0:09

This. Is Rhea welcome to

0:11

little stories for a tiny

0:13

people are story today is

0:16

about a rabbit unheard very

0:18

first day at her new

0:21

job at Forest Marked. It's

0:23

a place you might have

0:26

heard mentioned before and now

0:28

you get to see it

0:31

for yourself. It's. Called

0:33

Welcome to Forest Mart. Take

0:35

it away Oliver Remember there

0:38

are no pictures that to

0:40

imagine The pictures in your

0:42

mind you can imagine them

0:44

how ever you what? Okay,

0:47

let's. Go. Welcome

0:57

the Fi mark. The after

0:59

exciting special day B Hot

1:01

guy can now buy one

1:03

get one free. That perfect

1:05

far been can make your

1:08

beat of t fear than

1:10

ever and we've got another

1:12

Fail and know Eat Spray

1:14

The perfect way for a

1:16

can make themselves caved. Unappetizing

1:18

Find both in I'll Kill

1:20

Clover G Rabbit Hopped through

1:23

the automatic doors of Forest

1:25

Mart and smiled at the

1:27

mouse who perched. On a

1:29

stool greeting each and every

1:32

single customer who entered. Welcome

1:34

to far as smart were

1:37

woodland wonders await. Welcome New

1:39

Forest marked So happy to

1:41

have you here Today Clover

1:44

approached the mouse. Hello

1:46

may help you today.

1:49

Is my first day of work.

1:51

I was told to report to

1:53

their the Service desk Yes right

1:56

over there. I'm Sweet Tail and

1:58

the you are Clover. Welcome

2:00

to the Forest Mart team, Clover.

2:03

You are going to love working

2:05

here. Mostly.

2:07

Thank you." Clover

2:10

nodded to Sweet Tail

2:13

and headed to the service desk, taking

2:16

in her surroundings as she

2:18

went. Forest Mart

2:20

was located in the deepest part

2:22

of the woods. It

2:24

had fencing around the perimeter,

2:27

but it was open to the trees and

2:29

to the sky above. There

2:31

were rows and rows of products. Acorns,

2:35

pools, furniture, tree

2:38

decor. Music

2:40

filtered down from little speakers

2:42

attached to large trees

2:44

throughout the store. Occasionally,

2:47

an employee's voice interrupted

2:49

the music with an announcement.

2:51

Bob, we have an OBA

2:54

in aisle 8. Bob,

2:56

OBA in aisle 8. Or

3:00

a special offer. Don't miss today's

3:02

special sale on Tree Bark Jerky.

3:04

Make your way to the dry

3:06

delicacies counter to take one home

3:09

in your paws today. You

3:11

name it, Forest Mart had it.

3:14

Like everyone else in the forest, Clover

3:16

had been there more than a few

3:19

times. She'd never expected

3:21

to work there. She'd

3:23

wanted to work somewhere small,

3:26

manageable. But every time she found

3:28

a job at such a place,

3:31

it never worked out. As

3:33

she waited at the service desk, her

3:35

mind drifted to the jobs

3:37

she'd held over the last

3:40

year and how they'd come to

3:42

an end. Clover, so

3:44

glad I reached you. Look,

3:46

um, you don't need to

3:48

come into work today. Oh,

3:51

okay. Or

3:53

ever. Wait, what? Remember

3:55

when I mentioned that we had a

3:58

tiny, probably super... My

4:00

Boll Weevil problem? Yes,

4:02

he made it a

4:04

downplaying yet fairly desert

4:06

for every. Will be

4:08

closing his stories permanently.

4:10

Oh hey, Josh Clover,

4:13

I have to go

4:15

Fred. It knocked over

4:17

the tower. A porcelain

4:19

cups again. Oh case,

4:21

by closer you're here.

4:23

Yes my sisters today.

4:25

Row Helio was supposed

4:27

to call you. Look.

4:30

We've had a good run

4:32

here at nibbled elegance and

4:34

upscale secondhand rodent tix. edo

4:36

shop but but won't? Looks

4:39

like we're going to have

4:41

to close their doors and

4:43

never open them. I don't

4:45

understand. There was a cuff

4:48

links incident involving. Clover.

