July 7, 2025 • 18 mins
Listen Ad-free with PREMIUM
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, a girl begs her astronaut parents to bring her back something cool from space. She would love for it to be a new pet, but there aren't any animals on the moon. Or are there?
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Visit lolstorytime.com for merch and other... stuff.
In this silly story, a girl begs her astronaut parents to bring her back something cool from space. She would love for it to be a new pet, but there aren't any animals on the moon. Or are there?
Warning: this goofy story for kids may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs. Listen at your own discretion.
To see if the shout-out list is open, visit: lolstorytime.com/shoutouts
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
HELLEL story Time really not a boring time. Rabbis, stand
and you'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline, HELLEL story Time.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Might you live at least one time time? Welcome back
to the show. This is LLOL Storytime, and today I've
got a new story for you called moon Rat. This
one features a character named after longtime listener Reggie. I'd
also like to shout out the following listeners Liviy and
Ethan from Melbourne, Australia, Griffin and Presley from British Columbia, Canada,
(00:31):
Camilla Rose from Stockton, California, Victoria from Australia, Maya Luna
from Sweden, Oliver the Cool Devionee from the United States,
Luke from Australia along with Coco, his mom and dad
and his brother, Lea from Dubai, Aiden and Liam Stroud
from Edmunds, Washington, and Emma along with her dog Hershey.
(00:53):
More shoutouts next time, but for now, let's get into
the story. This is the story of what happens when
you ask for a souvenir from the Moon, specifically a
moon pet. Reggie's parents were astronauts who had both traveled
(01:14):
to outer space several times each she thought that was
pretty cool. Her best friend's parents owned a yogurt store.
They sold specialty yogurts and flavors like mustard, pickle, and banana.
Reggie didn't think that was very cool at all. Having
traveled to space multiple times, Reggie's parents knew a lot
of interesting things, like how the moon is four point
six billion years old. Reggie often wondered if the moon
(01:37):
ever got tired of celebrating all those birthdays, what kind
of cake can hold four point six billion candles? But
the question that came up the most was when are
you going to bring me back something cool from space?
Her parents have been astronauts since before she was born,
and yet they had never once brought her back a souvenir,
no space crystals, no space plants, and worst of all,
(01:59):
no cure little space animals. Reggie had been asking for
a space pet since before her third birthday. Even her
best friend's parents gave her stuff from their store. So
what if it was two in a flavored yogurt. It's
the thought that counts. Reggie's parents always informed her that
going to space was not a vacation. It was very
serious and important work. But when the time came for
(02:21):
their next space mission. Reggie begged and pleaded, please, oh,
please bring me back something from space, something, anything, and
by anything, I'm mostly just expecting a pet. Reggie's parents
told her they would consider bringing back a piece of
moon rock. Reggie looked at her parents like they were
born yesterday. Moonrock. Don't you mean cheese? Because the moon
(02:44):
is made out of cheese. Remember, I thought you guys
were supposed to be the astronauts. Reggie's mom kissed her
on the forehead and reminded her to be on her
best behavior for her grandparents. Mom, do you know what
really helps kids behave themselves well? Their parents are in space,
knowing that they're parents are bringing them back a pet
from the moon. Should I write that down for you?
I know how easily you and dad get distracted by
(03:05):
all the boring parts of space. Reggie, Dear, I don't
know how many times we've told you this, but there
are no signs of life on the Moon. No insects,
no animals, and no plants. You won't even find one
of those pesky weeds that find a way to grow
in the middle of a parking lot. Reggie had heard
this from her parents so many times, but she knew
(03:26):
the truth clearly, they just weren't looking hard enough. Wherever
there's geez, there's bound to be an animal waiting to
cash in on all that free, tasty goodness. On the
day of the launch, Reggie's grandmother watched the Space Shuttle
blast into space on live TV. Reggie, however, fell asleep
on the sofa. She had seen it all before. She
(03:47):
knew what was gonna happen. Raka goes up to the
moon the end?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Where was the fun.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Music and the dancers and the acrobats? How could they
not even be bothered to do fireworks? But there was
one thing Reggie got ext I did for, and that
was the welcome home party. At least that was something
they knew how to do well. Streamers, balloons, confetti, chips,
cheesies and nachos. They even served that strange juice that
turns your tongue and lips the color blue. But most importantly,
(04:15):
the welcome home parties were always when Reggie got to
find out if her parents remember to bring her back
something from space. It hadn't happened yet, but that didn't
stop her from getting her hopes up each and every time.
