0:09

This is Ria. Welcome to Little

0:11

Stories for Tiny People. Our story

0:13

today is going to be fun,

0:15

a little ridiculous,

0:18

slightly mysterious, and

0:21

most of all, it's going to make

0:23

total sense. In fact, I'm

0:25

pretty sure I'll be receiving at

0:27

least three emails from the spiders

0:30

who live in the uppermost corners

0:32

of my studio, praising

0:34

me for the unshakable

0:36

internal logic of this

0:38

story. Let's hear it. It's

0:41

called Little Hedgehog Travels

0:44

to Camp. Take

0:46

it away, Evelyn. Remember, there

0:48

are no pictures. You have to imagine

0:51

the pictures in your mind. You can

0:53

imagine them however you want. OK,

0:56

here we go. All

1:04

aboard. We are now boarding

1:06

train 3.14159 headed to Midforest Station with

1:08

connecting buses

1:13

to Lake Sweetwater, Warmish

1:16

Pond, and Camp

1:18

Prickletots. Little Hedgehog and

1:20

Bebe, her best friend of

1:22

all time, stood on

1:25

the platform at the West

1:27

Forest train station with roller

1:29

bags in tow as a

1:32

jolly looking, uniformed woodchuck stood

1:34

nearby, encouraging everyone to

1:36

board. Dad, did

1:39

you hear that? We are

1:41

now boarding. What's

1:43

my jolly looking woodchuck voice, Dad?

1:46

Well, Mr. Hedgehog said, I guess

1:49

this is it. Mr. Hedgehog,

1:51

are you still mildly concerned

1:53

about the idea of us

1:55

traveling by train to summer

1:58

camp as unaccompanied minors? Don't

2:00

forget the bus you have to

2:02

take. We could never forget the

2:05

bus, Dad. Mr. Hedgehog, we developed

2:07

an original song so that we

2:10

could not possibly forget the bus

2:12

even if we tried. In the

2:14

middle of the bustling train platform,

2:17

the two girls broke into song.

2:19

Heading to Camp Prickletot's just my

2:21

friend and me. At

2:24

Midforest Station, we will switch

2:26

from train to bus with

2:28

Glee. And our

2:30

bus number is... Our

2:32

bus number is... Our

2:34

bus number is... For

2:41

some reason, this song did

2:43

not leave Mr. Hedgehog with

2:45

a great deal of reassurance.

2:48

M'kay. Mr. Hedgehog, my mom

2:50

told me that in yesteryear,

2:52

hedgehogs of all ages frequently

2:54

ventured into the world alone,

2:56

going so far as to

2:58

hitchhike across forests on the

3:00

backs of nomadic wild turkeys.

3:03

My mother believes we would

3:05

all do well to grow

3:07

up as adventuring hedgehogs, capable

3:09

of facing life's unexpected challenges,

3:11

without trepidation. Which is why

3:13

she bid me farewell back

3:15

at our burrow. She does

3:18

not wish for me to

3:20

grow up... Coddled.

3:22

Mr. Hedgehog peered at Bebe

3:25

for a long moment. Your

3:27

mom is succeeding with that, Bebe. Oh,

3:29

and dad. Bebe and

3:31

I have been practicing several

3:34

defensive moves. Defensive moves, Mr.

3:36

Hedgehog. Really. Allow us

3:39

to demonstrate. Little

3:41

Hedgehog and Bebe exchanged

3:43

several meaningful looks. Then,

3:46

shouted... Run!

3:48

Mr. Hedgehog watched in

3:51

amused confusion, as

3:53

his daughter and her best

3:55

friend began running in place

3:57

with expressions of intense concentration.

4:00

Little Hedgehog even pretended to

4:03

wipe sweat from her brow.

4:05

Dad, this is us running

4:07

from a Wolverine. We

4:10

are outrunning him, Mr. Hedgehog.

4:13

Mr. Hedgehog, blinked,

4:15

curled. The two

4:18

tiny hedgehogs dropped into curled

4:20

positions on the train platform.

4:22

Dad, this is us hiding

4:25

from a mongoose. We are

4:27

now protected from the wily

4:29

mongoose, Mr. Hedgehog. Mr.

4:32

Hedgehog squinted. Hiss.

