Little People of the Night
by Laura Bannon
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Little People of the Night.
00:13Story and pictures by Laura Bannon.
00:16The soft gray night crept into the meadow.
00:19The hen climbed into a berry bush and tucked her head under her wing.
00:24The cow and the calf slept under the oak tree.
00:27They used each other for a pillow.
00:30The cat curled up on a branch and closed one eye.
00:34By now Little Joe was sound asleep in his snug bed.
00:38And the night had turned dark and still.
00:41But in the middle of the night Little Joe woke up.
00:45He heard sound coming from the meadow.
00:48He heard a scratching and a squealing and a growling.
00:52Who was making off those awful sounds?
00:55Who stayed awake when it was time to sleep?
00:59The next day Joe took a walk in the meadow.
01:02He met the hen and asked, What happened out here last night?
01:07I heard a scratching and a squealing and a growling.
01:11I heard nothing said the hen.
01:14The night was as quiet as sleep until the rooster crowed this morning.
01:19Little Joe asked the cow and the calf, Did you hear awful sounds out here last night?
01:25Who stayed awake when it was time to sleep?
01:28We heard nothing said the cow.
01:31The night was soft and still and filled with dreams of clover fields.
01:36I know about the night sounds.
01:39Said the cat who happened to be listening.
01:42I take cat naps in the daytime and cat walks at night.
01:46Who made all those awful sounds last night, asked Joe.
01:51The little people of the night said the cat.
01:54Little people.
01:56In the meadow.
01:58Joe was surprised.
02:00You can't see them in the daytime.
02:03The cat said.
02:04They are sleeping in secret hiding places.
02:08But at night they come out and play about.
02:12I want to see the little people of the night said Joe.
02:15I want to see them come out and play about.
02:19Then take a walk with me tonight.
02:22Said the cat.
02:23I'll wait for you beside your doorstep when the whippoorwills start whippoorwilling.
02:29But before little Joe heard a whippoorwill mama said.
02:33It's your bedtime Joe.
02:35I want to stay awake until it's dark said Joe.
02:39I want to take a walk into the night with the cat.
02:43Mama smiled and said, This once you may stay awake and take a walk with the cat.
02:48I'll put a light in the window.
02:51A light in the window would spoil the night.
02:54Said Joe.
02:55I want to walk into a night that's all dark.
02:59Oh, said mama.
03:01Then I'll turn out the lights and wait for you in the porch swing while you take a walk
03:06with the cat.
03:08When little Joe heard a whippoorwill he went out into the dark night.
03:13There was the cat waiting by the doorstep.
03:16I am ready to walk into the night said Joe.
03:19But stay close to me.
03:22Come along said the cat.
03:24Don't scuff your feet.
03:26Put one foot down softly in front of the other as I do.
03:31Not a sound mind you.
03:33I heard the night people making sounds said Joe.
03:37But those were sounds that belong to the night said the cat.
03:41The night people are used to them.
03:44But if they hear daytime people they hide.
03:48You won't see them but a hundred eyes will be watching you.
03:52The cat led little Joe to a stump near the oak tree.
03:56She spoke in a soft purr.
03:58Sit deep into the shadow.
04:01Now don't make a sound louder than a snail's snicker.
04:05Joe crept deep into the shadow with the cat.
04:08A fat moon climbed up the sky behind the black oak.
04:12There was the hen sleeping in the berry bush.
04:16There were the cow and the calf sleeping as still on stones under the tree.
04:20It was quiet enough to hear grass grow.
04:24Then some leaves sailed down from the tree and landed on the stump.
04:28No.
04:30They weren't leaves.
04:32They were fur balls that leaped and tumbled over each other.
04:36Some of the little people whispered the cat.
04:40Flying Skirrels.
04:42They play like kittens.
04:44Joe watched with wide eyes until the Flying Skirrel sailed out of sight into the shadows.
04:49I never knew they lived in our meadow he whispered in the cat's ear.
04:54A scratching and a squealing came from the oak tree.
04:58A furry baby crawled out of a hole in the trunk, it scrambled down and fell into the
05:03tall grass.
05:05More babies followed.
05:07And the last one was smallest at all.
05:10Raccoons the cat whispered.
05:13It is the first time they have come out to play about.
05:16I would like to play about with the little raccoons.
05:20Said Joe.
05:21Don't put your mouth so close to my ear when you whisper said the cat.
05:27It tickles.
05:28Oh oh, said the cat.
05:31Here comes mama raccoon.
05:33Now watch.
05:35The babies will get a scolding.
05:38Joe saw a big raccoon comes running out of the tall grass.
05:42Mama raccoon growled and poked her babies with her nose.
05:46She was trying to get them to crawl back to their home in the tree.
05:51But the little raccoons loved being out to play about in the light of the moon.
05:56They didn't want to go home.
05:58Look, whispered the cat.
06:01Here comes another family.
06:04Mama skunk marched past with her six children.
06:07All the little skunks were playing follow the leader.
06:11Suddenly a loud hoot came from the sky.
06:14It made little Joe jump.
06:17That old owl, whispered the cat.
06:20It's unfriendly.
06:22Mama raccoon heard the owl and she was scared.
06:25She huddled her babies together between the roots of the oak.
06:30Mama skunk heard the owl too.
06:32She held her tail high and stamped her foot.
06:36The old owl decided it had better not bother the little people in the meadow.
06:41It flew away.
06:43And the skunk family marched on in the bright moonlight.
06:47Mama raccoon hurried her babies up the tree trunk.
06:51When the smallest one got tired she carried it.
06:55And she crawled into the hole with her family.
06:58The meadow was still again.
07:01The hen and the cow and the calf slept on because they belonged to the day.
07:05Joe blinked his eyes to keep them open.
07:09He leaned his herd against the cat.
07:11I would like to stay awake all night and watch the little people he said.
07:17Are there many more of them?
07:19More than can be counted on the claws of four paws said the cat.
07:24But boys belong to the day.
07:26Come on.
07:27It's long past your bedtime.
07:30The cat led little Joe back to the house and left him at the doorstep.
07:35Thanks for waking me for a talk, I mean taking me for a walk called Joe.
07:41What did you say?
07:43Asked Mama who had been waiting in the porch swing.
07:46I want to belong to the night said little Joe.
07:50But I I can't stay awake long enough.
07:53Mama put Joe to bed.
07:56She kissed him good night and said, now sleep tight.
08:00But in the middle of the night.
08:02Joe woke up.
08:04He heard a scratching and a squealing and a growling.
08:08Who was making all those funny sounds?
08:11Joe smiled.
08:13He knew who.
08:15The little people of the night were out playing about.
08:19He went back to sleep and slept tight.
08:22The end.