Did you get me a space pet? Did you get
me a space pit? Oh? And welcome home. So nice
to see you guys again. Grandma has been driving me bananas.
(04:38):
Reggie's astronaut parents took turns giving her hugs the size
of Jupiter. And we're happy to see you too, darling.
Reggie's dad pulled something out of his bag. This was
a little something special we brought back for you. Reggie
studied the object in her father's hand. Wow, even better
than I imagined. I can't wait to taste it. Reggie's parents
(05:01):
exchanged looks, wondering why their daughter wanted to taste a rock.
It is moon cheese, isn't it? She asked. Her parents
clarified again that the moon is not made out of cheese.
Reggie wasn't having it. I just can't understand with all
that cheese up there, why you went with rock. What
am I supposed to do with a rock? You can't
(05:22):
put a rock on your pizza. Moon cheese, however, can
definitely go on pizza. While laying in bed that night,
Reggie tried to convince herself that she wasn't upset. I'm fine,
totally fine, maybe even better than fine. Because I'm sure
next time will be the time they finally bring me
back a pet, and until then I can just cuddle
(05:43):
up with this uncomfortable gray rock. Not many kids can
say they've touched a piece of the moon. It's just
the shame that it wasn't the cheesy part of the moon.
Just then, Reggie heard a noise. It was some kind
of scratching sound. She sat up in her bed and
listened some more. Then she heard it again. Grabbing a flashlight,
Reggie tiptoed through her dark, quiet house until she found
(06:04):
where the sund was coming from. Seemed like it was
coming from within her father's bag, the one he had
brought with them on his trip to the moon. She
put her ear next to the bag just to be sure.
As she slowly unzipped the bag, Reggie shrieked when something
small jumped out at her.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Oh, bag monster.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Wait, you're not a bag monster. You're kind of cute.
Never seen an animal like you before. Reggie cradled the
strange animal in her arms. Whatever it was, it seemed
grateful to have been rescued. Suddenly it all started to
make sense. Wait, you're an animal, but you're not like
any animal I've ever seen, And I found you in
(06:45):
my dad's space bag, which can only mean one thing.
They brought me back a space pet. If Reggie thought
falling asleep before finding an animal from better space was hard,
she definitely didn't stand a chance of falling asleep. Now
she was up all admiring her adorable new pet. Well,
you cute little thing, I am certain you were going
(07:05):
to become the next Acxi Lottle. Two years ago, no
one had even heard of Acxe Lottle's. Now they're practically
every kid's favorite animal. Reggie pictured her friends all fighting
for turns to cuddle her new pet, but when she
brought it to school the next day, no one else
seemed to be feeling the love. Eh, what is that thing?
Did you find it in the garbage? What's with it'spachi fur?
(07:29):
Reminds me of the time my brother tried to give
himself his own haircut. Looks like you got yourself a
rubber rat from the Halloween store, but then melted it.
Reggie had to take another look. Were these kids talking
about the same animal? Well, I suppose it is kind
of like a rat, but you know the moon rat.
(07:49):
There's so much better. Maybe you're just not looking at
it right. While Reggie's friends tried turning their heads in
all different directions to try getting a better look, the
teacher walked by.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Ooh, Reggie, what is that hideous little beast you have there?