4:35

Little Hedgehog and BB leaped up,

4:37

arched their backs, pulled

4:40

out their claws in a supposedly threatening

4:42

manner, and... hissed. Dad,

4:47

we are hissing at a crocodile.

4:50

The crocodile is thinking twice,

4:52

Mr. Hedgehog. At

4:56

length, they relaxed into their

4:58

usual demeanors of cheerful positivity

5:02

and measured reasonableness. Mr.

5:04

Hedgehog studied the two of them.

5:07

Finally, he said, just stick

5:10

with the running. Okay, Dad. As

5:12

you wish, Mr. Hedgehog. All aboard,

5:15

final call for train 3.14159, headed

5:21

to Midforest Station, with

5:23

connecting buses to Lake

5:25

Sweetwater, Warmish Pond, and

5:27

Camp Perkletots. Dad, we

5:30

have to board now. The

5:32

jovial groundhog conductor wishes us to

5:34

board, Mr. Hedgehog. Oh, BB, I

5:36

thought he was a woodchuck. This

5:38

train is leaving the station momentarily,

5:40

so please make your way aboard.

5:43

Just make sure you get off

5:45

at the right station. Of course,

5:47

Dad. And get on the right

5:49

bus. Of course, Dad.

5:51

Mr. Hedgehog, we are strongly

5:53

incentivized to get on the

5:55

correct bus. We must arrive

5:58

at Camp Perkletots by dawn. dawn in

6:00

order to get the best pick of

6:02

cabins. Little Hedgehog

6:04

nodded. Oh, here, I

6:06

forgot. I made you some paw-drawn

6:08

maps of the train station and

6:11

the bus station. Mr.

6:13

Hedgehog handed his daughter a roll

6:15

of paper tied with a string.

6:18

She slipped it into her

6:20

roller bag. Thanks, Dad! The

6:23

Hedgehogs exchanged hugs, including a

6:25

rather stilted one between Mr.

6:27

Hedgehog and Bebe. Then,

6:30

the young ones boarded

6:32

the train. I'll send

6:34

you a letter by Dragonfly delivery

6:36

every three days, Dad. Little Hedgehog

6:39

called from the window once aboard.

6:42

And I will dispatch a letter to

6:44

you every six and a half days,

6:47

Mr. Hedgehog. Little Hedgehog, you

6:49

can send me something weekly. Bebe,

6:51

you do not need to mail me.

6:54

Send letters to your mom.

6:56

Okay, Dad! Understood, Mr. Hedgehog.

6:58

As the train chugged away,

7:01

Mr. Hedgehog waved, watching

7:03

his tiny daughter get farther and

7:06

farther away from him in the

7:08

dark night. He suppressed

7:10

the urge to scamper after

7:12

the train. Before

7:15

they were completely out of sight, he

7:17

heard Little Hedgehog yell, Make sure

7:20

you take care of Little Guy,

7:22

Dad! And

7:25

our bus number is... Our bus

7:28

number is... Our bus number is...

7:34

Excuse me, you there,

7:36

tiny Prickle Bear children?

7:38

Little Hedgehog and Bebe

7:40

went silent and exchanged

7:43

amused smiles. They

7:45

were huddled in their seats midway

7:47

through their train journey. Outside

7:50

the window, the stars shone brilliantly

7:52

in the night sky. Outside

7:55

the train was lit up

7:58

by lanterns, casting a soft,

8:00

glow over the rows and

8:02

rows of passengers. Hello!

8:04

Greetings. Hello. Said

8:06

a large guinea pig, seated across

8:08

the aisle. She had

8:11

reading glasses perched on the edge of

8:13

her nose and a thick book open

8:15

in her lap. I've

8:17

had to re-read this paragraph

8:19

elucidating the concept of the

8:21

golden ratio seven times due

8:24

to your musical

8:27

stylings. We are

8:29

so sorry. We will stop

8:31

singing immediately. Our deepest apologies. Thank

8:33

you, the guinea pig said, and

8:36

buried her head in her book. No

8:40

longer able to sing, little hedgehog

8:42

and BB settled for making up

8:44

stories about the sights out their

8:47

train window. Oh, BB,

8:49

did you see that squirrel? I

8:51

did. You looked so surprised. Perhaps

8:53

you just realized he forgot to

8:56

feed his Venus flytrap. Oh,

8:58

BB, did you see those bats flutter

9:00

across the moon? Maybe they were trying

9:02

to tell us something. Like a bat

9:05

signal. Exactly. Before they knew it,

9:07

the train rolled to a stop

9:10

at Midforest Station. Midforest

9:13

Station, watch your footsteps, folks.

