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Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Each week we share a few shout-outs and birthday wishes for listeners who help support the show.
It's a small way we say thank you, and it always makes us smile.
A special hello to Henry, Elvie, and Addie in Minnesota.
A special shout out to our amazing kids in Austin, Texas.
Fitz, who's nine, and Cece, who's six.
You both have such kind and creative minds.
And we're so proud of the way you see the world.
Keep shining bright and dreaming big.
We love you both so much from mom and dad.
And a shout out to Mira and Noah.
Congrats on the great performance in term one and wishing you all the best for your second term in school from mom and dad, who love you very much.
Happy seventh birthday to Silas on October 16th from Port Sanilac, Michigan.
Love mom, dad, and Coralie.
Happy belated birthday to Rachel from Danville, California.
You have grown up so much and are doing a great job in middle school.
I love when you help in the kitchen, especially making cappuccinos, my ballerina.
Tra la leo, tra la la.
Keep shining.
Love, Mom, Dad, Lena, and Charlie.
Happy 11th birthday to Wesley on October 31st.
Every day, we love spending time with you and seeing you grow.
Love, Mom and Dad.
Happy fifth birthday, Eli, from Dearborn, Michigan.
Mom, Dad, and Joaquin love you very much.
Happy 10th birthday to Lilia Grinhouse on October 30th.
You continue to blow our minds with your artistry, intelligence, and hilarious faces.
Mommy, Daddy, Ava, Nora, and Lucy love you very much.
Happy birthday to Wednesday from Oklahoma.
Dad, Katie, Benji, and Dottie all wish you the best eighth birthday.
You are so smart, kind, beautiful, and amazing in all the best ways.
Happy eighth birthday, Michaela Jane.
Daddy, Mama, Kelsey, and Benjamin are so proud of you. and all you have accomplished.
You are so funny, a great leader, wonderful violin player, and the world's best snuggler.
We love you so very much.
Kennedy Bell, happy ninth birthday, Shabadoo.
We are so incredibly proud of you every day.
Endless hugs and kisses from Mom and Josh.
Happy birthday, sweet Elle, wild cat of Piney Point, Maryland.
We love watching your imaginative brain run wild.
Here's to a seventh trip around the sun.
From Mom, Dad, Chloe, and Walter.
And a belated happy birthday to Finley Rose from Montague, Prince Edward Island, who turned nine on October 23rd.
You're growing up so fast, and we can't wait to see what this next year brings you.
Love, Mom, Dad, Miles, and Riker the Cat.
Happy birthday to you all and thank you for supporting the show.
Now, on to our story.
Halloween is almost here and Bernice and Bobby cannot decide what they are going to dress up as.
Bobby calls Bernice on their pads and they talk about what Bobby thinks he is going to build for Halloween.
Bobby and the Halloween Candy Machine.
Papa, those cookies you made were super yummy yummy, and I especially liked the ones with skeletons on them.
Are you going to give those out at Halloween?
I'm glad you like them, Little Bear, Papa Bear said, but I don't think I'll give out cookies.
I've got some toffee candies, like the kind I used to get when I went trick-or-treating.
They had Halloween when you were my age?
Bernice teased, grinning.
I didn't think it was invented way back then.
Very funny, Papa Bear chuckled.
Halloween has been around a long, long time.
It's changed a bit since I was your age.
These days, you get spooky parties and more decorations, but the idea is still the same.
Yeah, the idea is dress up spooky and get lots of candy you wouldn't usually be allowed to have.
That's part of it, I guess, Papa Bear laughed.
Now, if you have any questions about your homework, I'll be here in the kitchen.
Mama's making her bean curry tonight, so I'm cutting vegetables to help.
Okay, Papa, Cookie and I will be at my desk, Bernice said.
She told me she'd help, though I think tonight's English homework won't be so bad.
I already finished my math and science.
They were easy.
Bernice walked up the stairs to her bedroom, Cookie following close behind.
She pulled her English homework out of her backpack and sat down at her desk to start.
Just then, Papa Bear's voice rumbled up the stairs.
Bernice, Bobby wants to talk to you on the pad.
Don't talk too long.
You still have homework to finish.
Okay, Papa, coming, Bernice called back, hopping up to get the tablet.
Hmm, maybe Bobby has a new idea for Halloween, she whispered to Cookie.
