0:09

This is Ria. Welcome to

0:11

Little Stories for Tiny People.

0:14

If you've been listening to the

0:16

show for a while, you know

0:18

there are a number of outspoken

0:20

spiders who live in the uppermost

0:23

corners of my studio, who delight

0:26

in sending me terse emails

0:28

from their tiny laptops. I

0:31

also have a number of studio beetles

0:33

who have plenty of their own opinions.

0:36

Today, the beetles are

0:38

on a field trip to a

0:41

local flea farm and,

0:43

this is the truly exciting

0:45

thing, the studio spiders

0:47

are on vacation.

0:50

When they first emailed me about their

0:52

plan to take a cruise, I

0:55

begged them not to go, of

0:57

course. But you know,

0:59

I slowly warmed to the idea.

1:03

I'd somehow find a way

1:05

to get through two weeks

1:07

without constant email notifications. They

1:09

left their laptops here.

1:12

They wanted to unplug.

1:14

Now, I thought about chucking the laptops

1:16

out the window. I really

1:19

considered it. But I don't want

1:21

to have a big dramatic scene

1:23

when they get back, you know?

1:26

So, I will settle

1:28

for using this blissfully

1:30

quiet moment in order

1:32

to tell you a

1:34

blissfully quiet story

1:37

perfect for bedtime.

1:40

It's called A Night with

1:43

Grandmother Rabbit. Take

1:46

it away, Sinan. Remember, there's no

1:48

pictures. You have to imagine them

1:51

in your mind. You can imagine

1:53

them however you want. Okay, here

1:55

we go. Yes,

2:01

yes, don't worry about a

2:03

thing. The list? Yes,

2:06

I have the list right here. All

2:09

right. See you tomorrow.

2:12

You too. Well

2:15

now, Grandmother Rabbit said, leaning

2:17

heavily against the door of

2:19

her little underground cottage. It's

2:22

as if I didn't raise 26 bunnies

2:25

without an instruction manual.

2:28

Her three grand bunnies, Hyacinth,

2:31

Lilac, and Quill

2:33

exchanged smiles. They

2:37

watched as Grandmother Rabbit

2:39

unrolled a long curl

2:41

of potato skin on

2:44

which their mother had written many lines

2:46

of notes about

2:48

mealtime, bathtime, and

2:50

bedtime routines. Grandmother

2:54

Rabbit lifted her glasses from

2:56

the lanyard around her neck and

2:59

perched them on the very edge

3:01

of her nose so that

3:03

they appeared ready to topple off with

3:05

the slightest twitch of a whisker.

3:08

She steadied the potato rind,

3:11

running a paw down the length of

3:13

it. Then she

3:16

rolled it into a tight coil and popped

3:18

it in her mouth. Grandmama!

3:22

Hyacinth cried, her eyes

3:24

wide. Wasn't that

3:26

mother's list? You weren't

3:28

supposed to eat it, Lilac

3:30

said, smacking a paw to

3:32

her forehead. Was he

3:34

yummy? Quill asked, his

3:36

eyes sparkling with mists. Oh,

3:40

I suppose that was the list,

3:42

wasn't it? Oh well, guess

3:45

we'll make do without it. Grandmother

3:47

Rabbit said, removing her glasses

3:49

and smoothing out her apron,

3:52

it was quite good, she

3:54

added thoughtfully. Though it

3:56

could have done with a pinch of salt. The

3:59

bunnies giggled. Never mind

4:01

all that. Let's have supper. Then

4:03

we'll go for a stroll. As

4:06

Grandmother Rabbit ladled carrot

4:08

stew into bowls, Hyacinth

4:11

set out cups of water with

4:14

lemon, Lilac retrieved the

4:16

paw-sewn napkins from the

4:18

pantry, and Quill found

4:20

the wooden spoons from the drawer

4:22

beside the sink. Soon,

4:24

they were all seated at

4:27

Grandmother Rabbit's little stone table.

4:30

Late afternoon light streamed

4:32

in the narrow window near

4:34

the ceiling. Tell me what

4:36

you've been up to this week, Grandmother

4:39

Rabbit said, stirring her stew.

4:42

It was much too hot to eat right

4:44

away. Hyacinth spoke

4:46

first. As the

4:48

eldest, she usually spoke first.

4:50

School was fun. My

4:52

class practiced tunneling. Tunnelling?