Did you fish that thing out of a toilet? It
has to go this instant. You're gonna wind up making
someone throw up, and that someone might be me.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Reggie tried to cover Moonrat's ears. She didn't need her
new pet hearing all of these horrible comments. Don't you
listen to them, my little Moonrat, You are beautiful just
the way you are. But Reggie was left with no
choice but to bring Moonrat home, especially before her teacher's
face turned any greener. I'm sure some people said that
about Axel Lottle's too, before they became the cool new
(08:35):
animal on the block. Being sent home early was a
bit of a blessing. It gave Reggie more time to
show Moonrat about life on Earth. There was a lot
of This is a store, do they have stores on
the Moon? This is a park? Do they have parks
on the Moon? And this is a porta potty? Do
they have porta potties on the Moon. Each one of
(08:55):
her questions went on answered. Since Moonrat didn't know how
to talk, the Moon could very well have the cleanest
and freshest porta bodies in the galaxy. But Moonrat had
no way of letting Reggie know. As the week went on,
the two of them became inseparable. They played together, they
went for walks together. Reggie even tried to teach Moonrat
how to play chess. Moonrad had no clue what was
(09:16):
up with the game chess. He just nibbled on the chessboard. Moonrat,
that is not how you played chess, dude.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Come on.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
But as much fun as they were having together, there
were also a couple of problems. The first problem was
the attention Moonrat was receiving. Reggie had suspected that Moonrat
would get a lot of attention, but she had thought
it would be more like the love people have for
Axe Lottel's. No one was offering to make Moonrat stuffies
or put pictures of Moonrat on children's t shirts, nor
(09:45):
were any cartoons or movies created with Moonrat as the
star of the show. This attention was more like.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Hide your children, lock your doors. I just saw a
hamster zom beyond the loose.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Reggie worried this negative attention was the cause of the
second problem, which was that moon Rat refused to eat anything.
Come on, Moonrat, I know it doesn't feel good to
see a mother screaming her head off while pushing a
stroller away from you at top speeds, But you have
to eat something. What was wrong with the hot dogs
or the pretzels or the tacos?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
What kind of food have they been serving you on
the moon anyway? Do moon restaurants just serve rocks or something.
Reggie placed her hands on her head and threw it
back so fast you'd almost worry it might have snapped
off her neck. Oh man, I am such an underwear smudge.
How did I not think of cheese? Your entire home
is practically made up of cheese. Reggie couldn't believe she
(10:40):
had missed it. It was so obvious. Now, taking some
mozzarella cheese out of the fridge, she broke off a
large chunk for her pet. It was the first and
only thing Moonrat seemed willing to eat all week. But
even though he ate the cheese, he didn't exactly seem
thrilled about it. I guess Earth cheese isn't as good
as the stuff do you guys have up there on
(11:01):
the moon? Huh? And see all the more reason why
I need to try moon cheese on my pizza. Still
can't believe my parents went with moon rock instead of
moon cheese. Such weirdos. Filling Moonrat's belly did not magically
turn things around. With each passing day, Moonrat seemed to
grow more and more sad. Oh man, what am I
(11:21):
doing wrong? Asked Reggie. I wish you knew how to talk.
Reggie paused dramatically to give Moonright an opportunity, much like
in the movies, to reveal that he'd have the ability
to speak all along. Why Reggie, did I forget to
tell you that I speak five different languages, including Moonish.
I was also totally trolling you when I pretended that
(11:42):
I had no idea how to play chess. Of course
I can play chess. I'm the five time Grand Master
Chess Champion of the Moon. But of course that didn't happen.
Moonrat remained as quiet as usual and instead settled in
for a nap in his favorite spot. The next day,
Reggie brought Moonrat to the zoo don't worry, little guy.
(12:02):
I'm not actually taking you to the zoo. Well like
I am taking you to the zoo, but you know
not to stay. Well, you are gonna stay there, but
only long enough for me to talk to an animal expert. Okay.
Reggie sometimes wondered why she made such an effort to
explain things to a rat from otter space who didn't
speak a word of English. Reggie, thanks for coming in.
(12:24):
I'm doctor Bunks. I see you brought your whoa wait,
what kind of hideous I mean cute little animal? Did
you say?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This was called again.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
The animal expert was careful not to get too close.
Reggie had tried to give the people at the zoo
heads up over the phone, but there was really no
way to properly prepare anyone for seeing a moon rat
for the first time. Well, I don't know his official name.
I've just been calling a moonrat. Poor guy doesn't know
how to talk, and not that this is important, but
Reggie paused to cover Moonrat's ears. But he also really
(12:57):
stinks at playing chess. The animal expert gave Moonrat a
thorough examination. Well, Reggie, whatever this non talking, terrible chess
playing animal may happen to be. It appears to be
perfectly healthy. Often when an animal seems sad like this,
it's because the animals having a hard time adapting to
a new environment wherever it came from. It probably wants
(13:20):
to go back. Reggie looked confused. He wants to go
back in my father's bag. Oh wait, you're talking about
the moon, aren't you. The expert wanted it on record
that he most certainly was not talking about the moon,
because that would be ridiculous. There are no animals on
the moon, Reggie groaned. And I bet you're one of
(13:42):
those people who thinks the moon is made out of
rock instead of cheese, aren't you? When will people learn?