Bernice dashed downstairs, grabbed the pad, and ran back up to her room just as it started ringing.
It was Bobbie, of course.
She answered.
Hi, Bern.
Hi, Bob.
What's up?
Hey, that's a fun filter.
Makes you look like a ghost.
Filter?
What filter?
I am a ghost, Bobby moaned in his best spooky voice.
Bernice giggled.
Ah, so what are you dressing up as for Halloween?
Are you going trick-or-treating or just going to the party?
I think I might do both.
Mama says she'll take me out while Papa's on spook the kids duty.
He says he might get dressed up as Frankenstein, and he certainly is big enough, right?
I think I'll do both, too.
I was going to reuse my poop emoji costume, but now I'm thinking maybe a scary carrot?
What do you think?
Bernice laughed.
That would be funny.
I was thinking maybe a witch and Cookie could be my partner, but Papa says Cookie can't come.
She's an indoor cat and stuff.
So maybe I'll change my mind.
What about an evil scientist who makes it rain cookies from the sky?
Wouldn't that make you a good scientist?
Bobby said, cracking up.
If you do.
Please make the cookie cloud stay over my house longer.
I need more cookies, though my mom doesn't agree.
Or maybe I'll make it rain carrots, Bernice teased.
Hey, cookies, please.
But, but, carrots aren't the worst.
Better than if it rained Brussels sprouts.
Yeah, just kidding.
So, what did you want to talk about?
I mean, you finished your science and math homework, right?
It was easy peasy, and I finished mine super fast.
Now I am just doing some writing for English, which this time isn't too bad, unlike the last essay we had to write and stuff.
Same here, Bobby said.
Well, I wanted to talk to you about my robot idea.
Bobby, Bernice said, narrowing her eyes.
Are you sure you're even allowed to talk about robots right now, after what happened last time and the time before that and the time before that?
Yeah, yeah, I know.
My track record is mixed.
But hey.
If at first you don't succeed, it blows up?
Bernice cut in laughing.
Bobby laughed too.
Not this time.
This time it'll work.
I just know it will.
And besides, it's not really a robot like before.
No rocket engines.
Nothing super smart.
Yet.
I was thinking about artificial intelligence and world domination, but I'll save that for later.
With safeguards.
You'd better add the robot rules, Bernice said.
Of course.
Asimov's three laws are central to my work, he smirked.
I'm not sure your parents would agree, Bernice giggled.
Okay, so what's the idea?
So it's simple.
I am going to build a Halloween robot.
Uh, not robot, a machine.
And on Halloween it will give out candy to kids who come to our door and make spooky sounds, like mummy groans or spooky owls, or maybe a witch's words.
I don't know what they are called.
But it's going to be fun and spooky.
And there will be lights flashing and eyes that glow.
And I thought of making a mouth that you have to put your hand in to get the treats.
And the mouth has some teeth.
And if you don't take the candy out fast enough, chomp.
Um, maybe rethink that one.
Yeah, I'll save that for version two.
But the rest is going to be amazing.
I've already collected parts, lights, speakers, batteries.
So all I have to do is put it together and boom.
Not literally boom, but you know.
Parents won't have to hand out candy.
My machine will do it all.
So what do you think?
That actually sounds pretty cool.
When are you building it?
Maybe tonight you could come over for a while to help.
And if you wanted to bring some cookies, that would be great too.
You know, just to fuel our work.
I have milk I could share.
That sounds like fun, but I think I really need to finish my homework first, and then it would probably be too late.
Maybe later.
Or you could call via the pad again, maybe.
I can't spend a whole bunch of time in front of the pad, but Mama and Papa, let me talk about stuff with it.
Okay, deal.
Oh, gotta go.
Mom's calling.
Smells like pasta and salad for dinner.
It smells yummy.
Mmm, I think I can smell it through the pad.
Mama's making curry and beans here.
Yummy, but not super yummy.
Talk to you later, Bern.
See you, Bob.
After Bobby closed his pad, he heard his mom calling again.
Bobby, dinner's ready.
Come down and eat.
You can finish your homework after.
Okay, Mom, coming super fast.
Bobby called back, and he did because when pasta was on the table, Bobby could move faster than any robot he ever imagined.
As he plopped into his chair, he sniffed the air dramatically.
