"He was most dreadfully frightened.
Peter rushed all over the garden,
for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages,
and the other shoe among the potatoes."
Oh. Yes, Lizzie?
Rabbits have four feet.
So why does Peter only have two shoes?
That's a very good question, Lizzie.
We can talk about it after the reading.
Maria?
The illustrations enhance the storytelling experience.
I'm gonna write a nice letter to the editor.
I'm sure they'll appreciate that.
[Phoebe] You two were my stars.
You listened to every word.
And had something to say about every word.
[chuckles] My favorite was Peter Rabbit.
Mine was Goldilocks.
It's funny that we owe our love of reading
to a bunch of bears and bunnies.
-And Phoebe. -That goes without saying.
But I'm glad you said it.
I do miss the Book Worms program.
Wait. What do you mean you miss it?
Well, [stammers] I had to roll up the Reading Rug last year.
There just wasn't enough interest.
How could there not be interest in reading? It's reading.
I suppose there are more exciting ways to spend the afternoon
than with the old bookstore lady.
You're not the old bookstore lady,
-you're Phoebe the bookstore lady. -Exactly.
[inhales deeply] I miss having the little ones around, so full of curiosity.
Especially when they needed that extra push.
It felt like I was making a difference.
Well, I'm sure we could
get kids interested in the program.
Oh, I would love that.
What do you say? You in?
I answer your Call of the Wild .
There's nothing two Little Women can't do.
I have Great Expectations for the program.
Are they doing book jokes again?
I'm afraid so. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
[scoffs] He's so obsessed.
Save some for later, Charles.
Hang on. Crouchingpaw just trapped Moshi Mosha in a chocolate hard shell.
See?
[dogs whimpering, barking]
Did you hear that?
It's coming from over there.
[dogs panting]
-A mom and two puppies? -[whimpering]
L-Look! There's one more.
[Lizzie] Aw.
I don't get it. Who would leave dogs
in a box in a parking lot?
-[whimpering] -[Charles] I don't know.
[sighs] What are we gonna do?
We can't just go in. What if they say no?
-Four dogs is a lot. -[Lizzie] You're right.
What if we show them one puppy first?
After they get to know and love 'em, we'll introduce the rest.
I don't know. I'm not comfortable not telling the truth.
We're not lying, we're just...
Giving the truth some breathing room. Right.
[sighs] They need our help.
[whimpering, panting]
Okay. I'm in.
[sighs] [chuckles]
Wish me luck.
[sighs]
[Lizzie] Hi.
Hey, sweetie. How was the bookstore?
Did you get the new Kit Smithers book you wanted?
No, it's, uh-- it's not in yet. But I did find this. [chuckles]
[whimpers]
[chuckles]
Only you and your brother
could manage to find a stray puppy inside a bookstore.
-Actually, we found him outside in a box. -That's terrible.
I know, but have you ever seen anything cuter?
-[squeals] -[chuckles]
Let's go see how cute he looks in the mudroom. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
Come on.
[scoffs]
Oh, can you shut the door so he doesn't run out?
[sighs] Come on.
-[panting, squealing] -[Charles shushes]
[panting]
Okay. If we wanna get kids excited about joining the Book Worms,
we need something to pull them in.
Something visual.
Are we sure we're not overthinking this?
What if we put up signs with our testimonials
about how much the reading program
meant to us when we were their age?
So to encourage kids to learn to read,
you wanna put up signs they don't know how to read yet?
Maybe I was underthinking it. [both chuckle]
I wonder why that one and that one are always playing
and that one's not.
They really deserve better names
than "that one" and "that one" and "that one."
How about Ruby for the mom... [dog groans]
...and her puppies could be Diamond, Emerald and Topaz.
I like the concept, but is it too... blingy?
Oh, you know what's cool and different?
Naming them after elements on the periodic table.
Argon, Boron, Xenon and... Germanium.
Or Skipper, Cocoa, Cinnamon and Buddy.
I don't see the pattern.
Neither do I. But I found this in the box.
"Please take good care of Skipper, Cocoa, Cinnamon and Buddy."
[Lizzie] Oh. Okay.
Um... I bet the mom is Skipper--
Because she's captain of the ship.
-[panting] -Oh, and you must be Cocoa.
[chuckles] Definitely. But which one's Cinnamon and which one's Buddy?
-[barks] -[Charles] Buddy?
-Are you Buddy? -[barking]
[chuckles] I think we have an answer. [chuckles]
[Cinnamon whines]
Uh-oh. Cinnamon needs to go outside.
What if Mom and Dad see you? They've already met Buddy.
Cinnamon and Buddy are practically twins.
They won't be able to tell the difference.
[Cinnamon panting]
[door opens, closes]
-[grunts] -Come on, Cinnamon.
Cinnamon? That's a great name.
Uh, we think it suits her.
-Her? Your sister said she was a boy. -She did?
Uh, you-- you probably heard her wrong.
