Cozy Bookstore Bedtime Stories 😴 Gentle_ Sleepy _ Safe for Kids 💤 🌙

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Tonight we've got a collection of peaceful bedtime stories for kids.
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Let's get cosy and drift off together. Before we do,
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could you please tap subscribe? By doing this small thing,
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you'll let YouTube know you love what we do. Let's
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get ourselves cosy, snuggle down and I'll begin. The Bear
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Who Loved Bedtime Stories by Sarah Kate Howarth High up
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in the Rocky Mountains, in the northernmost part of Western Canada,
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lived a family of grizzly bears. There was a mama
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bear called Griselda and a papa bear called Christopher. And
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there were two little bears called Maple and Pine. They
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lived in a log cabin tucked into the mountainside with
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broad beams and wood panels and a front-facing balcony where
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you could gaze out at the dramatic landscape. and thick
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blankets of sparkling snow below. Around the back of the
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cabin stood a little outhouse where the family of bears
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stored all their winter sports things, like skis, snowboards and sledges.
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They were a fairly outdoorsy family, united by a keen
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adventurous spirit. Griselda and Christopher had always been a courageous couple,
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They were known in the bear community as the speediest runners,
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the fiercest hunters and the loudest growlers around the Rocky Mountains.
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And their daughters took after them. At least one of
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them certainly did. Pine was the elder of the two
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little bear cubs and a real daredevil. She liked exploring,
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climbing up great mountainsides and scrambling over rocks and roots.
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She loved taking a dip in the wide open lakes
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and even enjoyed whitewater rafting on the raging river rapids.
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She was brilliantly brave and always up for an adventure
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just like her parents. Her little sister Maple was not
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quite so adventurous. She was a quiet, shy little bear
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cub and she didn't much like the great outdoors. She
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liked watercolour painting. collecting wildflowers and, above all else, bedtime stories.
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Maple was the bear who loved bedtime stories, not just
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reading them, but writing and narrating them herself. Her stories
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were just magical, captivating tales of princesses and pirates, enthralling
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tales of dinosaurs and cowboys, spooky tales of vampires and witches,
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and enchanting tales of mythical creatures and powerful magic. Maple
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could tell the most spellbinding stories about, well, about anything
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at all. And whilst Maple might indeed have been a
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shy little bear cub, her stories transformed her into the
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most vivid of all narrators. She wove together the most
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exciting narratives, her stories telling of love, heartbreak, adventure and peril.
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And as she did so, she took centre stage, her
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voice rising into a strong growl as it spun the
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most marvellous stories. Pine loved to listen to her sister's stories,
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particularly just before bedtime. The two little bear cubs would
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snuggle up in their bunk beds, pulling the quilts up
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tight to their chin, and Pine would say the same
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thing each evening, her voice ringing out from the top bunk.
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Tell me a bedtime story, Maple. Maple would smile, for
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whilst her sister was an avid fan indeed, she herself
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was even more fanatical about stories. She was the queen
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of storytelling, and she would tell stories all night long
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if Pine was only willing to listen. All right, Pine,
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what would you like the story to be about tonight?
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Maple snuggled deeper into her blankets and stretched out luxuriously. Hmm,
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she pondered. I can't decide. All your stories are so wonderful, Maple.
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Maple chuckled, pleased with the compliment. Well, would you like
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to hear about the mermaid from the Lavender Lagoon? Ooh,
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cooed Pine. I do love your stories about the beautiful
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chorus of mermaids. Or might you like to hear the
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one about a snowstorm? that billowed its way across the
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rocky mountains so that the lakes froze over in pearly
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sheets and everyone could skate and glide across the ice
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to their heart's content. Pine's eyes brightened like two little lamplights.
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She shivered excitedly at Maple's frosty description. Goodness, that sounds
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very festive, Maple, she responded. How beautiful. I love ice skating.
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But Maple wasn't done yet. Or what about a love story?
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A tale of a star-crossed couple who fall madly in
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love with one another, but then get torn apart by
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a twist of fate. Pine's snout began to quiver and
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she trembled beneath her sheets. Oh, I don't much like
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that one, Maple. It sounds awfully sad. Maple wrinkled her nose.
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She didn't understand. Some stories were meant to be magical.
