Rex Can't Carry

10 pages · 6 min · ages 4+

Bonk. Rex's pumpkin bucket bounced off his big foot. It was Halloween, and Rex wanted to carry his very own bucket, all by himself, and fill it right to the top. Topsy hung her bucket on her tail. Easy. Rex held the handle with his tiny arms. Step. Bonk. Step. Bonk. Step. Bonk! Into the bushes. “Rex can't carry!” said Rex.

Rex had been a bat since breakfast. His wings were very small. So were his arms. By Topsy's nest sat three glowing pumpkins. No! Four. One of them was giggling. It was Tiny Tops. Babies are always the pumpkin. Rex laughed so hard his tail swished. It did that whenever he was happy. “What are you, Stego?” asked Topsy. “Tree,” said Stego. He had one leaf on his head. “Where's your bucket?” asked Rex. “Don't need one,” said Stego.

Rex squeezed his bucket against his tummy. It stayed! At the little owl's tree, Rex said, “Trick or treat!” “Hoo-hoo?” said the owl, and dropped in a purple berry. “What do you say?” whispered Topsy. “Thank you!” said Rex, and he bent down low. Very low. The bucket tipped. Plop. Rex didn't see where the berry went. Stego did. “Checking,” said Stego. He ate it. “Good.” “Rex can't carry!” said Rex.

So Rex hung his bucket on his tail, like Topsy. Easy. At the cave where the bats lived, Rex stood backwards, bucket first. “Trick or treat!” said Rex. To a palm tree. The palm tree pretended not to be home. Three little bats looked at Rex's very small wings. “A bat!” they squeaked. In went two berries. Two! Rex was so happy. And when Rex was happy…

Swish! Out flew two purple berries, up, up, up. Rex was busy saying thank you to the palm tree. Stego was looking up, mouth open. Plop. Plop. Right into Stego's mouth. “Checking,” said Stego. “Double-checking.” He chewed. “Very good.” On Topsy's back, the little pumpkin giggled. Babies watch everything. Rex peeked behind him. No berries. “Rex can't carry!” said Rex.

This time, Rex held the handle in his teeth. At the pond, two frogs sat on a lily pad. “Mmmf mmf mmmf!” said Rex. “Ribbit?” said one frog, politely. The other frog just smiled and nodded. “Mmmf mmf mmmf!” said Rex, louder. “He says trick or treat,” said Topsy. “And he loves your lily pad.” Rex had not said that. He wanted to say it all by himself. So Rex opened his mouth, very, very wide.

“Trick or treat!” said Rex. Plop. The bucket was in the pond. Stego looked in. There was nothing to check. “Oh,” said Stego, very sadly. Rex sat down. Wet bucket. Empty bucket. In a tiny voice, Rex said, “Rex can't carry.” Stego sat next to him. Stego's chin was a little bit purple.

The frogs pushed the bucket out of the pond, onto the grass. Rex looked at Topsy. Bucket on her tail. Baby on her back. “Is that easy?” asked Rex. “No,” said Topsy. “Up you come,” said Rex. Tiny Tops grabbed the bucket and climbed up Rex's tail. Up his back. Onto his big round head. Rex tried to see the top of his own head. Rex's arms couldn't carry a bucket. But his head could carry a Tiny Tops. And Tiny Tops could carry a bucket.

“Trick or treat!” said Rex. “Ribbit!” said both frogs. They had heard about the bats. Plop. Plop. Right into the bucket. “Thank you!” said Rex, all by himself, and he bent down low, ever so slowly. Tiny Tops held on tight. Topsy ate a whole berry, all by herself. Stego walked behind, mouth open, just in case. Nothing. Soon the bucket was full right to the top. “Rex CAN carry!” said Rex. All the way home, Tiny Tops held the bucket. He was very quiet up there.

Back home, Tiny Tops slid down Rex's nose. Rex looked in the bucket. It was empty. Rex looked at Tiny Tops. Tiny Tops was purple. Purple nose. Purple cheeks. Purple all down his pumpkin. He smiled a big purple smile. Rex looked at Tiny Tops for a long, long time. Tiny Tops held out one last berry. It was a little bit chewed. Rex ate it anyway. Then Rex laughed so hard his tail swished. Stego nodded slowly. “Good checking,” said Stego.