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Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Bernice and Bobby went for a bike ride, and now Bobby has decided to work on a science idea he has.
Bobby needs a snack first because he is starving.
After he gets something to eat, he goes down into the basement and draws out his idea.
Once he has a design, he calls Bernice to talk to her about his idea, and she helps him think of ways it can be better and safer.
Bobby wants to make a rocket-powered skateboard.
Hi, Mom, Bobby said as he walked into the kitchen looking for a snack.
It was already one hour after lunch, so he was super hungry.
After opening the refrigerator door and all the cupboard doors, he said to his mother, who was sitting drinking a cup of tea, Mom, I'm starving, and there is nothing to eat in our house.
How can I become the world's greatest inventor if there is no food to fuel my big brain."
Sighing, Bobby's mother replied, Bobby, you just had lunch.
How could you possibly be hungry already?
What can I say, Mom? A big brain needs lots of fuel.
And besides, you know that I am always hungry after eating salad.
Pizza is my superfood. Well, you aren't having pizza for a snack.
If you look a little more closely, you will see some apples in the fruit bowl and there should be some nuts in the cupboard.
Okay, thanks, Mom. I like apples as long as they aren't those super sour green kind that make my cheeks hurt.
They are almost as yucky as carrots, Bobby said as he grabbed a red apple and walked towards the basement door.
Oh, and please hold all my calls. I have some super important inventing to do," he said as he walked down the stairs to what he used to consider the dragon's lair.
Please be careful, Bobby. The last time you were in a mood like this, you almost blew up the whole house, his mother said with concern.
Don't worry, Mom. I'm just in the theorizing stage.
I might need the advice of my chief scientist later though.
If I think I might make an explosion, I'll let you know first.
That sounds like a great idea, she replied, as she mentally prepared for something silly to happen.
Bobby lived in an older house with a large basement that his father sometimes used as a workshop for his various hobbies.
When Bobby was really young, he was almost grown up, he felt.
He thought it was super spooky and would never go down there.
Like many old houses, there were some pretty dark corners and lots of space for your imagination to create all kinds of things.
He imagined a dragon living there or maybe something super scary like a spider.
Bobby liked spiders now, but thought the webs were kind of yucky.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Bobby walked past the storage room and the room with the big machines that controlled the house.
That room sounded like the engine room of a spaceship, he thought to himself.
The basement kind of had a stinky smell, like how their backyard smelled when he built a time machine. and visited his house in the time of the dinosaurs.
Hey mom, it smells down here, he yelled up the stairs.
What does it smell like? She yelled back.
Like dinosaurs feet, he yelled as he plugged his nose.
That is likely your stinky socks that I haven't had a chance to wash yet, she laughed.
My socks don't stink. He mumbled as he opened his father's workshop door.
His father shared another workshop in the backyard with his mom.
They called that the shed, and he kept all his yard tools and boring stuff like that out there.
He sometimes made or repaired things in the shed, though he didn't seem very good at it yet.
The downstairs workshop was where all the cool stuff was.
Bobby wanted to build a lab like this in his bedroom, but his mom wouldn't let him.
She was always concerned about safety. Bobby had a plan.
He looked around the workshop for the tools and supplies he needed and found most of what he was looking for, except rocket fuel.
But he could probably order that online and have it delivered in a couple of days.
All he had to do was deepen his voice to sound like his dad and speak into the box upstairs.
He thought rocket fuel must be pretty cheap.
Grabbing some paper, he sketched out his idea.
All great inventions started with a sketch.
Bobby was going to make a rocket-powered skateboard to get to school faster than the bus.
That way, He figured he could sleep 10 minutes and 30 seconds longer in the morning, which might result in an extra 31 and a half hours of sleep over the school year, which is a lot.
Besides lots of pizza, sleep was the best way to feed his brain, which seemed strange, but science said it was true.
After sketching his plans, Bobby said, I have to share this with Bernice.
She will be almost as excited as I am. Bobby ran upstairs to the kitchen and asked, Mom, can I borrow the pad?
I need to call Bernice so that we can collaborate on my invention.
She's good at science and all that stuff.
Weren't you just out bike riding with Bernice?
His mom asked. She could have come over, had lunch and helped you then.
Yeah, but that was for fun, and this is serious work stuff.
Besides, I didn't have the idea then. Sometimes, I think when Bernice and I are together, she gives me all kinds of ideas, but it takes time for ideas to percolate.
Now the idea has, um, brewed. Okay, my little inventor.
I don't like you spending time in front of a screen, so don't talk and giggle too long.
Okay, Mom, Bobby replied. We can work super fast.
Bernice, Papa Bear yelled. Bobby is calling you on our pad.
Please come and say hello. Thanks, Papa.
When we were bike riding, Bobby said he was going home to work on some serious stuff. and might call if he wanted to talk about it.
So I guess we are going to do some science work.
Okay, little bear, but don't talk too long.
I don't like you spending a lot of time in front of a screen.
Okay, Papa. Bobby and I can work really fast on science stuff because we are so smart.
Bobby's face then took over the whole screen as Bernice walked up the stairs to her room where she was reading a book with her cat, Cookie.
Hi, Bernice. What's new? Bobby said with a laugh as his face turned different shapes.
Oh, nothing. What's new with you? Bernice said with a big smile that got bigger and bigger on the screen.
With a more serious tone, Bobby said, Well, I just sketched out a plan for my most awesome invention yet.
I am going to make a rocket-powered skateboard so that I don't have to take the bus in the morning.