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Some stories were meant to be scary. And some stories
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were meant to be sad. That's how it worked. She sighed,
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a little frustrated. The bedroom door swung open softly and
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the silhouette of Papa Bear appeared in the doorway. Now then,
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little ones, it's bedtime. I don't want you two staying
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up half the night telling stories. You'll be ever so
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tired in the morning and you both have Bear Brigade
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first thing. Oh, but please, Papa Bear, Pine cried. Love
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bedtime stories. Papa Bear smiled. If I'm not mistaken, Pine,
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you sounded rather unsure a moment ago. Weren't you just
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saying that Maple's story sounded awfully sad? That's no use
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for bedtime, is it? Pine sat up in bed. Her
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head fell to the side. and her lips pursed into
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a perfect pout as she crossed her arms tightly across
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her furry chest. We were just getting round to deciding, Pops.
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Maple wasn't meaning to tell me that one before bed,
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were you, Maple? That one wasn't a bedtime story, you see.
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It won't be a sad one that you tell, will it, Maple?
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Maple shook her head. Truth be told, she'd quite liked
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the heartbreak plot herself, and she was itching to finish
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off the story. But Pine did have a point. They
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wouldn't sleep very well if they were both crying into
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their bedsheets. Perhaps that was a story for a different
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time of day. No, don't worry, Papa Bear. I'll stick
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to a proper bedtime story, I promise. Pine smiled widely
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and cuddled her knees into her chest. See, Pops, bedtime
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stories are cosy and cheerful and comforting. They're like a
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great big cuddle. They're the perfect way to drift off
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to sleep. Mama Bear appeared behind their father in the doorframe.
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and placed a gentle paw on his shoulder. She whispered
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into his ear, and he nodded, a dimple appearing in
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his left cheek. One bedtime story, kiddos, all right? One,
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and one only. I know what you're like once you
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get going, Maple. Maple sighed in relief. Thank goodness for that.
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What was bedtime without at least one story after all?
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Pine pulled a cushion up behind her and propped herself
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up against the wall. You know what else is like
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a great big cuddle? She called down from the top bunk,
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a mischievous little smile dancing across her snout. Maple smiled.
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She had a fairly good idea what her elder sister
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was hinting at. You see, continued Pine, the only thing
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better than a bedtime story is... Mama Bear and Papa
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Bear looked at one another, and they smiled too. Let
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me guess, their Papa replied. Does it begin with a hot?
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And might it end with a chocolate? Bear Mama chuckled,
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ruffling Pine on the head. Pine giggled. Oh, what a
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great idea, Mama Bear. I would love a hot chocolate
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to sip on while we all listen to Maple's bedtime story.
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Isn't that a great idea, Maple? How lovely! Maple nodded,
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drawing her knees up to her chin, a soft smile
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spreading across her snout like butter on a piece of toast.
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All right, kiddos, four hot chocolates with cream and marshmallows
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coming right up. Papa Bear ducked out of the bedroom
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and padded off to the kitchen to prepare their special
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bedtime treat and Mama Bear helped the girls down from
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their bunk beds and found a comfy spot on the floor.
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Mama Bear drew the curtains, shutting out the snowflakes twirling
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and dancing outside the windowpane. Maple turned on the nightlight
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which glowed like a golden bubble casting its soft twinkly
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light across their bedroom floor. The bear cubs draped blankets
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around their shoulders and sat cross-legged, eagerly reaching for the
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warm mugs of hot chocolate their father placed into their paws. Yummy,
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piped Pine. This is the best hot chocolate I ever
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tasted in my life. It's so creamy, sweet and delicious.
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You have to try it, Maple. Maple closed her eyes
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and took a sip. A rich, velvety taste filled her mouth,
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crackling like a campfire against her taste buds. Her eyes
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gleamed as steam rose from her mug, making droplets on
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her nose. Wow, Papa, that really is delicious. Thank you.