You know Lizzie, she talks really fast.
The white stripe down her nose is thicker than I remember.
Puppies. Always growing and changing.
I don't remember that big brown dot on her head either.
-That's dirt. We were outside. -Where's the rest of her tail?
-[Charles] Um... -[whimpering]
So it wasn't really a lie at all,
it was more like a, uh, under-exaggeration.
We're sorry we didn't tell you about the second puppy.
We were just worried that you wouldn't let us fost--
[barking from upstairs]
[sighs]
We didn't know what to do.
We couldn't separate them.
[stammers] Is that it? Are we done?
[chuckles] No more puppies in this house?
No more puppies. We promise.
-[barking from upstairs] -[dogs whining]
[sighs]
Technically, she's not a puppy.
I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson.
I never should have been part of the deception.
Not helping.
Sorry. Uh, call you later.
Uh-- Bye.
[dogs whining]
[door opens, closes]
[sighs] See?
This is why we didn't wanna tell you.
We knew you'd get upset and not let us foster them all.
Lizzie. What is the only thing we're upset about?
Us not being honest with you.
-[Buddy whines] -[clicks tongue] Aw. [sighs]
[sighs] How could you think we'd turn away a mom,
all on her own, with three babies?
Are we that heartless?
The correct answer is "no." [chuckles]
Um, I guess we kinda panicked.
We really are sorry.
[chuckles] Hey, you. [whines]
We are all on the same team here. Remember that.
So, can we foster them all?
As long as there are no more secrets.
-There won't be. -Definitely.
Good.
This one's extra sweet, isn't he?
-That's Buddy. -Aw. [chuckles]
Did you really think you would fool us?
He did. I didn't. Hey!
Come on. Dogs multiplying around here like rabbits.
Rabbits. That's it.
Here.
We're not fostering rabbits now, are we?
At this point, nothing would surprise me.
[sighs] [chuckles]
[barking]
Kids succeed when they learn to read!
Be bold like Peter Rabbit. Hop on over and sign up now!
What a great idea. You do the readings here?
Yep. Right inside Cozy Nook Books.
And we'll be reading Peter Rabbit.
I love Peter Rabbit.
And Issac looks to be pretty intrigued himself.
-You like the rabbits? -They're puppies.
[chuckles] Come on. We need to get going.
They are available for adoption.
[barks]
[chuckles] We'll definitely think about it.
We're a one-stop shop today.
Girls, I'm so proud of you.
The sign-up sheet for Saturday is almost full.
That's great!
Never underestimate
the power of literature.
And puppy bunnies. [chuckles]
[both chuckle]
"Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail,
who were good bunnies, went down"--
Buddy. Stop begging.
You're as bad as Peter Rabbit. [chuckles]
..."went down the lane to gather black"--
Buddy. [chuckles] You're very cute and persuasive.
But you just had a treat. [yawns]
..."went down the lane and"--
-[sighs] Buddy, please. -What's up?
I'm trying to prepare for the Book Worms reading,
but Buddy keeps begging for food.
You too? What do you mean?
I've never seen a dog beg like Buddy.
He acts like he's starving, but I know he's eating
'cause his food bowl's always empty.
Hmm.
It does look like he's lost some weight.
That's weird.
[barking]
[Dr. Abby] It's not weird. Buddy's the omega of the bunch,
which means he is the lowest ranking member of his family.
So, he's the runt?
Runt's a bit of a fuzzy designation.
Although most agree it means the smallest and weakest of the litter.
But Buddy's not much smaller than Cocoa and Cinnamon.
Exactly. That's why I prefer the term "omega."
It's not about size or strength,
he simply has no interest in leading a pack
and chooses to avoid confrontation.
But why's he hungry all the time?
Unless you monitor their meals,
Cinnamon and Cocoa will push him outta the way and eat his food.
Cocoa and Cinnamon are so friendly.
I mean, they don't seem like bullies.
They're not bullies in the same way people are.
Dogs have an instinct to be competitive for food and warmth.
-[sighs] Poor Buddy. -[Dr. Abby] I wouldn't worry.
A little extra attention, he'll be fine.
And I'd feed him separately. [chuckles]
He really is sweet, isn't he?
The sweetest. [chuckles]
"Peter was most dreadfully frightened.
He rushed all over the garden,
for he had forgotten the way back to the gate."
"He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages,
and the other amongst the potatoes."
I wanna go home, Mommy.
Oh, it's okay, sweetie. We're almost done.
And don't worry, I'm right here.
[Lizzie] "He might have got away altogether
if he had not, unfortunately, run into a goose"--
Yes, Julia? Why does Peter only have two shoes?
[chuckles]
Well, authors and editors
often choose to anthropomorphize nonhuman characters
so we can relate to and understand them better.
And it's time for a snack break. Today we'll be having...
[both] Carrots.
[children chattering]
Hi, Issac. Are you having fun?