Reggie went home that day feeling more sad than moonrat.
She loved her pet, and she knew her pet loved her,
but she also knew it must be hard being so
far away from home. It wouldn't be right to keep him,
and yet saying goodbye felt like the hardest thing she
(14:02):
ever had to do. Well, there might be one thing
harder than saying goodbye to her special friend, figuring out
how to send her special friend home. Ever tried throwing
something up to the moon yeah, doesn't work. Thankfully, Reggie
knew better than to try. Instead, she paid a visit
to her parents' boss, the chief of the astronauts. Traveling
(14:24):
to space twice in one year was almost unheard of,
let alone twice in one month, but Reggie needed this
to happen. Yeah, so, remember all my parents were just
in space. Well, it turns out my mom left her
sunglasses on the moon and needs to go back. It's
her favorite pair. Reggie made a quick pivot when she
noticed that sunglasses alone wasn't going to do the trick.
(14:46):
And of course they'll also do some sciencey stuff while
they're there. And then, just to herself, she added, like
trying to figure out what makes their cheese so good.
The launch party for the newly planned space mission was
the worst one yet. Reggie had to go through the
saddus goodbye of her life. She also had to apologize
to Moonrat for hugging him so tightly that he started coughing.
(15:08):
Giving him one last kiss on his mangy head, Reggie
gently placed Moonrat back into her father's bag. She wanted
to be happy for her friend returning home, but she
just wasn't ready to stop feeling so sad. When her
parents eventually returned home, she didn't even ask this time
about space pets, but her dad did say something that
let her know the space mission had been a success.
(15:31):
So here I was on the moon, you know, doing
some sciency stuff, when out pops a little rat from
my bag. Little guy made a run for it before
I could grab him. But can't say I was surprised.
Our Space center has been having quite the problem with
rats for over a year now. They keep getting into everything.
One of my astronaut buddies found a rat in his
bag when he came home from work one day. Wouldn't
(15:52):
that be a surprise? Reggie had a sinking feeling in
her stomach. Had she just sent a rat to space
whose real home was not actually the moon. Little guy
probably just wanted to get back to seeing the other
rats at the space center. Dad, Do any of the
rats at your work make people scream and run the
other way?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Oh? Sure?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
People are often thrown for a loop when they see
a rat unexpectedly back, Reggie went to see the astronaut boss.
So here's what I'm thinking, new record for most number
of space visits in one month. Pluss, I think my
dad forgot his wallet on the moon this time, and
you know how dads get when they can't find their wallet.
(16:33):
But this time, the Chief of astronaut said no. He
said it like someone had offered him a plane bagel
with nothing on it. But you don't understand. I sent
a rout to the Moon thinking he was from the Moon,
but he's actually from Earth. This made the astronaut boss smile. Hey,
good job, kid. One less rat crawling around the space center.
(16:54):
One ran right over my toes while we were counting
down to your parents launch. The other day, Astronaut Boss
led Reggie to a room with a giant, powerful telescope.
He turned various knobs and dials until the telescope was
locked into a specific area. He then stood there looking
for a long time. Ah, I think I see him,
but oh, why does he look like that? Come see
(17:17):
for yourself. Reggie climbed up and peered through the telescope.
You found him. That's my little guy. It felt so
great to see her special friend looking so happy, safe
and free. But the Chief of Astronauts looked dumbfounded. It's
just that it doesn't make any sense that goblin mouse,
i mean rat shouldn't be able to survive up there
(17:39):
without a spacesuit on, and yet there he is, walking
around the Moon like he owns the place. Also, is
he trying to eat moon rock? Because that's just weird.
For the first time since before deciding to send her
pet back to the Moon, Reggie smiled, come on, sir,
I thought you were supposed to be the astronaut here.
That's not raw. He's eating the cheese, the best cheese
(18:03):
on this side of the galaxy. And then, in a
much softer voice, she added, good job, moonrat, you made
it home. The end. That's the story, and as always,
I hope you enjoyed it. Here's your question of the week.