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Papa Bear smiled and sat down on the floor with
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his family, cradling his own mug in his paws. He
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clinked mugs with Mama Bear and winked. To bedtime stories,
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he cheered, and they all laughed and toasted each other
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before taking a sip of the tasty hot chocolate. Pillowy
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marshmallows began to melt into the surface of the chocolate,
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scattering pink and white clouds across the rich brown foam. Well, Maple,
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what will be tonight's bedtime story? Mama Bear leant forward
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and gazed at her youngest daughter with pride. Maple's brow
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crinkled and she fell silent, deep in thought. It had
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to be cosy. It had to be cheerful. It had
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to be comforting, just like the taste of hot chocolate
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against her tongue. She tapped her toes against the floor
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and thought hard. Pine smiled up at her parents. She
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couldn't wait for the story to start. Maple cleared her throat,
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took a deep breath and began. Once upon a time,
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there lived a beautiful princess called Peony Bloom. Peony had
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long flaming locks of scarlet hair and the palest blue eyes.
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She lived in an emerald palace in a magical kingdom
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known as Evergreen. Pine sighed contentedly and snuggled into her
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father's side. pulled a fleecy blanket up around their knees,
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and Mama Bear nodded at Maple encouragingly. Peony was a
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wonderful ruler. She was fair and just, wise and strong.
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Everyone who lived in the magical kingdom of Evergreen loved Peony.
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They were so proud of their perfect princess. And Peony
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loved being a princess. She really did. She had a
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closet full of ball gowns, shelves stacked full of crystal slippers,
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and a whole collection of glittering tiaras, one in every colour.
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Violet and indigo, sapphire and amber, ruby and garnet, diamond
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and amethyst, obsidian and pearl. Pine's eyes grew wide like
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flying saucers, and she leaned in closer to her father's
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warm fur. But despite all those riches, Peony Bloom had
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a problem. You see, he was ever so lonely, living
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all alone in that great big emerald palace. What Peony
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really wanted was not another tiara, or a diamond necklace,
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or a string of freshwater pearls. What Peony wanted was
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a friend. Mama Bear took another sip of her hot
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chocolate and gazed dreamily across at her husband. Maple really
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was the most terrific storyteller. And so Peony sent out
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a message across the land. Posters were fixed onto shop
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windows and leaflets were posted through doors. People whispered to
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one another in the streets, eager to pass on the
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word of their beloved princess. Princess Peony Bloom of the
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Emerald Palace had launched a national search for a friend.
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Maple paused to take a quick gulp of hot chocolate.
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Her family were watching her as if they'd been hypnotized,
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their mouths open, their eyes glazed. They were utterly spellbound
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by her bewitching bedtime story. She smiled to herself, a
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warm glow spilling into her chest like golden syrup. It
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was so rewarding. to see how much people loved to
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listen to her stories. Soon, thousands of young girls stood
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in a line which wound around the cobbled streets of
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the kingdom like a slinking snake, each young maiden desperate
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to become the princess's new friend and confidant. Peony Bloom
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looked out from her balcony, and surveyed the droves of
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citizens who wanted to befriend her. She'd have thought that
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looking out over all those potential friends would have made
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her feel loved and comforted. But in truth, as she
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gazed out across an ocean of heads, some fair, some dark,
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some scarlet like hers, she felt lonelier than ever. She
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sighed to herself wearily and stepped back into her bedroom.
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Her trusty servant, Olive, saw her dejected posture and her
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eyes brimmed full of concern. What is it, Miss Peony?
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What's the matter? I thought you'd be so happy to
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see all those people queuing up to be friends with you. Why,
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you're the most popular person in the entire kingdom. Peony
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smiled sadly. Thank you, Olive, but I can't help but
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feel like I'm only popular because I'm a princess and
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I live in this beautiful castle. Why else would all
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those girls be so desperate to be my friend? Why?
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They don't know anything about me. Olive smiled and shook
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her head. Peony just didn't see herself right. If you
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don't mind me saying, Miss Peony, that is complete and
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utter nonsense. A giggle escaped the princess's lips and she
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snuck her hand over her mouth quickly It wasn't polite
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to giggle and gossip with a servant, after all. But
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Olive went on, unfazed. They don't want to be your
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friend because you're a princess, Miss Peony. It's because you're you.
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You're fair and just, wise and strong. Why? Any one
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of those girls would be the luckiest soul alive to
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count you as a friend. Peony blushed, a dappled pink
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spreading across her cheeks like rose petals. That's awfully kind, Olive. Well,
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all right. I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet a
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few of them, would it? Olive smiled. and linked arms
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with the princess merrily. That's the spirit. Now let's go
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and find you a brand new friend. Maple paused to
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drink up the last remaining droplets of her hot chocolate,
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wiping her paw across her snout contentedly. Maple! Pine's eyes
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looked as if they were about to leap out of
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her eye sockets. What? she asked, startled by Pine's insistent stare.