Would you like to hear the plan? Maybe you can help determine if the science is okay or not.
Sure thing, Bernice said with a laugh. Bobby and Bernice always laughed at each other when they talked via their pads.
I don't have a whole bunch of time though, so we have to work quickly.
My papa doesn't like me looking at screens for too long.
Yeah, my mother is super strict like that too.
I think maybe someday we will have pads embedded in our brains and we can make calls immediately without anyone knowing and search for stuff and like have the library there for us to browse by blinking our eyes.
Yeah, then when I win the Olympics or the Nobel Prize, you can be there at the same time watching.
That would be super cool. Yep. Anyway, so my idea is like this.
First, I'm going to need my mom's permission to use my skateboard.
I may need to agree not to complain about carrots for a month or so because she is usually concerned that I might break stuff, like my body and other things.
Yeah, your mom is super duper strict, Bernice replied.
Then, I will add some cool rocket science to make it super fast.
It's based on Newton's third law. You remember that one, right?
Yeah, for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction.
That's easy stuff, Bernice said. Yeah, you are the smartest in science and math.
So... I'll start by attaching a small, lightweight rocket engine to the back of my skateboard.
It will look like a mini version of the rockets that go to space, but a lot smaller and hopefully safer, or my mom will get upset.
The rocket engine will push gas out of the back really fast, and that will make the skateboard zoom forward.
After taking a deep breath, Bobby continued.
For the rocket engine to work, I'll need a fuel source that's safe but powerful.
I thought maybe I could order rocket fuel online and have them deliver it to the house, but maybe that wouldn't be very safe.
So, maybe I could use compressed air or a small CO2 canister, like the ones used for the soda machines or bike tire inflators.
When I release the gas, It'll create thrust and push the skateboard forward.
That might work, I think. But if you are going super fast, you might get hurt if you fall off, right?
And I don't think your mom will let you ride your skateboard without some pads and a helmet, Bernice said.
Yeah, safety is super important. So I'll wear my helmet, knee and elbow pads.
Maybe I can design the skateboard with a special brake system that lets me stop quickly if I need to.
I'm thinking about using a handbrake like the ones on bikes to control your speed.
You'll have to test it, right? Bernice asked.
She was thinking that this might be one of his best ideas yet.
Yeah, I'll test my rocket-powered skateboard in a big open space like the park. or somewhere like that.
So, what do you think of my idea? I think it is super cool.
Are you sure your mom will let you use your skateboard instead of the school bus?
I don't think mine would. I'm sure she will once she sees how great it works.
The only problem I can see is that the fuel might be expensive.
Do you have any ideas to help me improve it?
Bernice thought for a moment. I don't know about improving it but I do have a different idea that uses electric power instead of gas canisters.
Instead of attaching a rocket engine you could use an electric motor and batteries kind of like how electric cars work.
You will have to first check if your skateboard has enough space underneath to mount a small electric motor.
You could probably buy all the stuff online too, the motor and a remote control maybe.
My papa buys all kinds of stuff online. Then you can connect it to a rechargeable battery pack, which is light and can provide a lot of power.
The batteries will give the motor electricity to spin the wheels and make the skateboard go super fast.
You can use a remote control to accelerate, brake, and steer, making it really easy to control.
Plus, it's way quieter, too. Cool. If it's quieter, it will be like a stealth skateboard, Bobby said with a laugh.
Yeah, exactly. Everyone will be outside of school talking, wondering where you are, and then... I just appear out of nowhere, Bobby said with a laugh.
Thank you for all your help, Bobby said.
My mom is telling me to end the call already, so I better go.
Okay, I'll bring some cookies for our bike ride tomorrow, and I can help you with your skateboard if you like.
Sounds awesome. Bye! It's that time, Papa, said Bernice.
And what time is that, little bear, asked Papa.
The time for some super big Papa hugs. Well then, it's my favorite time of the day, Papa said.
I forgot to ask you how your talk with Bobby went.
Did you have fun talking about science? Yeah, it was super fun.
Bobby had a super cool invention idea. and I helped him improve it so there wouldn't be any fire from a rocket.
I'm glad you were able to help. Rockets firing inside his house might not make his mother and father happy.
We are going for another bike ride tomorrow, and then maybe we can try to build it or something.
I'm going to miss bike rides and all the fun summer stuff.
I love learning and school is fun, I guess, but I think I prefer summer.
I just hope that I have some of the same kids in my class this year as I did last year.
The teachers like to change things sometimes.
Summer is super fun and a special time with lots of sunshine and playing outside.
But because it only lasts a few months, We try to make the most of it and have as much fun as possible.
I think you did lots of fun activities this summer.
Yeah, it's been fun so far. And don't worry about school, little bear.
Just take a deep breath, smile, and be yourself.
Bernice let out a great big yawn. Sorry, Papa.
I'm really tired all of a sudden. I was hoping you would tell me a super long story about dragons and pixies and the magic kingdom.
Another night, little bear. Did you do all the things you need to do before bed?
I did. I'm super squeaky clean and I smell like bananas.
Are you comfy? Yes, Papa. How about Twigga, Wolfie and Madeline?
Are they ready for sleep too? I think they are.
And what about you, Cookie? Are you ready for sleep?
Papa Bear asked. Cookie purred. We better say goodnight in a hurry.
Give me a great big hug and a kiss, Papa Bear said.
I love you, Papa. I love you too, Little Bear.
And that is the end of our story. Good night.
Sleep tight.
