Benny Hops and Shelly Slow

Read-aloud note

Lower your volume each paragraph so the story naturally slows the room.

Story

At bedtime, a tiny tap made everyone wonder. Benny the rabbit had the bounciest laugh in the whole garden. It went hee-hee-hee, just like that. And his best friend Shelly the tortoise? Her laugh came out slow and rumbly, like hoh... hoh... hoh. They sounded nothing alike. But every single morning, those two laughs mixed together over the little green hill, and everyone who heard them smiled without even knowing why.

One morning, Benny came zooming up to Shelly with something behind his back. "Shelly! Shelly! Guess what I found!" Shelly turned around very slowly, the way she always did. She blinked her big calm eyes. "Is it a bug?" she said. Benny shook his head. "Is it a muddy stick?" He shook it again. Then he pulled out the silliest hat anyone had ever seen. It was round and yellow and had two little daisies stuck right on top. Shelly stared at it. Then she made her slow rumbly laugh. Hoh... hoh... hoh. And Benny went hee-hee-hee. The birds stopped to listen.

The path crossed the blue chair, the moonlit rug, and a little basket by the window.

Benny put the hat on Shelly's head, but it kept sliding down over her eyes. She bumped into a flower pot. Hoh hoh hoh. She bumped into a watering can. Hoh hoh hoh. Benny laughed so hard he fell right into a pile of leaves. Hee-hee-hee! Leaves went everywhere, all orange and yellow, floating down like tiny kites. Then Benny looked at Shelly under that silly hat, and he had the nicest idea. He tucked the two little daisies into the band so the hat sat just right, snug and perfect on Shelly's round shell-top head. Shelly looked in the puddle on the path. She loved it.

They walked home together as the sun turned pink and low. Benny hopped one step, Shelly took three slow ones, and they stayed side by side the whole way, which was their very favorite trick. Right before they reached the gate Shelly said "Same time tomorrow?" And Benny said, "Same time tomorrow." Then, soft and happy and all mixed up together, two laughs floated over the little green hill. One went hee-hee-hee. One went hoh... hoh... hoh. And somewhere nearby, the birds smiled without even knowing why. The garden was back where it belonged.

Scenes

Two Laughs on the Little Green Hill

Every morning, two laughs floated over the little green hill. Benny the rabbit went hee-hee-hee, quick and bouncy. Shelly the tortoise went hoh… hoh… hoh, slow and rumbly. They sounded nothing alike — and everyone who heard them smiled without even knowing why.

The Silliest Hat

Benny came zooming up with something behind his back. "Guess what I found!" Shelly blinked her big calm eyes. "Is it a bug?" Benny shook his head. Then — out came the silliest hat anyone had ever seen: round, yellow, with two little daisies on top.

Bumps and Giggles

Benny put the hat on Shelly's head, but it kept sliding down over her eyes. Bump went the flower pot — hoh hoh hoh. Bump went the watering can — hoh hoh hoh. Benny laughed so hard he tumbled into a pile of leaves, hee-hee-hee, and the leaves floated up like tiny orange kites.

The Perfect Fit

Then Benny had the nicest idea. He gently tucked the two little daisies into the band so the hat sat just right — snug and perfect on Shelly's round shell-top head. Shelly looked into the puddle on the path. She loved it.

Same Time Tomorrow

They walked home as the sun turned pink and low. Benny hopped one step, Shelly took three slow ones, side by side the whole way. At the gate Shelly said, "Same time tomorrow?" And Benny said, "Same time tomorrow." Two laughs — hee-hee-hee and hoh… hoh… hoh — floated over the little green hill.