This is Ria. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People. Oh, you're not tiny, you're big.

Well come on down big friends. Today I'm joined by my guest, a very good friend of mine, Cassandra the Caterpillar.

Cassandra has laryngitis this week so she probably won't say much but she's very

excited to hear this week's story and I hope you are too. Cassandra are you ready?

I'm getting about 30 thumbs up right now from Cassandra. Can I see your thumbs up too?

All right now remember since there are no pictures you get to imagine everything in your mind.

As you listen think about what Ruby's curious pebbles might look like. Do they have stripes?

Spots? Are they blue? Are they purple? What about the Caterpillar she finds?

Are they smooth or spiky? You can imagine it however you want.

Okay let's listen to our story. Ruby takes her time. Here we go.

While her brother Howard raced down the sidewalk Ruby took her time. She stopped for each dandelion,

worm and rock as she hummed or said a rhyme. Come on Ruby Howard said as if he had no time to spare.

Ruby glanced up then back at the ground saying, oh Howard I'll be right there.

As she walked along she found curious pebbles, fuzzy moss and caterpillars glow.

She sometimes thought of moving on but what if there was more? When she finally reached the playground,

her pockets heavy with everything she'd found. Howard just said, you took long enough and never asked to see her stuff.

Well one day all that changed for good. It was a summer afternoon.

Ruby was examining a small piece of wood and softly humming a little tune.

Ruby heard a tiny, mu, just as Howard whizzed by her shoulder. Howard did you hear that too?

No he ground. He thinks he knows everything because he's older.

There it was again. Mu, mu, mu, mu. What was it?

Ruby thought she knew. She looked behind a large oak tree shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight.

...