(18:24):
Which animal would you not mind having as a pet
even though it might send everyone else running in the
opposite direction. Anyway, that's a wrap on this week's episode.
More silly stories next time. Thanks for listening, and we'll
catch you on the next one.
HELLEL story Time really not a boring time. Rabbis, stand
and you'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline, HELLEL story Time.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Might you live at least one time time? Welcome back
to the show. This is LLOL Storytime, and today I've
got a new story for you called moon Rat. This
one features a character named after longtime listener Reggie. I'd
also like to shout out the following listeners Liviy and
Ethan from Melbourne, Australia, Griffin and Presley from British Columbia, Canada,
(00:31):
Camilla Rose from Stockton, California, Victoria from Australia, Maya Luna
from Sweden, Oliver the Cool Devionee from the United States,
Luke from Australia along with Coco, his mom and dad
and his brother, Lea from Dubai, Aiden and Liam Stroud
from Edmunds, Washington, and Emma along with her dog Hershey.
(00:53):
More shoutouts next time, but for now, let's get into
the story. This is the story of what happens when
you ask for a souvenir from the Moon, specifically a
moon pet. Reggie's parents were astronauts who had both traveled
(01:14):
to outer space several times each she thought that was
pretty cool. Her best friend's parents owned a yogurt store.
They sold specialty yogurts and flavors like mustard, pickle, and banana.
Reggie didn't think that was very cool at all. Having
traveled to space multiple times, Reggie's parents knew a lot
of interesting things, like how the moon is four point
six billion years old. Reggie often wondered if the moon
(01:37):
ever got tired of celebrating all those birthdays, what kind
of cake can hold four point six billion candles? But
the question that came up the most was when are
you going to bring me back something cool from space?
Her parents have been astronauts since before she was born,
and yet they had never once brought her back a souvenir,
no space crystals, no space plants, and worst of all,
(01:59):
no cure little space animals. Reggie had been asking for
a space pet since before her third birthday. Even her
best friend's parents gave her stuff from their store. So
what if it was two in a flavored yogurt. It's
the thought that counts. Reggie's parents always informed her that
going to space was not a vacation. It was very
serious and important work. But when the time came for
(02:21):
their next space mission. Reggie begged and pleaded, please, oh,
please bring me back something from space, something, anything, and
by anything, I'm mostly just expecting a pet. Reggie's parents
told her they would consider bringing back a piece of
moon rock. Reggie looked at her parents like they were
born yesterday. Moonrock. Don't you mean cheese? Because the moon
(02:44):
is made out of cheese. Remember, I thought you guys
were supposed to be the astronauts. Reggie's mom kissed her
on the forehead and reminded her to be on her
best behavior for her grandparents. Mom, do you know what
really helps kids behave themselves well? Their parents are in space,
knowing that they're parents are bringing them back a pet
from the moon. Should I write that down for you?
I know how easily you and dad get distracted by
(03:05):
all the boring parts of space. Reggie, Dear, I don't
know how many times we've told you this, but there
are no signs of life on the Moon. No insects,
no animals, and no plants. You won't even find one
of those pesky weeds that find a way to grow
in the middle of a parking lot. Reggie had heard
this from her parents so many times, but she knew
(03:26):
the truth clearly, they just weren't looking hard enough. Wherever
there's geez, there's bound to be an animal waiting to
cash in on all that free, tasty goodness. On the
day of the launch, Reggie's grandmother watched the Space Shuttle
blast into space on live TV. Reggie, however, fell asleep
on the sofa. She had seen it all before. She
(03:47):
knew what was gonna happen. Raka goes up to the
moon the end?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Where was the fun.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Music and the dancers and the acrobats? How could they
not even be bothered to do fireworks? But there was
one thing Reggie got ext I did for, and that
was the welcome home party. At least that was something
they knew how to do well. Streamers, balloons, confetti, chips,
cheesies and nachos. They even served that strange juice that
turns your tongue and lips the color blue. But most importantly,
(04:15):
the welcome home parties were always when Reggie got to
find out if her parents remember to bring her back
something from space. It hadn't happened yet, but that didn't
stop her from getting her hopes up each and every time.
Did you get me a space pet? Did you get
me a space pit? Oh? And welcome home. So nice
to see you guys again. Grandma has been driving me bananas.
