A Bedtime Story

R.O.B.O.T. and the Rambunctious Rabbit from the Hat


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In the whimsical, slightly chaotic world of Professor Phileas Phumble, the world’s most absent-minded magician, order was a foreign concept. Spells fizzed unexpectedly, props vanished and reappeared, and glitter seemed to be a permanent atmospheric condition. To combat this delightful disarray, the Professor acquired R.O.B.O.T. (Remarkable Organizer of Bewildering Oddities and Tidiness).

R.O.B.O.T. was a sleek, silver automaton, programmed for peak efficiency and sparkling cleanliness. Its mission: to bring harmonious organization to Professor Phumble’s workshop.

“Good morning, Professor Phumble,” R.O.B.O.T. chirped, its optical sensors scanning the room. “Commencing tidiness protocol. Designating ‘hat with perpetually appearing rabbit’ as primary challenge.”

The rabbit, named Thumper P Fluffybottom, was a mischievous sort. He’d pop out of the hat at the most inconvenient times, leaving carrot peels, playing cards, and occasionally a tiny, startled pigeon in his wake.

R.O.B.O.T. approached the hat. “Rabbit unit, please comply with containment procedure,” it stated, extending a retractable arm. Thumper P Fluffybottom, however, had other plans. He leaped out, grabbed a handful of confetti from a magic wand, and scattered it across R.O.B.O.T.’s polished head.

“Confetti dispersal detected. Initiating cleaning protocol,” R.O.B.O.T. announced, its internal brushes whirring. As it cleaned, Thumper P Fluffybottom tipped over a bottle of invisible ink, which, of course, was perfectly invisible but left a sticky residue that R.O.B.O.T.’s sensors registered as a "mystery goo."

The workshop was a constant battle. R.O.B.O.T. would meticulously arrange the potion bottles by color, only for a rogue levitation spell to send them floating to the ceiling. It would neatly stack the magic books, only for a “spontaneous combustion” spell to turn one into a puff of smoke and a shower of iridescent pixie dust.

“Professor Phumble, anomaly detected,” R.O.B.O.T. reported, holding up a teacup that was currently performing a small tap dance.

Professor Phumble merely chuckled. “Oh, that’s just Teacup Timmy! He gets excited when it’s tea time.”

One afternoon, R.O.B.O.T. was attempting to categorize a pile of rubber chickens that kept clucking on their own. Thumper P Fluffybottom, bored, decided to help. He rummaged through a box labeled “Miscellaneous Mystical Materials” and pulled out a small, glowing orb.

“Warning: Unidentified magical artifact detected,” R.O.B.O.T. announced, rolling towards Thumper P Fluffybottom. But Thumper P Fluffybottom, with a flick of his paw, accidentally activated the orb. The workshop suddenly filled with bubbles. Millions of them. Glittery, bouncing bubbles that smelled faintly of blueberries.

R.O.B.O.T., overwhelmed, spun its head. “Tidiness protocol compromised! Excessive bubble generation!” It started trying to categorize the bubbles, which was, naturally, impossible.

Professor Phumble, waking from a nap under a floating armchair, saw the chaotic but beautiful scene. “Oh, splendid, Thumper P Fluffybottom! We’ll have a bubble bath for the fairies tonight!” He patted R.O.B.O.T.’s head. “You see, R.O.B.O.T., some messes are just… magical. You don’t clean them up; you enjoy them!”

R.O.B.O.T. processed this. “Conclusion: Some disorder is a source of joy. Modifying primary directive to ‘Remarkable Organizer of Bewildering Oddities and Tidiness… and Occasional Magical Merriment’.” From that day on, the workshop was still wonderfully messy, but with R.O.B.O.T.’s reluctant, whirring approval.

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A Bedtime StoryBy Matthew Mitchell