9:15

Little hedgehog and BB scrambled out

9:17

of their seats past

9:20

the guinea pig. Goodbye, tiny

9:22

prickle bear children. Bye. Farewell.

9:25

And disembarked the train. Neither

9:28

of them had ever been to

9:30

Midforest Station, one of the

9:32

main rail stations in the forest, and it

9:35

was quite a sight to behold. There

9:37

were animals of all sizes flitting this

9:39

way and that, dragging suitcases,

9:42

balancing bags on their shoulders,

9:44

and there were tunnels formed

9:47

out of archways of trees

9:49

leading to different train platforms.

9:52

Announcements blared from speakers perched

9:54

in branches. Will Alonzo Cube

9:56

or Kipine please report to

9:58

service desk? Will Alonzo

10:01

Q Porcupine please report to Service

10:03

Desk 2? It was

10:05

all rather dizzying. Bebe,

10:08

where do we find the bus? Let

10:10

us consult your dad's notes.

10:12

Good idea. Little Hedgehog withdrew

10:14

the paw drawn maps from

10:16

her roller bag. It

10:19

looks like the bus station is

10:21

located due west of the train

10:24

station. Thankfully, at all times I

10:26

carry the compass my uncle Clarence

10:28

gave me as a celebratory gift

10:30

after I won first place in

10:33

a spearfishing competition as a toddler.

10:35

Hmm, okay. Bebe

10:38

withdrew a weathered looking compass

10:40

from her prickles and quickly

10:42

showed the way. They

10:45

ended up in another clearing where

10:47

a single bus sat on a

10:50

patch of dusty land. In

10:52

its window was a sign

10:54

that read, Bus Number 1.618033.

11:01

That's it, Bebe! Indubitably,

11:03

the two tiny hedgehogs

11:05

climbed aboard. The bus

11:07

was empty except for the driver, a

11:10

goat who had fallen asleep in his

11:12

seat, not used to working the night

11:14

shift. His walkie talkie

11:17

crackled to life, startling him

11:19

awake. Roscoe, come

11:21

in, Roscoe. Huh? Go

11:24

ahead, Bill. Roscoe, we're switching you

11:26

to another line. There's been an incident

11:28

with a wolverine. Change your

11:30

sign to 8675309. Roscoe,

11:33

do you copy? Roger that, Bill.

11:37

That's correct. Over and out. The bus

11:40

driver eased himself up from his seat.

11:43

From his vantage point, all he

11:45

saw were rows of empty seats.

11:48

He did not notice the

11:50

two tiny hedgehogs at

11:53

the back. He reached out

11:55

and removed the sign from the

11:57

bus window, replacing it

11:59

with a with another that

12:01

read bus number 8675309. Unbeknownst

12:08

to our dear hedgehogs who

12:10

sat at the back enthusiastically

12:12

discussing the fun to be

12:15

had at Camp Prickletots, I

12:17

read in the brochure that

12:19

we will learn mineral identification.

12:21

They were on the

12:23

wrong bus. A

12:27

handful of passengers boarded over the

12:29

next few minutes. Then the

12:31

bus rumbled out of

12:34

Mid Forest Station into

12:36

the surrounding wilds. Unlike

12:39

the train, the bus was nearly

12:41

empty. It was a quiet ride,

12:44

except for the loud coughs occasionally

12:46

coming from an unseen passenger on

12:49

the other end of the bus.