(04:38):
Reggie's astronaut parents took turns giving her hugs the size
of Jupiter. And we're happy to see you too, darling.
Reggie's dad pulled something out of his bag. This was
a little something special we brought back for you. Reggie
studied the object in her father's hand. Wow, even better
than I imagined. I can't wait to taste it. Reggie's parents
(05:01):
exchanged looks, wondering why their daughter wanted to taste a rock.
It is moon cheese, isn't it? She asked. Her parents
clarified again that the moon is not made out of cheese.
Reggie wasn't having it. I just can't understand with all
that cheese up there, why you went with rock. What
am I supposed to do with a rock? You can't
(05:22):
put a rock on your pizza. Moon cheese, however, can
definitely go on pizza. While laying in bed that night,
Reggie tried to convince herself that she wasn't upset. I'm fine,
totally fine, maybe even better than fine. Because I'm sure
next time will be the time they finally bring me
back a pet, and until then I can just cuddle
(05:43):
up with this uncomfortable gray rock. Not many kids can
say they've touched a piece of the moon. It's just
the shame that it wasn't the cheesy part of the moon.
Just then, Reggie heard a noise. It was some kind
of scratching sound. She sat up in her bed and
listened some more. Then she heard it again. Grabbing a flashlight,
Reggie tiptoed through her dark, quiet house until she found
(06:04):
where the sund was coming from. Seemed like it was
coming from within her father's bag, the one he had
brought with them on his trip to the moon. She
put her ear next to the bag just to be sure.
As she slowly unzipped the bag, Reggie shrieked when something
small jumped out at her.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Oh, bag monster.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Wait, you're not a bag monster. You're kind of cute.
Never seen an animal like you before. Reggie cradled the
strange animal in her arms. Whatever it was, it seemed
grateful to have been rescued. Suddenly it all started to
make sense. Wait, you're an animal, but you're not like
any animal I've ever seen, And I found you in
(06:45):
my dad's space bag, which can only mean one thing.
They brought me back a space pet. If Reggie thought
falling asleep before finding an animal from better space was hard,
she definitely didn't stand a chance of falling asleep. Now
she was up all admiring her adorable new pet. Well,
you cute little thing, I am certain you were going
(07:05):
to become the next Acxi Lottle. Two years ago, no
one had even heard of Acxe Lottle's. Now they're practically
every kid's favorite animal. Reggie pictured her friends all fighting
for turns to cuddle her new pet, but when she
brought it to school the next day, no one else
seemed to be feeling the love. Eh, what is that thing?
Did you find it in the garbage? What's with it'spachi fur?
(07:29):
Reminds me of the time my brother tried to give
himself his own haircut. Looks like you got yourself a
rubber rat from the Halloween store, but then melted it.
Reggie had to take another look. Were these kids talking
about the same animal? Well, I suppose it is kind
of like a rat, but you know the moon rat.
(07:49):
There's so much better. Maybe you're just not looking at
it right. While Reggie's friends tried turning their heads in
all different directions to try getting a better look, the
teacher walked by.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Ooh, Reggie, what is that hideous little beast you have there?
Did you fish that thing out of a toilet? It
has to go this instant. You're gonna wind up making
someone throw up, and that someone might be me.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Reggie tried to cover Moonrat's ears. She didn't need her
new pet hearing all of these horrible comments. Don't you
listen to them, my little Moonrat, You are beautiful just
the way you are. But Reggie was left with no
choice but to bring Moonrat home, especially before her teacher's
face turned any greener. I'm sure some people said that
about Axel Lottle's too, before they became the cool new
(08:35):
animal on the block. Being sent home early was a
bit of a blessing. It gave Reggie more time to
show Moonrat about life on Earth. There was a lot
of This is a store, do they have stores on
the Moon? This is a park? Do they have parks
on the Moon? And this is a porta potty? Do
they have porta potties on the Moon. Each one of
(08:55):
her questions went on answered. Since Moonrat didn't know how
to talk, the Moon could very well have the cleanest
and freshest porta bodies in the galaxy. But Moonrat had
no way of letting Reggie know. As the week went on,
the two of them became inseparable. They played together, they
went for walks together. Reggie even tried to teach Moonrat
how to play chess. Moonrad had no clue what was
(09:16):
up with the game chess. He just nibbled on the chessboard. Moonrat,
that is not how you played chess, dude.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Come on.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
But as much fun as they were having together, there
were also a couple of problems. The first problem was
the attention Moonrat was receiving. Reggie had suspected that Moonrat
would get a lot of attention, but she had thought
it would be more like the love people have for
Axe Lottel's. No one was offering to make Moonrat stuffies
or put pictures of Moonrat on children's t shirts, nor
(09:45):
were any cartoons or movies created with Moonrat as the
star of the show. This attention was more like.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Hide your children, lock your doors. I just saw a
hamster zom beyond the loose.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Reggie worried this negative attention was the cause of the
second problem, which was that moon Rat refused to eat anything.
