...is "The Adventures of Rock and Skip: Beyond the Curb"

As the sun was beginning to set and it was nearing the end of that day, a nice young doctor walked through the parking lot to his car to go home.  When the doctor passed the spot where Rock and Skip were resting and watching cars go by, she almost stepped on Rock.  She noticed Rock and Skip in her path and worried that someone might trip over stones on the driveway.  So, she carefully, and ever so gently, nudged Rock and Skip to the side of the driveway with her foot.  Skip squealed with delight as he rolled along the pavement.  How fun to roll along under the doctor’s foot!  Then, the doctor got into her car and drove away.  Rock was relieved that he and Skip were no longer resting where someone could trip over them.  He was thankful that the doctor had moved them.

A little while later, just before it got dark outside, a family walked across the driveway.  The family was at the hospital to visit their grandma and to bring her a lovely bouquet of her favorite flowers from the flower shop.  The littlest member of the family was a boy who liked to kick rocks and stones and pebbles.  He liked to see how far he could get them to go with each kick.  He saw Rock and Skip and thought they looked like good kicking-rocks.  So, when he got near them, he let loose his best kick.  Rock and Skip took flight.  As they flew, Skip was reminded of the beautiful birds who visited him and Rock and their cousins and Boulder and Tree each day in the bed.  The birds perched on Tree’s branches and sang their melodies to the bed below.  Rock looked forward to the daily performance of their bird friends.  Skip loved to watch the birds fly.  It was such fun to fly now like his bird friends!  After Rock and Skip landed, the boy ran up to them and sent them flying once more with his best kick to date.  “Wee! I’m a bird” cried Skip.  Rock chimed in, “Oh, what fun!”

Rock and Skip bounced along the pavement and finally came to rest near the center of the alley behind the hospital.  The family was headed toward the back entrance of the hospital.  The father of the family noticed that the little boy was several yards behind them.  He called out to the boy, “Johnny, hurry up!  Grandma is waiting for us.”  The boy immediately forgot about Rock and Skip and ran to his father and took his hand.  Then, the family walked into the hospital.  Rock and Skip were left in the alley, far from their bed. 

The sun was tired from shining brightly all day long.  He dipped below the horizon, as he did at the end of every day.  Rock and Skip waved goodnight to Sun and thanked him for the warm rays he shone on them.  While Sun drifted off to sleep, the moon rose and began her turn at shedding light on the hospital.  Rock and Skip were glad to see their friend, Moon.  They greeted Moon and her cousins, the stars, with beaming smiles.  Moon and the stars twinkled back at Rock and Skip. 

Soon, Rock and Skip felt very sleepy.  They had had an eventful day.  Skip didn’t think he could stay awake much longer.  He asked Rock when the gardener would come to return them to the bed.  Rock said, “It’s late and I think the gardener went home.  He will be back in the morning when Sun wakes up.  We can sleep here in the alley tonight.”  Skip called out to their cousins and Boulder and Tree in the bed, “Goodnight, rocks and stones and pebbles and Boulder and Tree!”  Rock added, “Have a good night!  We’ll see you in the morning when the gardener comes to work and brings us back to the bed!” and he hoped the gardener would arrive early.  The rocks and stones and pebbles and Boulder and Tree told Rock and Skip that they missed them and wished them a good night in the alley.  Rock and Skip felt their eyelids get very heavy and fell asleep.  That night, they had fantastic dreams.  They dreamed of cars and wheels and of flying around the world. 

...to be continued...