4:55

How very practical. Good

4:58

they're teaching you something useful and

5:00

not just flower pressing like last

5:02

week. Grandmama, Lilac

5:04

said, standing in. Yes, my dear.

5:07

My test took a field trip.

5:09

Did you go in a submarine? I've

5:12

always wondered about those. No,

5:14

Grandmama, Lilac cried, her

5:17

eyes crinkling with delight.

5:20

Quill giggled, nearly spitting

5:22

out his carrot stew.

5:24

We went to visit the Beaver Dam in

5:26

the Great River. What a

5:29

treat. And you, Quill? What

5:31

have they done with you this week?

5:34

Quill had lifted his bowl

5:36

in the air, foregoing his

5:38

spoon. He set it down.

5:40

His face was stained orange.

5:43

He put a little paw to his chin

5:45

and looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

5:48

Paw painting? Sounds like

5:50

a productive week. When they'd

5:52

all finished their stew, Grandmother Rabbit

5:55

rose from the table. Let's clean

5:57

up and go for a hop in the forest. Hyacinth

6:01

washed the dishes in the

6:03

sink, Lilac wiped down the

6:05

table, Quill swept the

6:07

floor of the kitchen, even

6:09

though it was already clean, Grandmother

6:12

Rabbit poured some parrot stew

6:14

into a jar and tucked

6:16

it into a woven basket

6:18

with a hunk of bread,

6:20

an opal, and

6:22

a symbolful of honey. She

6:25

led the way out the door, her

6:27

walking cane in one paw and

6:30

the basket swinging from her elbow.

6:33

They scampered up through a tunnel,

6:35

swinging from the crook of her arm. They

6:38

scampered up through a tunnel towards

6:40

the forest floor. When

6:43

the four rabbits emerged from

6:45

below ground, they discovered it

6:48

was raining. Now we

6:50

can't go for a hope. Momsense,

6:53

Grandmother said. She

6:55

scampered over to an

6:57

enormous wide-brimmed mushroom, plucked

7:00

it up at the base of its stem

7:03

and brandished it above

7:05

her head, blocking the drizzles

7:08

streaming from the sky. The

7:10

bunnies giggled and followed

7:12

suit, each plucking

7:15

up a mushroom. Grandmama,

7:18

Hyacinth called out over

7:20

the sound of the raindrops, pattering

7:22

all around them as

7:25

they ventured deeper into the

7:27

forest. Yes, my dear,

7:29

what's in that basket you've got? This?

7:32

It's a meal for old Mr. Crow. Why

7:35

are you bringing him a meal, Grandmama? He

7:38

sprained his wing a few weeks back. That's

7:41

nice of you, Grandmama, said

7:43

Quill. It's the right thing

7:46

to do, is all, Grandmother Rabbit said

7:48

simply. The rain stopped

7:50

just as they reached old

7:52

Mr. Crow's home. In

7:54

the distance, the sun dipped

7:56

beneath the tree line and

7:59

the sky was around. rich spiced

8:01

orange. Let me

8:03

guess, Mr. Crow said

8:05

when he cracked open the door

8:07

of his little treehouse. One

8:09

of his wings was in a sling. You

8:13

are here to sell

8:15

me feather shine oil. No,

8:19

no, no, Mr.

8:22

Crow and Grandmother Rabbit

8:24

exchanged a wink. You

8:27

are here to

8:29

admonish me for playing my

8:31

accordion too loudly. No! That's

8:34

silly. Oh, I've got it. You

8:37

are here because I

8:39

won tickets to the Hermit Crab

8:42

circus. Hermit Crab circus?

8:45

There's no such thing. I want to

8:47

go. I give up. Why

8:49

are you little muskrats at my door?

8:52

We aren't muskrats. Here

8:55

you are, Mr. Crow. Grandmother

8:58

Rabbit said handing over the

9:00

basket with a smile. Mr.

9:03

Crow nodded his head in

9:05

gratitude. Thank you. It

9:07

smells delicious. Old Mr.

9:10

Crow invited them in. The

9:12

four rabbits set down their

9:14

mushrooms and shuffled into his

9:17

little treehouse. With his

9:19

good wing, Mr. Crow brewed

9:21

some tea and retrieved some

9:24

apricots from a cupboard. I'm

9:26

sorry I don't have more to offer

9:28

you. This is more than

9:31

enough. Quill entertained

9:33

old Mr. Crow with stories

9:35

of his adventures. And

9:38

then I stared down that box and

9:40

he ran away with a tail between

9:42

his legs. Quill

9:44

sisters giggled. Mr.