4:50

Was startled out of her

4:53

reverie. She. Looked down to

4:55

see she'd knocked over a

4:57

mug perched on the service

4:59

desk. It lay on

5:01

the ground, splintered into shards,

5:04

A white liquid see out

5:06

his it clover. Mind raced

5:09

she had always been clumsy

5:11

when she was nervous. Can

5:13

not lose this job. I

5:15

can not lose his job.

5:18

The broken mug with behind

5:20

the. Desk out his say.

5:23

Clover. Considered trying to clean

5:25

it up, but sorry to

5:27

keep you waiting. Clover is

5:29

it. A tall prairie

5:32

dog with bottle green glass

5:34

is peered down at her.

5:36

I'm Rhonda, your supervisor The

5:38

Perry dog said extending a

5:41

paw all business. Clover sought

5:43

to a cells as they

5:45

shook. Pause, Get on. Rhonda

5:47

said, let's get you your

5:50

vest. Clover took the last

5:52

glimpse said the broken mug.

5:54

Decided there was no point

5:56

in drawing further attention to

5:59

it. The followed her

6:01

new supervisor. Just.

6:03

Try to strings and assign.

6:06

Yeah, that's right. From under

6:08

helped clover into a neon

6:10

orange. There in the employee

6:12

break room located in a

6:14

tree hollow, Clover appeared. At

6:16

the name on the vast reading

6:19

it upside down her true to

6:21

his ass didn't come in yet.

6:23

Okay, Next, Rhonda showed Clover

6:26

how the clock in for

6:28

each shift is. take your

6:30

employee guard here and holding

6:32

out for Marvin to punch.

6:35

A plump, durable wearing a

6:37

tiny neon orange zest sat

6:39

inside a little boost that

6:42

had a slot just wide

6:44

enough. For closures card to sit.

6:46

Through she pushes into the

6:48

slot and the Marvin the

6:51

Durable shot down on it

6:53

with his enormous front teeth.

6:55

Then he nudged it back

6:57

through the slot and the

7:00

clover caught it before Cel.

7:02

there were two need marks

7:04

on her card. You're on

7:06

the clock! Congrats Rhonda Said,

7:09

taking Clovers card from her

7:11

and slipping it inside a

7:13

little suit. Ah Thanks Marvin!

7:16

Marvin smiled. And nodded

7:18

to Clover Parker. Gertrude.

7:21

Rhonda. Said Clover on

7:23

a tour of the

7:25

store. Their first stop

7:27

was I'll One which

7:30

Clover gathered was focused

7:32

on three de Corps

7:34

there were a chandelier

7:36

is made of while

7:38

Nutshells, glittery stickers marketed

7:41

as spider Decor and

7:43

countless would any signs

7:45

with messages like Hibernation

7:47

Station, Liz Last Burrow,

7:49

and The Ever. Popular

7:51

home is where the acorn

7:54

their stash Tehran to pay

7:56

their bob bob A scout

7:59

ground. wearing a neon

8:01

orange vest, stood on the

8:03

fourth step of a ladder,

8:05

reorganizing a shelf filled with

8:08

cans of whisker oil. Bob,

8:10

this is Clover. It's her

8:12

first day with us. Bob

8:14

looked down and gave Clover

8:16

a broad smile. Hey

8:18

there, welcome to- Bob,

8:20

we have an OBA in aisle 8.

8:24

Bob, OBA in aisle

8:26

8. Ah, twice already

8:28

today. See you later,

8:30

Rhonda. Nice to meet you,

8:33

Chloe. Um, it's Clove but

8:35

Bob was gone. Clover hurried

8:37

behind Rhonda as she speedwalked

8:40

towards the next aisle. Um,

8:43

Rhonda? What does OBA

8:45

mean? Oh yes, you'll

8:47

be hearing that a lot. Overcome

8:50

by acorns. Aisle 8

8:52

is kind of a disaster. It's where

8:54

we keep all the loose acorns and

8:57

they, well, they avalanche at least

8:59

twice a day. Avalanche?

9:01

Trust me, I've tried to get management

9:04

to come up with a different system.