12:52

Just a single animal sat

12:54

near enough Little Hedgehog and

12:56

Bebe to make conversation. It

12:59

was an elder prairie dog sitting

13:01

with her paws in her lap,

13:03

looking straight ahead. She

13:05

did not have a book or

13:08

a crossword puzzle or anything else

13:10

to distract her. Hello, greetings. Little

13:14

Hedgehog and Bebe trailed from

13:16

just across the aisle. The

13:18

prairie dog startled as if she'd

13:20

been deep in thought, then

13:24

gave a slight smile. Hello,

13:26

I was just

13:28

thinking about celery. I love

13:31

celery. I enjoy celery. I

13:33

do not enjoy celery. I

13:36

was thinking of ways to avoid it. Oh,

13:39

OK, interesting. Are you

13:41

traveling by yourselves? The

13:43

prairie dog asked, her

13:45

brow furrowing slightly. We

13:48

are. It is our first such

13:50

adventure. You are intrepid.

13:52

At your age, I left the

13:54

Burrell quarterly if that. It was

13:57

Little Hedgehog's and Bebe's turns to

13:59

slobber. slightly furrow their brows. Hmm.

14:03

Where are you headed now? To

14:05

a retreat. It's a

14:08

retreat for creatures such as

14:10

myself who clam up when

14:13

confronting surprising slash concerning situations.

14:16

Little Hedgehog and Bebe blinked.

14:19

It worked beautifully for my friend

14:21

Vidalia, who had the same problem.

14:24

I'm hoping that by the end of

14:27

the week, when I come upon a

14:29

situation that is both surprising and concerning,

14:31

I no longer

14:33

go mute with discomfort. Oh,

14:36

okay. So if

14:38

you encounter something surprising, what

14:41

do you do? Surprising

14:43

occurrences are not a problem for me. It

14:46

is only if the occurrence

14:48

is both surprising and

14:51

concerning. Wow. That

14:54

is very specific. So if

14:56

an adorable bunny rabbit wearing a sparkling

14:58

vest and striped socks leapt out from

15:01

behind a shrub, I would

15:03

smile with mild amusement. The prairie

15:05

dog said, nodding primly, and if

15:07

you had been watching a hawk

15:09

from a distance and he swooped

15:12

down at you in a concerning

15:14

manner that you could have reasonably

15:16

anticipated, I would simply dash beneath

15:18

the cover of a phone without

15:21

hesitation. The prairie dog

15:23

said, her eyes serious.

15:26

What if an adorable bunny wearing

15:29

a sparkling vest and striped socks

15:32

leapt out from a shrub but then tore off

15:34

its costume to reveal that it was actually a

15:36

hawk? That would be the

15:38

problem, wouldn't it? Because

15:41

that would both surprise and concern me.

15:45

Unfortunately, I would freeze,

15:48

only able to blink my eyes

15:51

for minutes, sometimes

15:54

hours at a time. Wow.

15:57

Whoa. Someone coughed loudly.

15:59

from the other end of the

16:01

bus. The prairie dog's

16:03

eyes went wide with alarm for

16:05

a brief moment. Then

16:07

she relaxed. Outside, the

16:09

sky was the color of

16:11

ink. Would you

16:13

like to hear our bus number song?

16:16

It is the song that served as

16:18

a mnemonic device to ensure we boarded

16:20

the correct bus on our way to

16:22

Camp- Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:26

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:28

Camp- Camp- Canyon-

16:31

Camp- Camp- Camp

16:34

Churchill- Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:37

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:41

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:44

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:47

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:50

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:53

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:56

Camp- Camp- Camp-

16:59

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:02

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:05

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:10

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:13

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:16

Camp- Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:20

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:23

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:26

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:29

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:32

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:35

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:38

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:41

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:44

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:47

Camp- Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:51

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:54

Camp- Camp- Camp-

17:57

Camp- Camp- Everybody

18:00

out. Yay. Yay. We must be

18:02

at Camp Prickletoss, B.B. Indeed. It

18:04

would have been the perfect time

18:07

for Little Hedgehog and B.B. to

18:09

learn that they had, in fact,

18:11

boarded the wrong bus when the

18:13

bus driver got up and said,

18:15

Uh, thanks for riding bus number

18:18

8675309. Have a great night. Unfortunately,

18:24

just as the bus driver said

18:26

this, the loud, unseen

18:29

cough-er started up again.

