Ryers Readers - Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn

Episode Date: April 9, 2022

Unicorn learns that being perfect isn’t what really counts! Having a friend who cares for you is what matters most!

Let's do this. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's story. Don't forget to tell your grown-up to go check out the Ryer's Readers' Instagram for more fun content. If you have a story you'd like me to read, feel free to have your grown-up email me at riers readers at gmail.com. And you could also send me a voice message. Before we get in today's story, do you want to know a fun fact?

Parakeets are able to learn how to speak. They can learn up to 1,000 words. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, story time. Today, we're going to be reading Pretty Perfect Kittycorn by Shannon Hale. Unicorn is perfect. Everybody thinks so. His horn is shiny.

His coat is clean, says, gecko. His tail is as purple as a dream, says Parakeet. Even his best kitty corn friend thinks so. You're perfect, says Kitty. Stay right there. I'm going to paint you. Unicorn holds as still as a marble statue. He yearns to look the way everyone thinks he should. He is simply resplendent from hooves to horn, says Parakeet. There's no one more perfect than unicorn, says Gecko. Hmm, something is missing from my painting, says Kitty. It just doesn't look right.

Not right? Is unicorn doing something wrong? He lowers his magnificent haunches. He stretches his neck long. He reclines majestically. Perhaps now he looks perfect. He's so flawless and so faultless that he's frankly sublime, says Perakee. My affection for his perfection makes it easy to rhyme, says Gecko.

Thing is still missing, says Kitty. Oh no, unicorn stands and twists, sways and spins, gallops in place, and poses thoughtfully all at the same time. same time. That's it! It's perfect! exclaims Kitty. Kitty adds a final mark to her canvas. Come and behold my masterpiece. Gecko gasps. What do I see? Parakeet, Gawks, no, it can't be. But it is. Unicorn must have sat inside. some paint. Unicorn has a paint bum. His mane is purple. His horn is shiny, says Gecko. But there's paint all over his huge white heine, says Parakeet. Unicorn? asks Kitty, are you okay? Unicorn is not okay. Even the potted plant can't hide his shame.

He feels like a big goof. Just ignore a gecko and parakeet, says Kitty. I don't care that they saw me with a paint bum, says Unicorn. Then why are you sad? I care that you saw me with a paint bum, Kitty. What? Asks Kitty, as shock doesn't eel. Me?

But why? Unicorn doesn't know how to say it, how Kitty is the twin of his heart, how she is precious like the last cookie, and how he worries that, unless he's perfect, Kitty might not want to be his friend anymore. But all he can say is, because I just like you so much, Kitty jumps into a bucket of paint. Kitty says, I just like you so much too. Unicorn is messy. He has paint on his horn and the tips of his kitten ears. He has paint on his gold hooves and the ends of his tail. And he has a huge, glorious paint bum.

He'll definitely have to take a bath later, warm and long with plenty of bubbles to wash away the goop. But for now, with Kitty, he can be messy. With his best kitty corn friend, Unicorn can be anything. The end. Don't forget to stick around and see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? What does Kitty do to show unicorns She likes him so much too. If your answer was, she jumps into a bucket of paint? Great job!

You sure were paying attention! I hope you enjoyed that story. I wonder what we're going to read next.