Beverly Wilkerson reads Batmouse

0:03 >> Good evening. My name is Beverly

0:21 Wilkerson. I'm president of the Accomack County Historical Society. And this evening I'm going to be reading

0:27 the book Batmouse by Steve Smallman. Squeak! "Look, Mom," said Pip, "it's a flying mouse."

0:38 "That's not a mouse," said Mom, "it's a bat." "I wish I could fly," said Pip. "When I

0:44 grow up, can I be a bat?" "You can't be a bat," said Mom. "Look,

0:49 you don't have any wings." So, Pip made some wings out of an old

0:53 cardboard box. Soon he was ready for takeoff. "Look, Mom, I'm a batmouse." Pip rushed around squeaking his

1:04 squeakiest squeak and flapping his cardboard wings up and down, but he just couldn't fly.

1:12 So, he tried again and again and again. He flapped till he flopped, tired and

1:21 dizzy on the floor. "Never mind, Pip," said Mom. To cheer him up, she made him his

1:27 favorite meal, stinky cheese and cracker crumbs. At bedtime, Pip couldn't get comfortable. His wings kept getting caught in the

1:38 blanket. "That's because bats hang upside down when they sleep," said Mom. Pip tried lying upside down, but he

1:46 still wasn't comfortable. Squeak! It was coming from inside a little cave. The cave was dark and spooky,

1:57 but Pip tried to be brave. "Uh uh hello." he squeaked. "Hello." said an upside down voice. "I'm

2:04 Albert. Who are you?" "I'm a Pip Pip Pip." "And I'm a bat-mouse." "Really?" asked Albert. "But, you seem

2:13 to be the wrong way up." "Oops, sorry." said Pip. And he stood on

2:17 his head. "Your wings look a little cardboardy." said Albert. "My real wings haven't grown yet." said

2:27 Pip. "Ah, that explains it." said Albert with a smile. "Well, little bat-mouse, are you

2:33 hungry?" Pip was very hungry. "Do you have any stinky cheese?" he asked. "Stinky cheese?" cried Albert.

2:41 "Bats don't eat stinky cheese. How about a nice juicy moth?" Pip looked at the moth and burst

2:51 into tears. "I'm not a bat-mouse." he blurted. "I don't want to live in a

2:57 spooky cave or eat moths or hang upside down. But, I really really want to fly."

3:06 "Then, fly with me." said Albert. "Just this once." He picked up Pip and carried him out

3:12 into the twinkly twilight sky. They soared over windy hills, through the treetops, and finally landed right

3:20 side outside of Pip's house. "Well, little bat-mouse." whispered "Albert, do you like flying?"

3:28 "I think so." said Pip, who felt dizzy and scared and excited all at once.

3:34 "Thank you, Albert." As Albert fluttered away, Pip spotted a big pile of dirt.

3:42 First a nose and then two feet pushed away above the ground. "Look, Mom." Pip he cried. "It's a

3:49 digging mouse." "That's not a mouse, Pip. It's a mole." said Mom. "When I grow up, can I be a

3:55 mole?" asked Pip. "Here we go again." sighed Mom. Good evenings, sweet dreams.