red frowned. Isn't Charlie's house close by? She was already worried about how far she'd have to walk in what had to be the storm of the century. Or at least the worst storm she had ever experienced. Yeah, it's just on the other side of the park. Kurt replied, throwing her a look. Why? Red sighed in relief. Oh, no reason except that I might not make it in these ridiculous layers. Alexa smirked. You sure you can walk in all those clothes, Red? You kinda waddle. Red narrowed her eyes. I do not waddle. Kurt snorted. You kinda do. Ugh. Red groaned. By the time they reached Charlie's front yard, Red was certain she had icicles forming inside her coat. She had to admit though, that There was something strangely fun about walking through knee deep snow, at least when she wasn't slipping. Kurt wasted no time. All right, snow fort time. We'll make it nice and sturdy, then lure Charlie outside. Alexa knelt in the snow and started packing a base. Red, help me with the walls. Kurt. You carry the heavy stuff. Red hesitated, then reached down to scoop up some snow. It was soft, light, and much colder than she expected. Expected. She tried pressing it together into a block like she had seen in Earth movies, but it crumbled instantly. Kurt laughed. Yeah, that's not how it works. You gotta pack it like this. She grabbed a handful, pressed it firmly between her mittens, and held up the perfect block of snow. Red tried again, this time pressing harder. The snow kind of held together, though it wasn't as perfect as Kurt's. Huh. Not bad. They worked quickly, stacking and smoothing out the walls. Red found herself getting into it despite the cold. The more they built, the more it felt like constructing a mini Martian dome, only fluffier. When the fort was finished, Kurt rubbed her hands together. All right, let's invite Charlie outside. Alexa pulled out her phone and sent a message to the group chat. Hey, Charlie, we need your help with something important outside your house. Come quick. Charlie replied almost instantly. Does it involve the cold? Alexa smirked. Not at all. Red stifled a laugh. I think we all know exactly how this is going to go. Kurt's grin widened. Oh, we definitely do. They didn't have to wait long. Red, Kurt, and Alexa crouched slightly, snowballs in hand, as Charlie's front door creaked open. Charlie groaned as he stepped outside, his breath puffing into the cold air. All right, I'm here. What do you whap. A snowball smacked him right in the shoulder. Welcome to the battlefield, Charles. Kurt shouted triumphantly, already packing another snowball. Hey. What? Thump. Another hit right in the chest. Retreat. Charlie yelped, spinning around to head back inside. But it was too late. Alexa and Red joined in, snowballs flying through the air, pelting Charlie as he stumbled back toward his front door. I didn't agree to this. He cried dramatically, flailing against the incoming barrage. Red, laughing despite herself, lobbed one final snowball. Too late now. It smacked against Charlie's back just as he reached his porch. He slumped against the railing, defeated. I think I need hot chocolate after this. You read my mind. Alexa grinned as they walked into his house for a hot drink. And that is the end of our story. Good night. Sleep tight.