Once upon a time, in a cozy little town called Willowby, there was a street called Main Street. This was not just any ordinary street, mind you. Main Street was lined with candy-colored shops, giggling flowerpots, and lampposts that winked goodnight at everyone who passed by. But the most curious thing about Main Street was not the shops or the flowers or the lampposts. No, the strangest thing of all was a single, very round, very bumpy, and very wiggly cobblestone, right in the middle of the road.

This cobblestone was called Cobbie. Cobbie was not like the other cobblestones, who preferred to stay put and hold hands with each other in neat rows. Cobbie had a case of the wiggles. Every night, when the moon was high and the stars peeked out from their velvet blanket, Cobbie would give a little hop. Then a wiggle. Then a shimmy-shake. And off he’d go, bouncing down Main Street in search of a little mischief.

One night, after everyone in Willowby had gone to bed (except for the moon, who never needed to sleep), Cobbie felt especially bouncy. He wiggled free from his spot and hopped over to Mrs. Puddlewick’s Bakery. With a gentle thump, Cobbie nudged open the door. The smell of cinnamon buns and honey bread made him giggle. He rolled right up to the flour bin and gave it a little nudge. *POOF!* A cloud of flour dust sprinkled everywhere, making the gingerbread cookies sneeze. Cobbie rolled away, leaving floury footprints in his wake.

Next, Cobbie hopped down the street to Mr. Pumpernickel’s Hat Shop. He rolled under the door and shimmied up onto the display table. With a wiggle and a wobble, Cobbie sent hats flying—top hats, sun hats, polka-dot hats, and even a hat shaped like a pineapple! The hats bounced and tumbled and landed on the heads of the sleepy shop mannequins, who looked quite surprised (if they could look surprised, which they tried their very best to do).

Cobbie giggled so much he almost rolled out of the shop without his usual “Cobblestone Cartwheel”—his favorite trick. With a spin and a HOORAY, he somersaulted right out the door, startling a cat who was snoozing on the doorstep. The cat, a fluffy orange fellow named Marmalade, blinked in confusion, then shrugged and went back to sleep.

Cobbie’s next stop was Willowby’s tiny post office. He tiptoed (as much as a cobblestone can tiptoe) up to the mail-sorting table and peeked into a basket full of postcards. With a quick hop, he knocked the basket over, sending postcards fluttering through the air like butterflies. One landed on the head of the post office mouse, Mr. Whiskers, who woke up and squeaked in surprise. Cobbie chuckled, then hurried on before he could be caught.

As Cobbie rolled down Main Street, he listened to the sounds of the night—the hoot of an owl, the gentle snoring of the bakery cat, the soft hum of the lampposts. He was starting to feel a little lonely. Mischief was fun, but sometimes it was even better when you had a friend to giggle with.

Just then, Cobbie noticed something strange near the big wishing fountain. A little green toad was sitting on the edge, singing a soft, croaky song. The toad wore a tiny red bow tie and had a friendly, welcoming smile. Cobbie felt curious, so he hopped closer.

“Hello, little cobblestone,” said the toad, tipping his bow tie politely. “I’m Sir Hop-a-lot. What brings you out on this moonlit night?”

Cobbie felt a shy wobble inside, but he managed a small hop in greeting. “I’m Cobbie,” he said, “and I like to roll around and make a little mischief. But sometimes, I wish I had someone to share it with.”

Sir Hop-a-lot’s eyes twinkled like morning dew. “Why, I’ve been wishing for a friend too! I sit by the fountain every night, hoping someone would come and listen to my songs. Would you like to join me?”

Cobbie thought this sounded wonderful. He bounced onto the fountain’s edge and listened as Sir Hop-a-lot sang a tune about the moon, the stars, and a toad who dreamed of flying. Cobbie tapped out a beat with his bumpy cobblestone belly, and soon the two were making music together—croaks and thumps and laughter all blending into a magical night-time melody.

After their song, Sir Hop-a-lot suggested a little adventure. “Let’s go see if the bakery has any crumbs left over!” he whispered. Together, Cobbie and Sir Hop-a-lot rolled and hopped down Main Street, sneaking into the bakery. With the toad’s nimble jumps and Cobbie’s gentle rolling, they found a plate of leftover honey-bread crumbs and shared a midnight snack.

Next, they visited the hat shop. Sir Hop-a-lot tried on a tiny blue cap, while Cobbie balanced a hat shaped like a teapot on his head. They laughed so much that Marmalade the cat woke up and watched them with sleepy amusement.

At the post office, Sir Hop-a-lot hopped onto a stack of envelopes and pretended to be the postmaster, while Cobbie rolled around pretending to deliver letters. Mr. Whiskers the mouse joined in, and soon the three friends were having a grand old time, sorting letters and making up stories about faraway lands.

As dawn began to color the sky with pink and gold, Cobbie realized he had to return to his spot on Main Street before anyone noticed he was missing. “I had the best night ever,” he said to Sir Hop-a-lot and Mr. Whiskers. “Will you come sing by the fountain with me again tomorrow?”

“Of course!” croaked Sir Hop-a-lot, and Mr. Whiskers squeaked his agreement. They all promised to meet again under the moon when the stars were awake.

Cobbie wiggled back to his place in the cobblestone row just as the first shopkeepers were opening their doors. He smiled to himself, thinking about his new friends and the wonderful adventures they’d shared. Soon, the townspeople noticed the hats all mixed up, floury paw prints in the bakery, and postcards scattered everywhere. “What a mysterious night!” they exclaimed.

But only Cobbie, Sir Hop-a-lot, and Mr. Whiskers knew the truth. And every night after, when the moon hung like a silver coin in the sky, the cobblestone, the toad, and the mouse would meet by the wishing fountain. They’d share stories, sing songs, and dance through the town, making memories and a tiny bit of mischief together.

Main Street had never been so magical, and Cobbie had never felt so happy. And if you ever visit Willowby and walk down Main Street, you might just notice a very round, very jolly cobblestone that seems to wiggle with the beat of secret laughter. Give him a wink—he might wink back.

And so, under the shining stars and the gentle gaze of the moon, Cobbie, Sir Hop-a-lot, and Mr. Whiskers continued their whimsical adventures, night after night, making Willowby the most enchanting town in all the land.

The End.

But, of course, in Willowby, endings are just the beginning of more wonderful, wiggly, whimsical adventures. Goodnight, sweet dreamer. May your dreams be as magical as a hopping cobblestone and a toad in a bow tie.