Mmm, pasta!
The fuel my giant brain requires!
He twirled the forkful and then asked, hey, how come we're eating early?
And where's dad?
Doesn't he want pasta?
He usually eats so much, there's none left for the rest of us, which is kind of sad, because my brain needs pasta to function properly.
His mom sighed with a smile.
Oh, your dad's stuck at the office.
And since I know how you get when you're hungry, I thought we'd eat early.
Good plan, Bobby said, putting down his fork to act it out.
He slumped over in his chair and made his voice drag out.
Because if I don't eat, I become a robot with a dying battery.
And my voice sounds like this.
His mom shook her head laughing.
Bobby slurped up his pasta in record time, cleaned his plate and even ate all of his salad without a single complaint.
He didn't really mind salad.
It was kind of good, but he liked complaining about vegetables even more.
After rinsing his dish and setting it in the sink, Bobby dashed upstairs two steps at a time.
When he reached the top, he leaned over the railing and shouted down, Thanks for the pasta, Mom.
It was the world's best.
Then he muttered to himself, O.K.
Time to get busy doing important science stuff.
And with that, he disappeared into his room.
Bobby's room was glowing like a small laboratory.
His desk lamp pointed one way.
A flashlight taped to a shelf pointed another, and little blinking lights from old toys dotted the corners.
To most people, it looked like chaos.
But to Bobby, it was the birthplace of brilliance.
He crouched on the floor, surrounded by wires, batteries and a heap of parts savaged from last year's Halloween decorations.
A motion sensor from the garage sale box sat in the middle next to a pair of giant toy goggles.
He'd glued onto a plastic mask.
Perfect, Bobby muttered.
Every monster needs eyes.
He twisted the goggles into place and flicked a switch.
The room filled with a blinding flash, followed by a low buzzing sound.
Bobby threw up his hands in victory.
Yes, bright enough to scare anyone who dares take candy.
Bobby grinned as he pictured Bernice's cat.
If Cookie saw this, she'd puff up like a balloon and hide under Bernice's bed.
Cats just don't get science.
He rummaged through a box under his bed and pulled out two old speakers.
Sound effects?
Check.
He wired them to the motion sensor, crossing his fingers as he connected the last piece.
When he waved his hand in front, the speakers crackled and let out a long creaky groan that echoed against his posters.
Spooky mummy sound unlocked.
Bobby scribbled notes in his little green notebook, right next to doodles of monsters and robots with rocket boosters.
Now for the jaws.
On his desk sat a plastic toy chest from years ago.
Bobby had bolted two hinges to the lid so it opened like a mouth.
Add a little movement, he whispered, tightening a spring with his screwdriver.
He gave the jaw a test push.
It clamped shut with a snap.
Yes!
Bobby pumped his fists in the air.
Monster jaws, success!
He balanced the chest carefully under the glowing mask and stepped back to admire his creation.
Lights for eyes, groaning sounds, snapping jaws.
All it needed now was candy.
From the corner of the room, his reflection in the window grinned back at him.
Bobby tilted his head and studied his monster.
Not bad, he said proudly.
Not bad at all.
Halloween night.
You're going to be the scariest, coolest, most candy-giving machine in the whole neighborhood.
He jotted one last note in his book.
Add candy bowl.
Keep candy cool somehow.
Bobby chewed his lip.
That last part didn't sound very important.
He shrugged.
Details, details.
What could possibly go wrong?
Halloween night in Bobby's neighborhood was full of laughter, squeaky costumes and the sounds of candy dropping into plastic bags.
Porch lights glowed, orange and purple, skeletons rattled in the breeze, and every now and then a kid screamed.
Not out of fear.
Well, a little bit of spookiness, but excitement over getting a full-size chocolate bar.
At the end of the street, Bernice adjusted the crooked goggles of her evil scientist costume and held one of her beakers as if it were bubbling with secret potions.
She marched up to Bobby's house just as he stepped outside, tugging at the green leafy hat on his head.
Bernice, Bobby declared proudly, arms spread wide.
Look at me.
I'm Carrot Man, Bernice giggled.
You look more like a traffic cone with a salad hat, but I like it.
Very nice.
Ha, just you wait.
When people see this... Bobby pointed dramatically at the hulking machine on his porch.
They'll forget all about my costume.