9:07

Honestly, I think they like the drama of it

9:09

all. Plus, we've gotten a few

9:11

reporters out here covering it, so I guess

9:13

it's good for publicity. I'm

9:15

here at Forest Mart investigating the

9:17

frequent avalanching of acorns in aisle

9:20

8. With me is

9:22

a witness, Edith Squirrel, who says

9:24

the avalanche came unexpectedly as she

9:26

was collecting acorns for a pie.

9:28

It would have been a delicious pie.

9:31

It was my grandmother's

9:33

recipe. First, you

9:35

must soak the acorns

9:37

for three days. Then,

9:39

you sun dry them, Auné. Edith,

9:42

can you tell us about the

9:45

avalanche itself and Forest Mart's response

9:47

to it? Well, it took

9:49

me by surprise. It certainly did.

9:51

I nearly twisted my

9:54

ankle. That's for sure. A

9:56

groundhog appeared to clean it up.

9:58

Just for me. Then Clover

10:01

spotted a startling creature at the

10:03

end of the aisle. It

10:06

was a hairless cat, completely

10:08

hairless, working on

10:10

a display. ACJ,

10:12

Rhonda said. CJ

10:15

turned to regard them both.

10:18

Clover looked at the display he

10:20

was creating. It was

10:22

an enormous tower of bottles. Hi

10:26

Rhonda, he said, glancing

10:28

at Clover but saying nothing

10:30

further. He turned back to

10:32

his work. CJ, this

10:35

is Clover. It's her first day

10:37

on the team. CJ

10:39

turned back, looking like he'd

10:41

rather do anything besides give

10:44

Clover a warm welcome. He

10:46

peered at the name on Clover's

10:49

vest. Welcome to

10:51

Forest Mart, Gertrude. Clover,

10:54

Rhonda said, arching a

10:56

brow. Right,

10:58

Clover. Uh,

11:01

hey Rhonda. I left my

11:03

morning mug of milk on the service desk

11:05

for two minutes today.

11:08

And when I got back, it was gone. You

11:11

know anything about that? Clover

11:13

knew something about that. She

11:16

gulped. I don't know

11:18

CJ. I've seen a lot

11:20

of things today. Rhonda said, giving him a

11:22

wave. CJ flashed

11:25

a suspicious look at Clover

11:27

and turned back to his work. Rhonda

11:31

gestured with a paw up and

11:33

down the aisle. So

11:35

this aisle is spices, hot

11:37

sauces, and sauces. Anytime

11:40

anyone is looking for a dressing, anything like

11:42

that, they can find it here. We

11:44

have every spice you could think of, but they

11:46

can be a little difficult to find. You

11:49

can go by the tap. Next, they

11:51

visited the returns booth. A

11:54

spider was on the desk inside

11:56

the booth and Clover reflexively put

11:58

out a paw. to

12:00

clear it away, but Rhonda

12:03

stopped her. That's Cheryl. She

12:05

works returns. Hey

12:07

Cheryl. Hi Rhonda. Hello there.

12:10

Cheryl said nodding to them

12:12

both. This is Clover.

12:14

It's her first day. Why don't

12:16

you tell her how returns work?

12:19

Of course. The truth is

12:21

we take almost anything as a

12:23

return. One time we had

12:25

a wombat bring back a shoe he had

12:27

burnt to a crisp. We

12:29

didn't actually take that one, but pretty

12:31

much everything else. Cheryl

12:33

explained a few more details

12:35

about returns. They can get

12:37

a bag of acorns, a

12:39

replacement, or store credit. Then

12:42

Rhonda led Clover away. Thanks

12:44

Cheryl. No problem. Once they

12:46

were out of earshot, Clover

12:49

turned to Rhonda. So

12:52

Rhonda I was wondering

12:54

about. Well, let

12:56

me guess. CJ? Yes. About

12:59

his milk,

13:02

Clover began. But

13:04

Rhonda cut her off with a wave

13:06

of her paw. He is hairless.

13:08

Oh, I

13:10

mean harmless. Now

13:12

this, this is

13:14

my favorite aisle. There

13:16

was a twinkle in Rhonda's eyes

13:18

as she looked up and down

13:21

the rows and rows of glass

13:23

jars. Clover peered

13:25

at them squinting. Are those

13:28

pickles? Like I

13:30

said, my favorite aisle.