9:46

Crow and Grandmother Rabbit listened

9:49

intently, their eyes filled

9:51

with delight. After

9:54

tea, Grandmother Rabbit glanced at the

9:56

moon out the round window in

9:58

Mr. Crow's room. crow's home.

10:00

It's time I got these

10:03

muskrats into bed. We're bunnies,

10:05

Grandmama, you know that.

10:07

I forget things sometimes. Mr.

10:10

Crow waved to them from the

10:12

door as they made their way back

10:15

to the forest trail. It was

10:17

a clear night. The full

10:20

moon was a silver coin in

10:22

the sky as the rabbits hopped

10:24

along the wet ground. Lilac

10:27

was the first to leap into

10:29

a puddle, splashing mud

10:31

in all directions. Everyone

10:35

joined in, including

10:38

Grandmother Rabbit. They

10:41

spent five wild minutes

10:44

hopping through puddles before

10:46

tiring themselves out so much

10:49

that they fell back on the

10:51

trail in silence. Grandmama,

10:54

yes, I sense.

10:57

Why do you hop with a cane so that

11:00

I can prod you on the tail

11:02

when you're going too slowly? That can't

11:04

be why, Lilac said, her eyes twinkling.

11:08

Oh, really? Shall we find out?

11:10

Grandmother Rabbit said, swinging her

11:12

cane through the air as

11:15

the bunnies leapt away shrieking

11:17

with amusement. Grandmama,

11:19

yes, Quill. How old

11:22

are you? How

11:25

old do you think

11:27

I am? 1000

11:29

years old. Sometimes

11:32

I feel as though I'm

11:34

a thousand years old, Grandmother

11:37

Rabbit said, watching the ground as

11:39

she walked. But I'm really

11:41

only 402. Grandmama, you're

11:45

not. How do you know?

11:47

None of you are older than three. The

11:50

bunnies didn't know what to say to that.

11:53

The forest was based in a soft

11:55

glow from the moon, and they had

11:58

no trouble keeping to the moon. the

12:00

path through the woods. Soon,

12:03

they could see the large

12:05

fern that hid the opening

12:07

to Grandmother Rabbit's tunnel. One

12:10

by one, the rabbits slipped

12:12

beneath it. The

12:15

rich aroma of carrot

12:17

stew lingered in the

12:19

air of Grandmama's underground

12:22

cottage. She

12:24

lit a small lantern that

12:26

illuminated the whole house, and

12:29

they all finally got a good look at one

12:31

another. Oh my!

12:34

Grandmother Rabbit wrinkled her

12:37

nose as she looked

12:39

each bunny up and down,

12:41

taking in the mud covering

12:43

them from head to tail. The

12:46

three of them stared up at

12:48

her with big, innocent eyes. She

12:51

crossed her paws, thinking.

12:54

At length, she broke

12:56

the silence. I don't

12:59

believe in bathing a bunny more

13:01

than twice per year. After

13:03

all, if the foxes smell the

13:05

dirt, they don't smell you.

13:08

But in this case, she said,

13:11

knitting her brows together. I'll

13:13

make an exception. Grandmother

13:15

Rabbit dragged a large basin

13:18

out of the pantry and

13:21

heated pots of water on

13:23

the stove. Soon, the

13:25

basin was half filled, and the

13:27

bunnies clambered inside to soak.

13:30

Quill splashed a few times,

13:33

and his sisters returned with

13:35

their own splashes, but

13:37

then they got to work. Scrubbing

13:39

off the mud they'd collected,

13:41

the hot bath was calming,

13:43

and Quill leaned over the

13:46

side of the basin, his

13:48

eyes drooping closed. Grandmother Rabbit

13:50

retrieved a comb from her

13:52

dresser and swiped it through

13:54

the bunnies' wet fur. Grandmama

13:57

Lilac said as her fur

13:59

was combed. How do you

14:01

know so many things?" Grandmother

14:03

Rabbit stopped combing for

14:06

a moment, considering her

14:08

grandbunny's question. "'I don't

14:11

think I do,' she said

14:13

simply. "'But you know everything,'

14:15

Hyacinth said, piping up. "'I

14:18

know only a few things, really.' "'Tell

14:20

us, tell us what are the few things,'

14:22

Lilac said, her eyes bright.

