Hi! I’m Stompy the sock.
I belong to Ben.
Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
Ben is a cheerful, kind little boy. More than anything, he loves to play.
He builds towers out of blocks, races his toy cars, and jumps on his bed.
But tidying up? He doesn’t like that at all.
He leaves his cars on the rug, his blocks on the stairs, and his teddy bear in the bathtub.
And us socks? He just tosses us anywhere.
HOP! HOP! SPLAT!
I was lucky. Mom found me and put me in the drawer.
But all my friends are gone. So is my twin, Stomp.
That evening, Mom opens the drawer and sees only me.
“Ben, where are all your socks?”
Ben shrugs. “I don’t know, Mom. Maybe they went on an adventure.”
And do you know what? They really did!
Let them tell you all about it.
Hi! I’m Stripy the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
Ben lost me on a summer vacation, so now I live on a beach by the sea.
I have a straw hat and a little cup of juice with a straw. All day long, I build sandcastles.
The crabs help me dig with their claws. Snip, snip. The seagulls bring seashells for the roof.
CAW! CAW!
Shhhhh… whispers the sea.
I’m having a wonderful time!
Hi! I’m Freckles the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
My name is Freckles because I’m covered in dots, just like freckles!
Ben took me off in Grandma’s garden while he was picking strawberries. Now I hang from a currant bush.
Ladybugs swing inside me as if I were a hammock. Sway, sway.
And when I want to go for a ride, a snail carries me. Slowly, slowly.
Bzzz… goes a little bee.
I’m having a wonderful time!
Hi! I’m Twinkle the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
I’m covered in stars, and every one of them twinkles.
Ben lost me last winter when he went sledding with Dad.
Now I’m a scarf for a snowman. Little sparrows sit on me and warm their feet.
Whooo… blows the wind.
Brrr! But I’m having a wonderful time!
Hi! I’m Bubbles the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
I hid inside the washing machine. Shhh!
I spin around and around on a merry-go-round. I splash in the bubbles and laugh.
SPLASH!
Bubble… bubble…
I’m having a wonderful time!
Hi! I’m Sniffy the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
My name is Sniffy because I smell so wonderfully. I smell like Ben’s little feet. Hee-hee!
Buddy the dog likes me best of all. He carried me to his bed and made me his pillow.
He rests his head on me and falls fast asleep.
Snore… snore…
I’m having a wonderful time!
Hi! I’m Stomp the sock.
I belong to Ben. Yes, the boy who never puts anything away.
I’m Stompy’s twin. We are covered in dinosaurs that love to stomp.
And do you know where I am? Very close by, under the living-room couch!
There’s a secret land down here. A lost block, a little crayon, and one round button live here, too.
Tonight we’re having a party. We dance and stomp.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
I’m having a wonderful time.
But do you know what? I miss Stompy. And I miss Ben’s little toes.
It’s me again, Stompy.
Ben sits on his bed and thinks.
“Mom, the socks need a home!”
Ben and Mom find a big cardboard box. Ben paints a window, a door, and one enormous heart on it.
It’s our sock house! We can all live here together, two by two.
Mom peeks under the couch and… who is that hiding there?
Stomp! My twin!
“Hooray!” cries Ben.
Stomp jumps into the house, straight into my arms. At last, we’re together again.
And Ben? He takes off the socks he is wearing today.
He doesn’t throw them just anywhere. He carefully tucks them into the house with us.
I’m so proud of him!
Night falls. Ben lies in bed, and all the socks settle down to sleep.
“Goodnight,” yawns Stripy beneath a seashell.
Shhhhh…
“Goodnight,” whispers Freckles in the currant bush.
“Goodnight,” says Twinkle as she keeps the sparrows warm.
“Goodnight,” bubbles Bubbles.
“Goodnight,” murmurs Sniffy beside Buddy.
Stomp and I snuggle together inside our little house.
Shhh. Ben is already asleep.
Goodnight, Ben.
The End.
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