13:32

Thousands of pickle jars sat

13:35

neatly on the wooden shelves. There

13:37

were all different colors. An enormous

13:40

raven sat on the top shelf,

13:42

seemingly trying to open a jar.

13:45

Hey, get out

13:47

of there. Clover watched wide

13:49

eyed as Rhonda scampered over

13:51

and scrambled up the shelves.

13:54

She batted at the raven with

13:56

a paw while speaking into her

13:58

walkie talkie. Bye. Bob, we've

14:01

got another raven opening pickle jars.

14:03

Be right there, Rhonda. The

14:06

raven, only faintly bothered by

14:08

Rhonda's paw swipes, fluttered several

14:10

yards away and got to

14:12

work on a different jar.

14:15

Rhonda clambered down from the

14:18

shelf, scowling. You wouldn't believe

14:20

what we go through with the ravens. She

14:22

collected herself and left the raven

14:24

to be dealt with by Bob,

14:27

stacking clover through the rest of

14:29

the pickle aisle. You've got your

14:32

carrot pickles, beet pickles, mushroom pickles,

14:34

snail pickles, beetle pickles, pickled tree

14:36

roots, pickled shrub roots. As Rhonda

14:39

continued listing the pickle varieties, clover's

14:42

mind wandered. From

14:44

now on, she'd get to

14:46

spend every day stacking shelves,

14:49

helping customers find items

14:51

and other duties at

14:53

this magnificent store. She'd

14:55

open a new chapter in

14:58

an entirely new book. She

15:00

watched as birds circled the

15:02

open skies above. The

15:05

sky was a gorgeous shade of

15:07

blue, and clover's

15:09

thoughts and Rhonda's recitation

15:11

of pickle varieties were

15:13

both interrupted by the

15:15

intercom. What

15:22

is... What's the thousandth customer

15:24

song? Don't worry, you'll

15:26

pick it up. Every

15:28

employee in the store began

15:31

to sing. It's our favorite

15:33

time of the day. It's time to

15:36

count for the rain. Don't

15:38

be shy, give it here, our

15:40

thousandth customer of the year. Don't

15:43

be shy, give it here, our

15:46

thousandth customer of the year. Clover

15:53

watched Rhonda with a

15:56

mix of fascination, bewilderment,

15:59

and warmth. It might have

16:01

been the cheesiest thing she'd ever

16:03

heard, but she couldn't help being

16:05

charmed. Rhonda gave a

16:08

last clap and grinned

16:10

at Clover. You'll get used to it.

16:12

Let's go, we've got a lot to

16:14

cover. Rhonda proceeded

16:16

to show Clover the sporting

16:19

goods aisle. Mouse roggets

16:21

are very popular. Not

16:23

among mice, but everyone else loves

16:25

them. The hammock aisle. Do not

16:28

let the customers remove the hammocks

16:30

from the packaging. It's impossible to

16:32

get them back in. And

16:34

no returns on any hammocks.

16:37

It's a long story. And

16:39

the tail sock aisle. This aisle is

16:42

only tail socks. Foot socks are in

16:44

aisle 37. Eventually

16:46

they came to the furniture

16:48

section. There were

16:50

sofas, lounges, and armchairs.

16:54

All stuffed with leaves. A

16:56

nervous looking lizard wearing a

16:58

neon orange vest scurried over.

17:01

Hey Bruce, how's it going? Hey

17:03

Rhonda, look, sorry to bother you with

17:05

this, but there's another

17:08

badger asleep on one of the couches.

17:11

Seriously? Uh,

17:13

Clover, here, you can stock these tail

17:15

socks in aisle 10. Rhonda

17:17

said, taking a box and handing it

17:20

to Clover. Sure thing. Rhonda

17:23

disappeared around the corner

17:25

and Clover headed to aisle 10. As

17:29

she did, she passed an enormous

17:31

clock fixed to a tree in

17:34

the center of the store. She

17:37

did a double take, hardly

17:39

believing that time had passed

17:41

so quickly. She was nearly

17:43

done with her shift. It

17:45

wasn't until that moment that

17:48

Clover realized how much her nerves

17:50

had been rattling her all day.