14:26

Grandmother Rabbit thought again for

14:29

a long moment. "'If I tell you,

14:31

you won't get to learn them

14:33

on your own.' Grandmother

14:36

Rabbit turned her eyes to the clock

14:39

on the wall. "'Ah,

14:41

time for bed, just

14:44

as your mother wished. "'But

14:46

you ate her list.' "'We saw

14:48

you.' I never said I didn't

14:50

read it. Grandmother

14:52

Rabbit gave them a sly grin.

14:56

She helped the bunnies out of the tub

14:59

and dried them with a towel

15:01

until their fur struck out in

15:03

all directions. "'You look

15:05

like three wispy dandelions about

15:07

to lose your seeds to

15:09

the wind,' the bunnies

15:11

smiled sleepily. Quill

15:15

swayed on his little feet. After

15:18

a few minutes brushing teeth, "'Lilac,

15:21

my dear, I think you've brushed

15:23

that one tooth enough. You

15:26

don't want the others to get jealous, do you?' Slipping

15:28

on pajamas, Grandma Ma knitted

15:31

herself. "'Mine has the radishes

15:33

on it.' And sipping final

15:35

cups of water. "'Why are

15:37

you always suddenly thirsty right

15:39

before bed?' "'Hmm,' they ran

15:41

out of things to do, other than

15:43

sleep. Grandmother

15:46

Rabbit pulled out the three

15:48

drawers of her dresser, each

15:50

one farther than the one above

15:52

it. She'd already made them

15:54

up as little beds. Hyacinth

15:57

climbed into the lowest drawer.

16:00

Lilac into the next and

16:02

grandma Ma lifted quill into the

16:04

highest You're heavier than

16:07

last week. Have you been eating rocks? I

16:09

only ate one rock this week grandma

16:13

She tucked each of them in with

16:15

a kiss on the nose Good

16:17

night. Grandma. Ma. Good night. Grandma.

16:20

Ma. Good night Good

16:22

night, my little bunnies then

16:25

she winked out the lantern and

16:27

stood there Listening

16:30

until all she heard was their breath

16:33

in and out She went to the

16:35

kitchen and poured a cup of tea Which

16:38

she carried to the rocking chair.

16:41

She kept beneath her narrow window

16:44

Through it she could see a slice

16:46

of the moon and a

16:48

cluster of stars She

16:51

sat there for a long

16:53

time studying

16:55

the night sky Listening

16:58

to the quiet until

17:02

she sat down her cup and Drifted

17:06

off to sleep in

17:08

her chair If

17:28

I wasn't perched on my hard metal

17:30

stool, I would have fallen

17:33

asleep in my chair. I Hope

17:35

you enjoyed this sweet story

17:39

Little Stories for Tiny People

17:41

is written performed and produced

17:43

by me Rhea Pector My

17:46

in-house tech director Peter Kay Runs

17:49

my website and puts my stories on

17:51

the internet for all of you to

17:53

enjoy Thank you to my Little Stories

17:56

premium subscribers who are making it possible

17:58

for me to keep sharing stories

18:00

with children around the world. If

18:02

you would like to get more of

18:05

the stories you love, access

18:07

to Little Stories for Sleep,

18:09

an exclusive bedtime podcast, and

18:11

ad-free listening, join

18:14

or gift a subscription

18:16

by visiting littlestoriespremium.com. A

18:20

sleep edition of this story,

18:22

Just the Stories, framed by

18:24

Lullaby Music, is available now on

18:27

Little Stories for Sleep. Thank

18:29

you to Sinan for the

18:31

super important reminder message at

18:33

the beginning. And

18:35

thank you to the

18:37

many premium subscribers who

18:40

supplied sound effects used

18:42

in this story. Thank

18:44

you to Audrey, Logan,

18:46

Jasmine, Alon, Madeline,

18:49

Erin, Sylvan, Thea,

18:52

Malinka, Wilhelm,

18:55

Eva, Taya, Isla,

18:58

Arthur, Brynn, Olivia,

19:02

Liam, Harper, Ellsby,

19:05

Hawthorne, and Aria.

19:08

And thank you, as

19:10

always, for listening in.