Come on, Moonrat, I know it doesn't feel good to
see a mother screaming her head off while pushing a
stroller away from you at top speeds, But you have
to eat something. What was wrong with the hot dogs
or the pretzels or the tacos?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
What kind of food have they been serving you on
the moon anyway? Do moon restaurants just serve rocks or something.
Reggie placed her hands on her head and threw it
back so fast you'd almost worry it might have snapped
off her neck. Oh man, I am such an underwear smudge.
How did I not think of cheese? Your entire home
is practically made up of cheese. Reggie couldn't believe she
(10:40):
had missed it. It was so obvious. Now, taking some
mozzarella cheese out of the fridge, she broke off a
large chunk for her pet. It was the first and
only thing Moonrat seemed willing to eat all week. But
even though he ate the cheese, he didn't exactly seem
thrilled about it. I guess Earth cheese isn't as good
as the stuff do you guys have up there on
(11:01):
the moon? Huh? And see all the more reason why
I need to try moon cheese on my pizza. Still
can't believe my parents went with moon rock instead of
moon cheese. Such weirdos. Filling Moonrat's belly did not magically
turn things around. With each passing day, Moonrat seemed to
grow more and more sad. Oh man, what am I
(11:21):
doing wrong? Asked Reggie. I wish you knew how to talk.
Reggie paused dramatically to give Moonright an opportunity, much like
in the movies, to reveal that he'd have the ability
to speak all along. Why Reggie, did I forget to
tell you that I speak five different languages, including Moonish.
I was also totally trolling you when I pretended that
(11:42):
I had no idea how to play chess. Of course
I can play chess. I'm the five time Grand Master
Chess Champion of the Moon. But of course that didn't happen.
Moonrat remained as quiet as usual and instead settled in
for a nap in his favorite spot. The next day,
Reggie brought Moonrat to the zoo don't worry, little guy.
(12:02):
I'm not actually taking you to the zoo. Well like
I am taking you to the zoo, but you know
not to stay. Well, you are gonna stay there, but
only long enough for me to talk to an animal expert. Okay.
Reggie sometimes wondered why she made such an effort to
explain things to a rat from otter space who didn't
speak a word of English. Reggie, thanks for coming in.
(12:24):
I'm doctor Bunks. I see you brought your whoa wait,
what kind of hideous I mean cute little animal? Did
you say?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
This was called again.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
The animal expert was careful not to get too close.
Reggie had tried to give the people at the zoo
heads up over the phone, but there was really no
way to properly prepare anyone for seeing a moon rat
for the first time. Well, I don't know his official name.
I've just been calling a moonrat. Poor guy doesn't know
how to talk, and not that this is important, but
Reggie paused to cover Moonrat's ears. But he also really
(12:57):
stinks at playing chess. The animal expert gave Moonrat a
thorough examination. Well, Reggie, whatever this non talking, terrible chess
playing animal may happen to be. It appears to be
perfectly healthy. Often when an animal seems sad like this,
it's because the animals having a hard time adapting to
a new environment wherever it came from. It probably wants
(13:20):
to go back. Reggie looked confused. He wants to go
back in my father's bag. Oh wait, you're talking about
the moon, aren't you. The expert wanted it on record
that he most certainly was not talking about the moon,
because that would be ridiculous. There are no animals on
the moon, Reggie groaned. And I bet you're one of
(13:42):
those people who thinks the moon is made out of
rock instead of cheese, aren't you? When will people learn?
Reggie went home that day feeling more sad than moonrat.