18:32

So the announcement ended up

18:34

sounding like this. Uh, thanks

18:36

for riding bus number 8675309. Have

18:41

a great night. The two tiny

18:43

hedgehogs scampered off the bus, none

18:46

the wiser. The

18:48

prairie dog remained

18:50

motionless in her

18:52

seat, contemplating the

18:54

surprising-slash-concerning situation involving

18:57

the two small hedgehogs who

18:59

had boarded the wrong bus,

19:02

until the bus driver prodded

19:04

her to get up and

19:07

go. Everybody out. Dawn

19:10

was an hour away by the

19:13

time Little Hedgehog and B.B. made

19:16

it to what they strongly believed

19:18

was Camp Prickletoss. They were encouraged

19:20

by the site of dozens of

19:23

hedgehogs all striding purposefully in the

19:25

same direction. That must be the

19:27

way, B.B. I'm so glad we

19:30

are going to be on time.

19:32

They were in an unfamiliar part

19:34

of the forest, dense with trees

19:36

and plants of all kinds. The

19:39

moon provided just enough light

19:42

for them to follow the

19:44

other hedgehogs. As they

19:46

scampered along, Little Hedgehog

19:48

noticed something peculiar about the

19:50

other hedgehogs on the trail.

19:52

B.B. Yes, Little Hedgehog. Do

19:54

these hedgehogs look a little

19:57

old to you? Hmmm. Indeed,

20:00

the other hedgehogs were not only

20:02

much older than the typical camper

20:05

at Camp Prickletots, they were also

20:07

rather... muscular. Then,

20:12

they noticed there were

20:14

no signs for Camp

20:16

Prickletots anywhere in sight.

20:18

I would have expected it to be

20:21

well marked, BB agreed. It

20:23

is surprising there is no signage. Perhaps

20:26

the directors of Camp Prickletots

20:28

share my mother's belief that

20:30

young hedgehogs should not be

20:32

coddled. Perhaps, BB. Our

20:35

dear hedgehogs did not put together

20:37

the fact that they were in

20:39

the wrong place until

20:42

they ended up in a

20:44

clearing with hundreds of muscular

20:46

hedgehogs seated on wooden benches

20:49

in an amphitheater. Welcome,

20:51

one and all, to

20:54

the annual Tough Trainers

20:56

Conference. Called an

20:58

unseen announcer. Put

21:00

your paws together for the toughest

21:02

trainer in the land. You

21:05

know him as the Rolling

21:07

Wonder and the Prickly Blur.

21:11

Give it up for Johnny D.

21:15

Rollerton. Love

21:20

this guy. Tough trainer,

21:22

toughest trainer, he's the

21:25

toughest trainer. Listen

21:27

up. The next roll is less than

21:29

a year away and we've got to

21:31

be ready. These hedgehogs aren't

21:34

going to train themselves, now are they?

21:36

No, sir. We've got

21:38

to innovate every single year. We're

21:42

finally ready to reveal

21:44

our latest rolling strategy.

21:49

We're calling it the Turbo

21:51

Swish. Um,

21:54

BB, are you thinking what

21:56

I'm thinking? In truth,

21:58

BB has a good idea. had

22:01

been swept away in an immersive

22:03

daydream. She'd never imagined

22:05

herself becoming a tough hedgehog

22:07

trainer. But now, faced

22:10

with Johnny D. Rollerton

22:13

and hundreds of enthusiastic,

22:15

hardcore, tough trainers, she

22:18

did consider it. Bebe,

22:20

apologies, little hedgehog. I was

22:22

imagining myself someday becoming a

22:24

tough trainer. Oh,

22:27

I could picture that. But,

22:29

Bebe, now are you

22:31

thinking what I'm thinking? Little

22:33

hedgehog said, her eyes

22:35

wide as she observed

22:37

Johnny D. Rollerton demonstrate

22:39

his latest moves on

22:41

stage, that it

22:43

is possible Bebe began. We boarded

22:46

the wrong bus. The

22:49

sun was threatening to rise any

22:51

minute by the time little hedgehog

22:53

and Bebe made it back to

22:55

the clearing where bus number 8675309

22:58

had dropped them off. It

23:03

was empty, nary a bus

23:05

in sight. A tumbleweed

23:08

rolled across the clearing, looking

23:10

both entirely out of place

23:12

and vaguely

23:15

like Johnny D. Rollerton.

23:17

Bebe, how will we ever

23:20

get to Camp Riggle Tots?