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The story! You can't stop there. You have to finish
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it for us. Maple smiled, placing her empty mug down
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carefully on the carpet, and went on with the story.
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Peony Bloom sat daintily on her throne in the luminous ballroom,
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while each young lady came before the princess to try
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her luck as her new pal. Peony tried her very
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best to be friendly, but really she'd never had a
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friend before, so she didn't quite know what to do.
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A beautiful young lady with thick blonde hair cut short
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into a bob curtsied before her. I'm Annabelle. she said.
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Pleased to meet you, Peony. Peony smiled shyly and nodded
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her head. Hello, Annabelle. Thank you for waiting in line.
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That's all right. I couldn't wait to see inside the
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Emerald Palace. It's so grand in here. Do you have
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many balls? Peony wavered. Um, not really. I don't like
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dancing much. I prefer the library. There's so many books
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in there. And little cosy spots to curl up and read.
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Annabel pulled a face. No offence, but reading's a bit boring.
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You should throw a ball instead. Balls are fun and
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way more sociable. You want to make friends, don't you?
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Peony nodded eagerly. Oh yes, but... You see, I think
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I would find a ball a little bit overwhelming. Annabelle
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stamped her foot. What use is it then, being friends
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with a princess who doesn't even want to host a ball?
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Peony flushed bright red and her eyes filled with tears.
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Olive quickly ushered Annabelle out of the ballroom. thanking her
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for her time. Don't worry, Miss Peony, she said. Balls
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aren't for everyone. Let's meet the next candidate, shall we?
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I'll bet she's just lovely. Peony nodded bravely and wiped
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the tears from her cheeks. All right, Olive, let's meet her.
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A sparky young girl dashed into the room, her dark
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hair flowing behind her in loose waves. Hey, Peony. Hello, um, Zadie.
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Nice to meet you. Peony smiled. Zadie seemed nice. Zadie
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looked around. Nice place you have here. Where do you
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keep all your clothes? Peony was confused. My clothes? Zadie
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sighed impatiently. Yes, you know, ball gowns, sashes, slippers, lacy gloves,
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crown jewels, fur coats, that sort of thing. I was
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hoping I might be able to try some on. But
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this isn't a shopping spree, Zadie. I thought we could
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maybe get to know one another. Tell each other our
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favourite books or something like that. Zadie yawned loudly. Boring,
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she sang. You had the most dazzling wardrobe in the
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entire kingdom. That's why I'm here. I'm desperate to check
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it out. Peony felt a strange little tickle in her chest,
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like a match striking against her heart. I'm looking for
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a friend. Not a fashion fanatic, she protested. Zadie shrugged nonchalantly.
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No big deal. I've heard diamonds aren't going to be
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in next season anyhow. And with a jaunty wave, she
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skipped out of the ballroom. Olive rushed to Peony's side,
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her eyes like sparkling rock pools, brim full of tears. Oh, Olive!
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She sighed. It's no use. I'm never going to have
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a friend. These girls don't want to get to know
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the real me. They just see me for my tiaras
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and my jewels. I can't do it. I can't see
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any more applicants. Send them away, will you? Say the
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position is already filled. Olive rubbed her shoulder gently. There, there,
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Miss Peony. You wait right there. I'll send them away
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and be back in a jiffy. Olive came running back in.
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All gone, Miss Peony. No one left. Peony's face fell
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once more, crumpling and folding like a piece of scrap paper. Oh,
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I'm sorry, miss. Should I fetch them back? No, no. No,
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don't worry, Olive. It's just... I guess that's that. There's
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no one left. I'll never have a friend. Olive pulled
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Peony into a soft embrace. You don't need friends like those,
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Miss Peony. A friend? isn't someone who just wants to
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come to your parties or borrow your dresses. A friend
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is someone who sees the real you and who loves
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you for it. A friend is someone who consoles you
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when you're sad and reminds you how wonderful you are.
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A friend is someone who holds your hand when you're lonely.
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A friend is someone who makes you feel safe. Wait,
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Peony sat back on her throne and looked up at
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the kind face in front of her. Olive blinked. You,
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she breathed. Me, Miss Peony? What do you mean? You, Olive.