Dad.
So, Issac and I have been talking
pretty much nonstop about adopting one of your puppies,
if they're still available?
-Yeah, they are. -Oh, great.
Let us know a good time to come by.
And don't tell him, but I might be more excited than he is.
It's our secret. [chuckles]
Let's go, Issac.
[sighs] I'm sorry about Parker.
She loves stories,
but she gets a little restless and nervous around other kids.
I think this might be a little much for her,
and I don't wanna disrupt the group. Oh, no.
Parker's not a disruption at all. Bring her back next week.
We can figure out a way to make her more comfortable.
Thank you for understanding.
We'll try again and see how it goes.
Okay. [chuckles]
So, what's our plan for Parker? No idea. [sighs]
[Charles] I'm gonna miss you too.
Take care of your sister.
[chuckles] We're thrilled you're taking both.
Wasn't the intention, but how could we not?
They just seem to love each other too much to split up. [chuckles]
Unless you only want one, Issac.
No, two's better, Dad.
[all chuckle] I agree.
Thank you so much.
Don't forget to send pictures. Most definitely.
Let's go, guys. Come on, Issac.
Well, that was quite a success.
-Yeah, I guess. -[Buddy groans]
-[Paul] You feel bad for Buddy? -They barely saw him.
I'm not sure Buddy wanted to be seen.
At least he can eat whenever he wants.
Mmm-- That's true.
[sighs]
-Here you go, Buddy. -[grunts]
Where's he going?
Aw, he's probably hiding it.
He's so used to competing for his own food,
he thinks someone might take it.
Aw, little sweetheart.
[chuckles]
Hanging out with Buddy?
Seeing him hide his food made me feel bad for him.
You realize that you and I do the same thing after Halloween, right?
[chuckles]
Hiding food is an instinct, Charles.
A lot of dogs do it.
And I believe what Dr. Abby said. Buddy's gonna be fine.
I-- I hope so. It's funny, I came in here to cheer him up,
but he sensed that I was sad
and ended up making me feel better.
You know, that's kinda like what Shadow did with me.
[chuckles] Some dogs are just natural caretakers.
[panting, whining]
Oh, hi.
I think she heard you.
[Lizzie] Yeah.
Hey.
"Goldilocks never ever forgot
not to do what her mother told her not to do."
"Ever, ever, ever again."
[both] The end.
[chuckles] Any questions?
Yes, Parker?
Will Buddy be back next week?
[stammers, chuckles] He might. He seems to really like you.
[Buddy whines]
-[chuckles] -[Phoebe] Thank you, ladies.
Thank you, friends. We'll see you next week, okay?
[children murmuring]
[Buddy sniffing, whining]
Thanks. [chuckles] [chuckles]
Bringing Buddy was a wonderful idea.
He's what Parker needed
to feel calm and at ease around the other kids.
It's funny, we were thinking about getting her a dog,
but today sealed the deal.
You know, Buddy is looking for a forever home.
Really? I will go talk to Parker.
Hi.
[chuckles] Hello.
What can I say, you two are still my stars.
We're just happy to help.
I've probably read Goldilocks a hundred times,
and I could read it a hundred more.
There's just something about the oldies.
Should I take that personally?
Oh, uh, no-- I--
I'm gonna go
find something to read. [chuckles]
Lizzie, look.
[chuckles] Yeah.
Ah, looks like Buddy just found his new forever lap.
I'm really, really going to miss him.
[whines, pants, barks]
Aw. Buddy came to say a real goodbye.
-[chuckling] -Aw.
[Charles] We love you, Buddy.
[grunts] [Buddy whining]
He really is the best puppy ever.
We think so too.
[chuckles]
Can we take Buddy for a walk?
-[barking] -[Parker] Hi. [chuckles]
That was so sweet.
Dogs and bookstores really do make a great combo.
The kids sure loved Buddy.
Maybe you should think about getting Cozy Nook Books a mascot?
Oh, I would love that,
but raising a puppy and managing a store
might be a little too much for me to handle.
[sighs] Yeah, we completely understand that.
Puppies can be a lot of work.
But as you know, there's something about the oldies.
[chuckles]
-[whimpers] -She likes you.
-What's not to like? -[both chuckle]
Plus, we have a lot in common.
I remember the way she was watching over her kids the other day.
She's a great mom.
I have something special for you, Lizzie.
Oh, the new Kit Smithers!
Hot off the presses.
Charles.
[gasps] A Majestic Dog Warrior, first edition? [gasps]
It's my favorite. Lord Koh's origin story.
Now, if you'll excuse us,
Skipper and I are gonna take a stroll around the block
and share some stories of days gone by.
[Paul] This story had a happy ending, didn't it?
Four dogs all finding homes.
-Yeah. -Your mom and I are
-getting good at this fostering thing. -We are.
Wanna look at some books? Let's go.
[chuckles]
[clicks tongue] Okay. [sighs]