23:22

Little hedgehog asked, slightly less

23:24

cheerful than usual. Let us

23:26

consult your dad's notes. Good

23:28

idea. Little hedgehog withdrew the

23:30

papers from her roller bag.

23:33

Hmm. Hmm. Little hedgehog.

23:35

Yes. I am noticing that on

23:37

your dad's detailed drawings, all the

23:40

stations have things in common. Oh,

23:43

everyone seems to have a

23:45

service booth. Okay. A bird

23:48

bath. Practical. And a taxi

23:50

stand. The two

23:52

hedgehogs began scanning the area

23:55

for signs of a taxi

23:57

stand. Bebe, do you

23:59

see anything? I do not. There

24:01

was absolutely no one there. Except

24:06

for a line of ants

24:08

traveling across the ground. Let's

24:11

ask the ants, Phoebe. Okay. Hello

24:15

there. Good day to you. The

24:17

hedgehogs thundered down to the line

24:19

of ants. The giant

24:22

prickly bears wish to converse

24:24

with us. One ant

24:26

observed. Ooh. Ah.

24:30

We got on the wrong bus. Oh

24:32

no. How awful. It's a bit

24:35

of a setback. How surprising. And

24:37

concerning. And now we must find

24:39

our way to Camp Prickletots, the

24:42

premier summer camp for adventurous young

24:44

hedgehogs armed with only our wits,

24:46

our boundless energy, and my trusty

24:48

compass gifted to me by my

24:51

Uncle Clarence. We were wondering if

24:53

you know of a nearby taxi

24:55

stand. For a

24:58

long moment, the ants were

25:00

completely silent. Their

25:02

line had stopped, creating a

25:04

backup perhaps 10 yards long.

25:08

Finally, they all began

25:10

shouting at once. Turkey.

25:12

Turkey. Turkey. Turkey. Turkey.

25:15

The ants shouted a

25:17

few more times. Turkey.

