Storybook Lane
The Box That Went Bump
Ages 3–5
A box taller than Dad appears outside Tilly’s door—and something inside keeps going BUMP. Is it an elephant?
A dragon? A hundred dancing potatoes? Tilly’s careful peeking reveals a fuzzy surprise, a bouncing muddle, and
a funny two-tap trick that may turn Tuesdays into her favorite day of the week.
Page 1 of 12
On Tuesday morning, a box sat outside Tilly’s door.
It was not a little box.
It was not a medium box.
It was a VERY big box.
It was taller than Dad.
Wider than the doormat.
And from inside came a sound.
BUMP.
Tilly froze.
Dad froze.
The box froze too.
Page 2 of 12
Tilly tiptoed closer.
“Hello?” she whispered.
BUMP-BUMP.
Tilly jumped back.
Dad nearly dropped his toast.
“Maybe it’s a washing machine,” Dad said.
“Washing machines don’t bump before breakfast,” said Tilly.
Page 3 of 12
There was a tag tied to the box.
FOR TILLY, it said.
Tilly peeked underneath.
Nothing.
She peeked behind it.
Nothing.
She put one ear against the side.
Scritch.
Scratch.
BUMP!
Tilly’s curls bounced.
Page 4 of 12
“Maybe it’s an elephant,” said Dad.
“Too quiet.”
“A dragon?”
“Too boxy.”
“A hundred dancing potatoes?”
Tilly thought about that.
“Maybe.”
From inside came a tiny sound.
“Achoo!”
Tilly blinked.
“Potatoes don’t sneeze.”
Page 5 of 12
She found a flap near the bottom.
Tilly lifted it one tiny bit.
Two round eyes looked out.
Tilly squeaked.
The eyes vanished.
BUMP.
Then something soft poked through the flap.
It was yellow.
It was fuzzy.
It wiggled.
“A tail?” whispered Dad.
Tilly shook her head.
“Too tickly.”
Page 6 of 12
Tilly opened the flap a little wider.
Out rolled...
one yellow pom-pom.
Then another.
Then FIVE more.
They bounced across the step.
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Tilly chased one under Dad’s slipper.
The box began to wobble.
Page 7 of 12
“Uh-oh,” said Dad.
Wibble.
Wobble.
WIBBLE-WOBBLE-WIBBLE—
The top burst open.
WHOOSH!
Out popped a small, round creature covered in yellow fluff.
It had two bright eyes, six tiny feet, and one enormous sneezy nose.
“A-A-A-CHOO!”
Pom-poms flew everywhere.
Page 8 of 12
The creature looked at Tilly.
Tilly looked at the creature.
It gave a shy little...
“Bump?”
Tilly smiled.
“So YOU were bumping.”
The creature nodded.
Then it pointed inside the box.
Tilly climbed onto the step and looked in.
The box was full of yellow fluff-balls.
Dozens of them.
All sleeping.
All snoring.
Puff. Pff. Pffff.
Page 9 of 12
The little creature sneezed again.
“ACHOO!”
Every fluff-ball woke up.
They bounced from the box.
Boing!
Bump!
Boing!
They bounced over Dad’s toast.
They bounced into Tilly’s boots.
Three bounced onto Dad’s head.
“Excellent hat,” said Tilly.
Page 10 of 12
Soon the front step was a bouncing, giggling muddle.
Tilly noticed the little creature trying to gather everyone back.
One fluff-ball bounced left.
Two bounced right.
Six bounced straight between its feet.
The creature drooped.
Tilly had an idea.
“Everybody,” she called, “BUMP HOME!”
She tapped the side of the giant box.
BUMP-BUMP!
Page 11 of 12
The fluff-balls stopped.
Tilly tapped again.
BUMP-BUMP!
One by one, they bounced toward the sound.
Boing into the box.
Boing into the box.
Boing, boing, boing into the box.
The little yellow creature climbed in last.
It gave Tilly a happy wave.
“Bump!”
Page 12 of 12
Dad folded the flaps gently.
The giant box was quiet.
For three whole seconds.
Then—
BUMP-BUMP.
Tilly grinned.
She tapped back.
BUMP-BUMP.
And every Tuesday after that, whenever a very big box appeared outside Tilly’s door, she knew
exactly what to do.
She tapped twice.
And waited for the giggles.
The Box That Went Bump
The End
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