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You're kind and loyal. You're always looking out for me.
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You're the perfect friend. Olive's eyes shone. Oh my, Miss Peony,
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that's awfully kind. But I can't be friends with a princess.
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I'm just a servant. Peony took Olive's hand in hers
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and gave it a squeeze. Don't be silly, Olive. You've
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always seen the real me. I thought I needed a
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friend and yet here you were all along. I'm sorry
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it took me so long to notice. Please, no miss
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from now on. Call me Peony, your new friend. The
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two girls gazed at each other, eyes glinting, dimples dancing
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in the corners of their mouths. Maple took a deep breath.
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The room was utterly silent. What a thrilling story that
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had been to tell. She'd been completely swept up by
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the drama of it. Thank goodness Peony realized that Olive
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was the one she could really trust. Olive was a
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wonderful friend for the shy young princess. She looked around
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at her family expectantly. She couldn't wait to see what
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they thought of the ending. But instead of being met
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with a multitude of questions about what had happened next,
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like she normally was, the bedroom stayed silent. Well, almost silent.
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Three little murmuring growls rose and fell from her family's chests.
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Maple couldn't believe it. Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Pine
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had fallen fast asleep. The three bears were snuggled up
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together under the fleecy blanket, deep in the soundest of slumbers.
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Maple smiled to herself proudly. After all, wasn't that the
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surest sign of an excellent bedtime story? If everyone who
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listened had drifted off... into the land of Nod. She
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crept over to turn out the nightlight before crawling into
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her cosy bottom bunk. A whole galaxy of stars winked
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down at her from the ceiling where Poppa Bear had
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helped the two little bear cubs attach glow-in-the-dark stickers. Maple sighed.
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pulling her duvet right up to her chin and burying
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her head into her soft, feathery pillow. It had been
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a magical evening. She thought back to Peony Bloom, her
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wardrobe of silk and satin gowns, the diamonds encased within
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each tiara, the sweeping staircases. inside the Emerald Palace and
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the grand gold throne that shone in the luminous ballroom.
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And it was only a matter of moments before Maple, too,
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fell fast asleep. The Sleepy Arcade Alien by Susanna McLaughlin
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Stanley the alien sat on the stone wall at the
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bus stop, watching the white puffy clouds drifting overhead. He
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looked for the familiar glint of the space bus on
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its way to pick him up, but as of yet,
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all that crossed the vast blue expanse of the sky
351
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was a little propeller plane, a human one, that did
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a little loop-de-loop before carrying on its journey. An older alien...
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A lady with bubblegum pink hair piled up in a
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neat twist on top of her head was also waiting,
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knitting a scarf in rainbow colours. She smiled as she
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tip-tapped her knitting needles together. Though to a human the
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bus stop would seem just like any other, it was
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actually the only bus stop on Earth visited by the
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intergalactic space fleet. And so, It acted as the drop-off
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and pick-up point for any aliens wanting to take a
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holiday in our world. Stanley had just spent seven days
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on planet Earth. A short holiday, a cultural trip in
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which he learned all he could about Earthlings. For seven days,
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he'd moved amongst them. The older ones, the young ones,
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the furry ones with four legs and a tail. He
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studied them and their habits. throwing frisbees at the park,
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splashing in the sea, eating all kinds of human foods.
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It had been a delightful holiday, but now it was
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time to return home to his mum and dad, who'd
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clean his washing and make his dinner. A lovely, sweet home.
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The bus was late, but Stanley didn't mind. It was
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so relaxing sitting here on the wall, listening to the
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tapping knitting, watching the poofy clouds. Stanley took out his
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headphones and popped an earbud in each ear. He had
375
00:35:19.579 --> 00:35:24.460
just found out about something the Earthlings called K-pop, and
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now he was obsessed. It was all he could listen to. Now,
377
00:35:30.389 --> 00:35:33.570
when his favourite song came on, he started to mime
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00:35:33.610 --> 00:35:37.630
the choreography, using his fingers to act out the kicks
379
00:35:37.710 --> 00:35:43.500
and spins. He closed his eyes in concentration, nodding along
380
00:35:43.579 --> 00:35:47.159
to the beat, only opening his eyes three minutes later
381
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when he mimed hitting the final pose, making love hearts
382
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with his fingers and thumbs. Instead of a stadium of
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adoring fans, he saw a long yellow spaceship. His ride.