25:20

Turkey. Turkey. Then,

25:23

they turned away and

25:25

resumed walking, as

25:27

if nothing strange had just taken

25:29

place. Little Hedgehog

25:31

and Bebe blinked. They watched

25:34

the line of ants pass

25:36

by them and slowly move

25:38

away into the forest. But

25:42

when they turned around, intending

25:44

to inspect the area again

25:47

for any clues as to

25:49

what they might do next,

25:51

they saw the outline of

25:53

a turkey in the dim,

25:55

pre-dawn light. It

25:58

was a uniformed turkey. asleep in

26:00

a chair at the edge of

26:02

the west side of the clearing

26:04

beside a sign that read turkey

26:08

taxi stand little

26:11

hedgehog and bb scampered

26:13

over hello good day to you

26:15

huh oh hi

26:17

the turkey said rubbing her

26:19

eyes hello we're

26:22

traveling to camp prickle tots

26:24

the most exciting educational adventure

26:26

filled informative rope swing packed

26:28

spear whittling hold on a

26:30

sec the turkey said holding

26:32

up a wing tell me

26:34

again what this place is

26:36

called camp prickle tots the

26:39

premier camp for adventurists and hedgehogs

26:41

located in the northwest corner of

26:43

the forest the turkey pulled

26:45

out a large map unrolled it

26:48

and studied it for

26:50

several seconds little hedgehog

26:52

and bb exchanged several

26:54

significant looks their eyes

26:56

wide at length the

26:59

turkey said you got any

27:01

snails or anything the two

27:03

tiny hedgehogs rifled through their

27:05

roller bags they rustled up

27:07

11 crickets and three

27:10

snails which they placed on top

27:12

of her map the

27:14

turkey stared at them for a

27:16

moment all right hop

27:19

aboard yay yay little

27:21

hedgehog added thinking fondly of

27:24

her pet chameleon soon

27:27

they were flying far above

27:29

the trees on the turkey's

27:31

back we this is

27:33

so much better than a bus isn't it

27:35

bb indeed we can see much more from

27:37

100 feet in the air the

27:40

tiny hedgehogs clung to the turkey's

27:42

feathers as it flew over the

27:44

trees the sky turned

27:46

from a deep dark purple to

27:49

a brilliant magenta and just

27:51

as the turkey touched down

27:53

in a clearing beside

27:55

an enormous sign that

27:57

read welcome to camp

28:00

Prickletots, the sun

28:03

inched above the tree

28:05

line. Here

28:07

you go kids, have a fun

28:09

time at camp. Thank you! Many

28:11

thanks, Little Hedgehog and Bebe said,

28:13

scrambling down from the bird. The

28:16

turkey flew away, leaving

28:18

them in the clearing, where a

28:20

cheerful teenage hedgehog sat at a

28:22

desk surrounded by trees. Several

28:25

young hedgehogs waited in line. Good

28:27

morning, welcome to Camp Prickletots. Oh,

28:29

thank you. Bebe, can you believe

28:31

we finally made it? I

28:34

can't wait to tell my dad all

28:36

the better adventure of my first letter.

28:38

He will be most impressed. Good morning,

28:40

welcome to Camp Prickletots, the cheerful teenage

28:42

hedgehog said with a yawn. Hello!

28:47

We're thrilled to be here. Just

28:49

like go ahead and like write your

28:51

names on the scion sheet. Okay! Alrighty.

28:54

Looks like you're our last two campers

28:56

to arrive. Uh,

28:58

Little Hedgehog is it? Yes! You'll

29:00

be in cabin number 19. Oh,

29:02

okay. And Bebe?

29:05

Bebe. Excuse me! Bebe.

29:08

You'll be in cabin number 142. I

29:11

see. Little Hedgehog and

29:13

Bebe exchanged a wistful look.

29:16

Is there any way we could be in

29:18

this same cabin? We're best friends of all

29:21

time. Oh, I love

29:23

that! Unfortunately, no. Those

29:25

are like the last two spots available. But

29:28

you'll see each other like

29:30

every midnight meal and like

29:32

occasional activities. Little Hedgehog and

29:34

Bebe blinked. Then yawned.

29:39

The sun was well above the trees.

29:42

It was time for bed. The

29:44

cheerful teenage hedgehog directed them

29:46

to their respective cabins. Just

29:49

through the trees to your

29:51

left. Oh, okay. Just

29:53

follow those signs. You'll cross a creek

29:55

and hang a right at the ancient

29:57

oak. Understood. The two friends parted ways.

30:00

at the welcome sign. Sweet

30:02

dreams, Phoebe! Fare thee well,

30:04

little hedgehog, and head

30:06

it off for the summer of

30:08

a lifetime. Well,

30:16

I did receive three emails

30:18

about this story, actually

30:21

six, just now, just

30:23

as I was finishing up, and,

30:26

well, let's just say, the spiders

30:29

are not impressed. They

30:32

took issue with several details, including

30:34

train numbers that had decimals in

30:36

them. They also had

30:38

various notes on the turkey taxi

30:41

and the believability of its long

30:43

flight. I'll just put

30:45

those emails in my circular file

30:47

for now. I hope you

30:50

loved the story. Little Stories

30:52

for Tiny People is written, performed,

30:54

and produced by me, Rhea Pector.

30:56

My in-house tech director, Peter Kay,

30:59

runs my website and puts my

31:01

stories on the internet for all

31:04

of you to enjoy. Thank you

31:06

to my Little Stories premium subscribers

31:08

who are making it possible for

31:11

me to keep doing this. If

31:13

you would like to get more

31:16

of the stories you love, access

31:18

to Little Stories for Sleep, an

31:20

exclusive bedtime podcast, and ad-free listening,

31:23

join or gift a subscription at

31:25

littlestoriespremium.com. Thank

31:27

you to Evelyn for the

31:29

super important reminder message at

31:31

the beginning. And thank you

31:34

to the many premium subscribers

31:36

who supplied sound effects used

31:38

in this story. Thank

31:40

you to Foster, Bea,

31:43

Kyla, Henry, Arwen,

31:46

Matthew, Annabel, Lander,

31:49

Hattie, Astin, Harper,

31:51

Xander, Teddy, Malcolm,

31:54

Amaya, Rowan,

31:57

Tristan, Skyler, Finn

32:00

Mary, Amy, Penny,

32:03

Lennox, and Thomas. And

32:06

thank you, as always,

32:08

for listening in.