She loved her pet, and she knew her pet loved her,
but she also knew it must be hard being so
far away from home. It wouldn't be right to keep him,
and yet saying goodbye felt like the hardest thing she
(14:02):
ever had to do. Well, there might be one thing
harder than saying goodbye to her special friend, figuring out
how to send her special friend home. Ever tried throwing
something up to the moon yeah, doesn't work. Thankfully, Reggie
knew better than to try. Instead, she paid a visit
to her parents' boss, the chief of the astronauts. Traveling
(14:24):
to space twice in one year was almost unheard of,
let alone twice in one month, but Reggie needed this
to happen. Yeah, so, remember all my parents were just
in space. Well, it turns out my mom left her
sunglasses on the moon and needs to go back. It's
her favorite pair. Reggie made a quick pivot when she
noticed that sunglasses alone wasn't going to do the trick.
(14:46):
And of course they'll also do some sciencey stuff while
they're there. And then, just to herself, she added, like
trying to figure out what makes their cheese so good.
The launch party for the newly planned space mission was
the worst one yet. Reggie had to go through the
saddus goodbye of her life. She also had to apologize
to Moonrat for hugging him so tightly that he started coughing.
(15:08):
Giving him one last kiss on his mangy head, Reggie
gently placed Moonrat back into her father's bag. She wanted
to be happy for her friend returning home, but she
just wasn't ready to stop feeling so sad. When her
parents eventually returned home, she didn't even ask this time
about space pets, but her dad did say something that
let her know the space mission had been a success.
(15:31):
So here I was on the moon, you know, doing
some sciency stuff, when out pops a little rat from
my bag. Little guy made a run for it before
I could grab him. But can't say I was surprised.
Our Space center has been having quite the problem with
rats for over a year now. They keep getting into everything.
One of my astronaut buddies found a rat in his
bag when he came home from work one day. Wouldn't
(15:52):
that be a surprise? Reggie had a sinking feeling in
her stomach. Had she just sent a rat to space
whose real home was not actually the moon. Little guy
probably just wanted to get back to seeing the other
rats at the space center. Dad, Do any of the
rats at your work make people scream and run the
other way?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Oh? Sure?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
People are often thrown for a loop when they see
a rat unexpectedly back, Reggie went to see the astronaut boss.
So here's what I'm thinking, new record for most number
of space visits in one month. Pluss, I think my
dad forgot his wallet on the moon this time, and
you know how dads get when they can't find their wallet.
(16:33):
But this time, the Chief of astronaut said no. He
said it like someone had offered him a plane bagel
with nothing on it. But you don't understand. I sent
a rout to the Moon thinking he was from the Moon,
but he's actually from Earth. This made the astronaut boss smile. Hey,
good job, kid. One less rat crawling around the space center.
(16:54):
One ran right over my toes while we were counting
down to your parents launch. The other day, Astronaut Boss
led Reggie to a room with a giant, powerful telescope.
He turned various knobs and dials until the telescope was
locked into a specific area. He then stood there looking
for a long time. Ah, I think I see him,
but oh, why does he look like that? Come see
(17:17):
for yourself. Reggie climbed up and peered through the telescope.
You found him. That's my little guy. It felt so
great to see her special friend looking so happy, safe
and free. But the Chief of Astronauts looked dumbfounded. It's
just that it doesn't make any sense that goblin mouse,
i mean rat shouldn't be able to survive up there
(17:39):
without a spacesuit on, and yet there he is, walking
around the Moon like he owns the place. Also, is
he trying to eat moon rock? Because that's just weird.
For the first time since before deciding to send her
pet back to the Moon, Reggie smiled, come on, sir,
I thought you were supposed to be the astronaut here.
That's not raw. He's eating the cheese, the best cheese
(18:03):
on this side of the galaxy. And then, in a
much softer voice, she added, good job, moonrat, you made
it home. The end. That's the story, and as always,
I hope you enjoyed it. Here's your question of the week.
(18:24):
Which animal would you not mind having as a pet
even though it might send everyone else running in the
opposite direction. Anyway, that's a wrap on this week's episode.
More silly stories next time. Thanks for listening, and we'll
catch you on the next one.
Popular Podcasts
Spooky Podcasts from iHeartRadio
Whether you’re a scaredy-cat or a brave bat, this collection of episodes from iHeartPodcasts will put you in the Halloween spirit. Binge stories, frights, and more that may keep you up at night!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.