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00:36:02.380 --> 00:36:05.699
It was already being enveloped in pink fog as it
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rumbled to life, ready to float up into the air.
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00:36:10.510 --> 00:36:13.030
He caught a glimpse of the old lady alien through
387
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the window, who was settling into her seat and retrieving
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00:36:16.889 --> 00:36:21.690
her knitting, as the ship disappeared into the clouds above.
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Stanley started towards the space bus, waving his arms, but
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it was too late. He missed it. He missed his bus.
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It had come and gone. Stanley pulled out his earbuds
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and put his hands on his hips with a sigh.
393
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He was such a silly alien. Like his dad always said,
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he had one foot in this world and the other
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in his imagination. He would lose his antennae if they
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weren't screwed on. Stanley looked at the bus timetable. and
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sighed again. The buses came once every hour, but that
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was an hour measured by Excelcon 6, his home planet standards.
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And with the time distortion and all, that meant there
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wouldn't be another bus in four Earth weeks, and his
401
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parents wouldn't even realise he was late. Silly time dilation,
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Stanley said, shaking his head. His mum had told him
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to bring a transmitter so he could call her for
404
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a ride in case something like this happened. But Stanley
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had told her he didn't need to. Transmitters were bulky
406
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and loud. He'd just used an earth phone whilst he'd
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been here. Earth phones had games like Angry Birds. They
408
00:37:50.179 --> 00:37:55.280
were way better. He sighed, shrugged and sat on the wall.
409
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He supposed that in this sticky situation... All there was
410
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to do was wait. So he did. He tried all
411
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sorts to make the time go quicker. First he counted
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the clouds floating overhead. One, two, three, four. Then he
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watched some ants transporting a piece of lettuce along the pavement,
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a big marching line, all working together. He counted the ants. One, two, three, four.
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Then when he ran out of things to count, he
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just sat. Stanley stayed there on the wall, swinging his
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feet and twiddling his thumbs for an hour or so,
418
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before realising waiting was no fun at all. So he
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began to walk. He strolled through the park and across
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the tennis courts to the leisure centre, before passing the
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cinema and crossing Main Street. He wandered along the seafront,
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watching the seagulls swooping and drifting across the sky. He
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wandered past groups of kids eating ice cream and salty chips,
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and the man leading his donkeys back and forth over
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the sand, giving rides to toddlers. He passed the man
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who sold doughnuts. sniffing in the sweet smell, and held
427
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his breath as he passed the woman who sold fish
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sticks and crab shells. Stanley wasn't supposed to still be
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here on Earth, but on a beautiful day like this,
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with the donkeys and the gulls, and the doughnuts, surrounded
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by all these beautiful things, Stanley felt glad that he was.
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The sun was just beginning to set when he reached
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the pier, which meant the signs had just lit up
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for the evening, shining like beacons and reflecting in the
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water that lapped the shoreline. There, between the chip shop
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and the candy store, was an arcade, and decorating its
437
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front was a giant neon spaceship. The sign was boinging
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on a spring, as if taking off from the side
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of the building into the night sky. Stanley gazed up
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at it and felt a strange kind of homely feeling.
441
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The spaceship on the sign was blue, like his mum's.
442
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Stanley looked at the other signs affixed onto the buildings.
443
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There was a neon alien raising its hands, fingers split
444
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in an extraterrestrial greeting. There were day-glow planets and stars.
445
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An upbeat electronic music was spilling out into the night
446
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from an open door. The words above the door read,
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Intergalactic Arcade. Stanley smiled. This place reminded him of Exalcon 6.