Meet the Halloween Candy Dispenser 3000.
The contraption on Bobby's porch looked like something cobbled together from a vacuum cleaner, a jack-o'-lantern and maybe half a bicycle.
It had two bug-light eyes that glowed, a sickly green, a wide plastic jaw that opened and closed with a creak, and a motion sensor duct-taped to the top that blinked red, like it was recording everyone's every move.
Please tell me that's not the blender from your mom's kitchen, Bernice whispered.
Bobby puffed out his chest.
Nope, that was Banana Bot.
This, this is the Halloween Candy Machine Mark One.
Patent pending.
Just then, the next group of trick-or-treaters shuffled up the steps, dressed as zombies.
Trick-or-treat, they chorused.
Step right up, Bobby cried, pressing a big red button.
Candy awaits the brave.
The machine's glowing eyes blinked.
A hidden speaker let out a spooky muahahaha.
The jaw slowly opened, revealing a pile of candy inside.
The kids reached forward, squealing with delight.
Then the machine made a strange gurgling sound.
Um, Bobby, Bernice said cautiously, is it supposed to sound like a washing machine full of soup?
Before Bobby could answer, a plume of steam puffed out of the top.
The bug-light eyes flickered wildly, then went dark.
With a shudder, the machine sputtered word and gave one last mwahaha before spewing out a fountain of melted sticky candy goo.
Caramel sprayed across the porch railing.
Chocolate dripped down the steps like lava.
Gummy worms stretched and snapped midair, lopping onto the sidewalk.
One of the zombie kids shrieked as marshmallow fluff splattered across her costume, sticking like gooey brains.
It's raining candy guts, someone shouted.
Bernice tried not to laugh but couldn't help it.
Bobby, your machine looks like it's barfing Halloween.
It's not barfing, Bobby corrected, wiping chocolate from his carrot hat.
It's, um, demonstrating advanced candy fusion technology.
See?
Cutting edge.
The kids didn't care what it was called.
They dove into the sugary mess, scooping handfuls of warm, sticky candy into their bags.
One boy gleefully smeared a marshmallow across his face like zombie makeup.
Another licked his fingers and declared, best house ever.
Bobby looked at Bernice, his cheeks red, but his grin unstoppable.
Okay, so maybe it overheated a little, but technically it worked.
It gave out candy.
Yeah, Bernice snorted.
If by gave out candy, you mean exploded like a piรฑata with the flu.
They both laughed so hard that Cookie would have run to hide if she had been there.
Bobby's mom opened the door. took one look at the sticky porch and sighed.
Ugh, Bobby, this better be biodegradable goo.
Don't worry, Mom, Bobby said still grinning.
I planned for this.
Tomorrow, I'll invent the world's first candy goo cleanup machine.
Bernice raised an eyebrow.
And what if that one explodes?
Bobby shrugged, already imagining the blueprints in his mind.
Then at least we'll have another funny story.
After saying goodbye to Bobby and heading home with Mama Bear, Bernice couldn't wait to tell Papa all about the spooky candy machine that had turned into a gooey, sticky mess.
She laughed the whole way home, shaking her head at Bobby's wild inventions.
At home, Bernice went upstairs to begin her bedtime routine.
She chose a quick shower instead of a bubble bath because it was super late.
She brushed her teeth, stretched like mama showed her and laid out her clothes for the next day.
Finally, she jumped into bed.
Arranged Twigga Wolfie and Madeline just right pulled the blanket up to her chin and called out It's that time, Papa.
I'm coming, Little Bear, Papa Bear replied as he slowly climbed the stairs.
You didn't shake the house again, Bernice teased.
I think I must be tired, Papa Bear said, settling onto the edge of her bed.
All that handing out candy to kids and acting spooky makes me tired.
Are you comfy?
Yes, Papa.
And how about Twiggle Wolfie and Madeline?
Are they comfy too?
I think they are.
Cookie seems a bit unsure about all the ghosts that were here tonight, Papa Bear added.
I'm sure she'll sneak in and curl up with you when she knows nothing will give her a fright.
Yeah, she didn't recognize me at first when I had my costume on.
Papa Bear smiled.
All right then, give me a hug and a kiss and I'll turn on a story.
I love you, Papa.
I love you too, Little Bear.
And that is the end of our story.
Good night.
Sleep tight. you
