This is Ria. Welcome to Little Stories for Tiny People.

My guest today is a tortoise, named Otis. Otis. Thank you for traveling all the way here

from across town. If I'm counting correctly, it looks like it's taken you five months to make it here.

Quite a journey. I'm so grateful for your company today. I invited Otis to sit in on this story

because our story is about a birthday, something with which Otis is very familiar. You see, Otis is

142 years old. I know, right? He said so many birthdays. Otis, in all those years, have you ever gotten a bit mixed up about the timing of your birthday?

Mm-hmm. Oh my. Otis just told me that on his 111st birthday, he thought he was turning 112. Otis, how did you figure out your mistake?

He says his mom who is 136 at the time set him straight. She said she'd never forget her baby's age. So sweet.

Well, our story today is about a little girl named Avery who wakes up on what she thinks is her birthday, but it doesn't go quite as she's planned.

Let's see what happens in our story, the birthday that wasn't. Remember, there are no pictures to go along with the story.

You'll have to imagine the pictures in your mind. Okay, here we go.

Avery looked out the window. Big raindrops smacked against the glass, running down like tiny streams. Avery loved the rain.

She'd spent all afternoon outside, jumping from puddle to puddle in the driveway. When she finally came indoors, water dripped from her raincoat like bathwater drips from her dog, Juniper, after she jumps out of the tub.

It had been a great day, but tomorrow would be even better. Tomorrow was Avery's birthday. She'd been counting down the days for the past week.

She'd started counting down last Monday. Six more days. On Tuesday, she'd drawn a picture of her house. Next to it, she wrote,

five more days. On Wednesday, she'd rearrange her green peas to make a big three. On Thursday, she'd swiped her finger across the fogged up bathroom mirror to make it two.

And today, Friday, she'd squirted a red one on her plate using the ketchup bottle. Now it was bedtime. Eight o'clock. In just four hours, it would be her birthday.

Avery brushed her teeth and gargled some water. She pulled her nightgown over her head. She said goodnight to all of her dolls.

Ms. Marcy, I love you. Mr. Popcorn, I'm sorry for tossing you across the room earlier. I was having a moment.

Ms. Purple Pocket, I promise I'll give you a prime perch near my birthday cake.

Avery kissed them all, grabbed a book, and climbed into bed.

She turned the pages and whispered the words she knew. When she reached the middle of the book,

...