448
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It felt like home. Stanley shrugged, and the little worries
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00:41:21.869 --> 00:41:24.449
that had set in at the bus stop rolled off
450
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his shoulders. So what if he had an extra four
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weeks to spend on Earth? He loved Earth. And maybe
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if he stayed here at the Intergalactic Arcade, he wouldn't
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even miss his home-cooked dinners or clean laundry. Yes, he thought,
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this would do nicely. the little alien entered the arcade
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and found himself immediately wrapped in a whirl of sound
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and colour. Kids were riding pretend motorbikes in front of
457
00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:07.059
gaming screens, riding around racetracks. They were putting pennies into machines,
458
00:42:07.619 --> 00:42:12.489
trying to knock prizes into their waiting hands. They were
459
00:42:12.530 --> 00:42:16.750
making Pac-Man gobble white little dots and chase the little
460
00:42:16.849 --> 00:42:20.969
octopi away. and pushing buttons to make a little frog
461
00:42:21.090 --> 00:42:25.739
jump to cross a busy road. Stanley, in his own
462
00:42:25.800 --> 00:42:30.639
little bubble, watched from the sidelines, comforted by the smiles
463
00:42:30.739 --> 00:42:36.280
and laughter filling the room. A tasty smell wafted from
464
00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:39.969
the restaurant in the corner of the arcade, and Stanley
465
00:42:40.090 --> 00:42:43.050
followed his nose, taking a seat in one of the
466
00:42:43.110 --> 00:42:48.440
red leather booths. The moustachioid guy working there in his
467
00:42:48.519 --> 00:42:53.090
cap and Star Wars T-shirt, soon came over and dropped
468
00:42:53.130 --> 00:42:56.809
a paper plate in front of him. Aliens eat free,
469
00:42:57.309 --> 00:43:02.789
he said with a wink. Stanley grinned. It wasn't often
470
00:43:02.869 --> 00:43:06.840
people saw him. He only reached their knees, after all,
471
00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:10.420
and people don't tend to notice things they don't believe in.
472
00:43:11.199 --> 00:43:14.320
But from the theme of the establishment, he could tell
473
00:43:14.380 --> 00:43:18.210
this guy was a fan. On the plate, was a
474
00:43:18.309 --> 00:43:23.969
thick doughy slice of pepperoni pizza. Stanley gobbled it down
475
00:43:24.469 --> 00:43:29.750
and then accepted another slice and then a third. When
476
00:43:29.789 --> 00:43:35.449
the crowds left, the mustachioed worker swept, mopped and closed
477
00:43:35.489 --> 00:43:39.679
down the arcade, switching off the video games and lowering
478
00:43:39.719 --> 00:43:43.900
the lights. Stay here as long as you want, little dude,
479
00:43:44.460 --> 00:43:48.239
he called over his shoulder as he left. And so,
480
00:43:48.940 --> 00:43:56.300
Stanley had the intergalactic arcade all to himself. Stanley strolled
481
00:43:56.360 --> 00:44:00.599
across the slightly sticky carpets, playing a game here and there.
482
00:44:01.500 --> 00:44:05.500
He started with a sports game, throwing basketballs through a net,
483
00:44:06.179 --> 00:44:10.050
quickly setting a new high score. They played a lot
484
00:44:10.090 --> 00:44:15.070
of basketball on XLCon 6. Their national team, the Mighty
485
00:44:15.130 --> 00:44:18.909
Comets of XLCon, had just beat the Jupiter Dribblers to
486
00:44:18.969 --> 00:44:23.400
win the Milky Way Cup, after all. Then, Stanley played
487
00:44:23.420 --> 00:44:27.619
a puzzle game, stacking blocks of peculiar shapes and sizes
488
00:44:28.059 --> 00:44:31.659
as they fell from the top of the screen. Next,
489
00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:35.590
he raced a race car along a rainbow road, picking
490
00:44:35.630 --> 00:44:39.170
up mushrooms that gave him ultra speed and dropping banana
491
00:44:39.210 --> 00:44:44.070
skins behind him. He got sixth place first. then fifth,
492
00:44:44.730 --> 00:44:50.719
then fourth, and third twice. Finally, he came first, and
493
00:44:50.739 --> 00:44:54.960
he did a happy dance to celebrate. He collected the
494
00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:59.139
little paper tickets he'd won, and decided that tomorrow he'd
495
00:44:59.179 --> 00:45:02.409
trade them in for a prize, maybe one of those
496
00:45:02.510 --> 00:45:08.489
pens with the fluffy troll on top. Finally, Stanley yawned.