17:54

Alone in aisle 10,

17:56

slipping tail socks onto little

17:59

hooks. She finally

18:01

relaxed. It was

18:03

her first moment alone the entire

18:06

day. She worked steadily,

18:08

listening to the music filtering down

18:10

from the speakers. She'd know every

18:12

song in a week or two

18:14

if they ran on a loop

18:16

like they did at her last

18:19

job. Clover's thoughts

18:21

wandered as she worked,

18:24

mulling over the events of

18:26

the day. Then, she

18:29

heard a voice come over

18:31

the intercom. Who

18:33

spilled my milk, huh? Huh?

18:36

Who did it? At first, I

18:39

thought somebody moved it, but

18:41

then I come to find shards

18:43

of my mug on the ground.

18:46

Somebody spilled my

18:49

milk. There were

18:52

several chipmunks shopping for tail

18:54

socks near Clover, and

18:56

she watched as they turned

18:58

to look up at the

19:00

nearest speaker, their backs pinned

19:03

straight. The entire

19:06

store seemed to hush. Clover

19:09

froze in place in

19:12

the very same way she did

19:14

when she sensed the box, slinking

19:16

behind a nearby shrub. How would

19:19

you like it if you had

19:21

a perfectly nice mug of milk

19:24

just sitting there waiting to be

19:26

drank? Or drank?

19:29

Whatever. And somebody

19:31

just comes along and cracks

19:34

your mug into pieces, spilling

19:36

your precious milk everywhere, huh?

19:39

There was a rustling sound on

19:41

the intercom, then

19:43

another voice. What

19:45

did I say about using the

19:47

intercom for personal use? Employees cannot...

19:50

Well, I'm not an employee after

19:52

this. I quit,

19:54

Rhonda. You hear me? I quit.

20:00

It seemed as though time

20:02

itself stopped. The

20:04

chipmunk stared on moving up at

20:06

the speaker. The entire

20:09

store was silent. It

20:12

lasted for a few seconds. The

20:14

chipmunk went back to browsing. Birds

20:17

swooped in the air above. A

20:19

frog hopped past Clover, muttering to

20:21

himself, oh where are the foot

20:24

socks? Clover remained fixed

20:26

in place, the same

20:28

way she did when she spotted a hawk.

20:31

She saw the splintered mug in

20:34

her mind's eye, her tummy

20:37

filled with dread. Forest

20:40

Mart was alive with activity. The

20:44

cheerful music carried on without

20:46

a hitch. Customers milled

20:48

through the aisles, searching

20:50

for both necessities and

20:53

trinkets. Clover's mind

20:55

kept replaying the moment she

20:57

knocked over the milk. A

21:00

different voice came over the

21:02

intercom. Clover, please report to

21:05

the employee break room. Clover,

21:07

please report to the employee break

21:09

room. This could not

21:11

be happening. She

21:13

was Clover and she

21:16

was about to lose her job

21:18

again. And

21:21

this time it wouldn't be because the

21:23

store was going out of business. Clover

21:26

rose from her kneeled position

21:29

and felt indignation swell

21:32

within her. If

21:34

they're going to fire me for spilling

21:36

milk, that's it. I don't

21:39

even want this job. This

21:41

is just wrong. This is

21:43

unfair. This is before she

21:45

knew it, she was inside the break

21:47

room. Linda was

21:49

sitting at a table with a stack of

21:52

papers in front of her. Her

21:54

paws were steepled on the tabletop.

21:57

Nearby an employee sat eating a

22:00

grass salad and listening as

22:02

a small radio blared the

22:04

news. Next up we'll hear

22:06

from local beavers on what

22:08

to do about the log

22:10

thief. Clover

22:12

come sit. Clover

22:14

blinked back tears and

22:17

was immediately angry at herself.

22:20

Clover get it together. So I

22:22

called you in here to- Ronda

22:25

I'm sorry to interrupt but I

22:27

just well I just wanted to

22:29

say thank you for the opportunity.

22:33

Ronda had been scanning the top

22:35

paper on her stack. She

22:38

tore her eyes from it to look at

22:40

Clover. Her bottle green

22:42

glasses slipped down her nose and

22:45

she pushed them back up. Okay.

22:49

If you decide to change your mind I'll

22:51

make sure you don't regret it. I'm

22:53

a hard worker. I really am. If I

22:56

could just get one more chance I'll Clover.

22:58

Yes. I called

23:01

you in here to do

23:03

some paperwork for new employees.

23:05

Clover blinked paperwork?

23:09

It looks like a lot but it should only

23:11

take a few minutes. Ronda

23:14

smiled. Clover

23:16

glanced at the papers. They

23:18

were not the sort of papers you'd fill

23:21

out if you were losing your job. One

23:24

of them was a questionnaire

23:26

with items like what's your

23:28

favorite forest treat and

23:31

what's your favorite aisle in

23:33

forest mart and why she

23:36

cleared her throat. You're

23:39

not firing me? Firing

23:41

you? But CJ-

23:43

Oh that that scene he made

23:46

back there? Over the

23:48

milk? Well the truth is it

23:50

was me who knocked over his milk.

23:53

Clover. Clover look at me. CJ

23:56

does that every

23:59

day. Clover

24:01

felt her heart slow down

24:03

a touch. I'm

24:06

not sure I understand. CJ

24:09

quits. At the end

24:11

of every shift, he does.

24:14

Not usually over the intercom. That

24:16

was a creative twist. He

24:19

always shows up the next day, like

24:22

clockwork. It took

24:24

a second for Rhonda's words to

24:26

sink in. Is

24:29

it always so dramatic?

24:32

Rhonda thought back to

24:34

CJ's declarations over the

24:36

years. And another thing. Everyone

24:40

calls me hairless. Well,

24:42

guess what? I'm furless,

24:44

okay? Furless. No

24:47

cats have hair. You get me? Pretty

24:49

much. Clover

24:51

laughed because it was

24:53

funny, but also because

24:56

she was so relieved to

24:58

not be losing her job.

25:01

Rhonda guided her through the

25:04

paperwork page by page.

25:07

Afterwards, she clocked

25:09

out by having Marvin punch her

25:11

card. Have a great night,

25:13

Grr-Jude. Thanks, Marvin. Clover

25:16

hopped out of the break room

25:18

in a daze. On

25:20

her way to the exit, a

25:23

goose wearing a shimmery green sweater

25:25

approached her. Um, excuse

25:27

me. It took

25:29

Clover a second to realize in

25:32

her addled state, she'd

25:34

forgotten to take off her neon

25:36

orange vest. She smiled

25:38

at the goose, at

25:40

her customer. Uh, yes.

25:43

May I help you? So

25:45

tell me where to find a fox,

25:47

Swatter? The kind you

25:49

use to swat away foxes? Clover

25:52

searched her mind. Then

25:55

she felt relief spread

25:57

over her, like a fog settling

25:59

in. over the forest on

26:02

a damp spring morning. She

26:04

knew the answer to this question. It's

26:07

in aisle 17, on

26:09

the upper shelf towards the back of the store.

26:12

Thank you, kindly. The

26:14

goose plodded away to find

26:17

her fox water. Bob, we've

26:19

got an OBA in aisle

26:21

8. Bob, OBA in aisle

26:23

8. Clover hopped home, enjoying

26:26

the beauty of the forest.

26:29

At twilight. Starting

26:37

something new is always

26:39

nerve-wracking, no matter how prepared

26:42

you are. I

26:44

know that from experience. But

26:46

eventually, once you get your

26:48

bearings and you learn the

26:51

quirks of your new workplace,

26:53

or school, or pickleball team,

26:55

you settle in. Perhaps

26:58

we'll see how Clover is

27:00

doing once she settles in.

27:03

Little Stories for Tiny People

27:05

is written, performed, and produced

27:07

by me, Leah Pector.

27:09

My in-house tech director, Peter

27:12

Kaye, runs my website and puts

27:14

my stories on the internet for all

27:16

of you to enjoy. Thank

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you to my Little Stories premium

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for me to keep doing this. If you'd

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27:41

Thank you to Oliver for

27:43

the super important reminder message

27:46

at the beginning. And thank you,

27:48

As always, for listening in.