497
00:45:09.750 --> 00:45:14.340
It had been a surprising day, and suddenly... he realized,
498
00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:19.960
he was pooped. His eyelids felt heavy, and his eyes
499
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:24.199
were tired from concentrating so hard on his games. It
500
00:45:24.260 --> 00:45:30.820
was time to find a bed. But where? Stanley wandered
501
00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:34.550
about for a while, wondering which would be comfier, the
502
00:45:34.610 --> 00:45:40.090
restaurant booths or the sticky carpet, until... His gaze finally
503
00:45:40.170 --> 00:45:44.050
fell on a machine lit up with golden light in
504
00:45:44.090 --> 00:45:50.099
the corner. The claw machine. It was full of plushies.
505
00:45:50.980 --> 00:45:56.559
Big brown teddy bears with button eyes and soft felt noses.
506
00:45:57.699 --> 00:46:02.429
They were like a huge cuddle puddle of fluff. All
507
00:46:02.630 --> 00:46:08.170
soft bellies and round ears. That would do, Stanley thought.
508
00:46:08.900 --> 00:46:14.670
That would do nicely. Stanley headed over to the machine
509
00:46:15.030 --> 00:46:18.469
and crawled up through the chute that usually dropped out
510
00:46:18.550 --> 00:46:23.250
the prizes. He emerged into the machine and crawled onto
511
00:46:23.289 --> 00:46:26.889
the top of the teddy pile. It was as soft
512
00:46:26.949 --> 00:46:31.440
as can be. A yawn escaped his mouth as he
513
00:46:31.500 --> 00:46:35.280
stretched his arms over his head and sunk into the
514
00:46:35.400 --> 00:46:41.079
soft pile of bears. and just like that, he fell
515
00:46:41.260 --> 00:46:47.159
into a deep, comfy sleep. Stanley woke up the next
516
00:46:47.239 --> 00:46:50.670
morning with his arms wrapped tight around a bear's belly.
517
00:46:51.590 --> 00:46:56.130
He felt weightless, supported by a cloud of plushies, and
518
00:46:56.190 --> 00:47:02.070
he decided to just lay there a while, just stretching, yawning,
519
00:47:02.269 --> 00:47:07.090
and listening to the sounds of the sleepy arcade. Soon,
520
00:47:07.539 --> 00:47:11.519
the mustachioed worker was back, opening the shutters to let
521
00:47:11.579 --> 00:47:16.960
golden sunshine in, cleaning and mopping, shuffling around in the
522
00:47:17.000 --> 00:47:23.329
morning quiet. Stanley stood up, teetered and tottered over to
523
00:47:23.369 --> 00:47:26.550
the prize shoot, and with a hop slid on his
524
00:47:26.590 --> 00:47:30.570
bottom out of the machine, landing perfectly on the carpet.
525
00:47:31.889 --> 00:47:35.050
In his hand, he held the rolled-up tickets he'd won
526
00:47:35.110 --> 00:47:41.460
during his late-night gaming, Stanley waited patiently until Moustache Man
527
00:47:41.699 --> 00:47:45.159
opened up the prize booth, then placed his tickets on
528
00:47:45.199 --> 00:47:50.280
the desk with a grin. Whoa, well done, little dude,
529
00:47:50.780 --> 00:47:55.769
the man said. You're a top gamer. He counted the
530
00:47:55.809 --> 00:48:00.329
tickets and gestured to the lowest prize tier. You've got
531
00:48:00.409 --> 00:48:04.889
enough for a troll pen or a skipping rope or
532
00:48:05.710 --> 00:48:12.110
a bouncy ball? Stanley began to peruse the shelf before
533
00:48:12.170 --> 00:48:15.829
his eyes started to wander up to the items that
534
00:48:15.889 --> 00:48:22.730
had heftier ticket prizes. If you won 250 tickets, you
535
00:48:22.769 --> 00:48:28.610
could get a chess set or a skateboard. 500 got
536
00:48:28.650 --> 00:48:33.250
a mini trampoline or a life-sized giraffe toy. 750 got
537
00:48:33.269 --> 00:48:39.969
you a robot dog. or a voucher to feed the
538
00:48:40.030 --> 00:48:45.849
elephants at the zoo. Finally, one thousand tickets got you.
539
00:48:46.969 --> 00:48:55.230
Stanley's mouth fell open. A state-of-the-art Martian transmitter, with five
540
00:48:55.289 --> 00:49:01.070
channels and two extendable antennae. A transmitter that Stanley could
541
00:49:01.329 --> 00:49:05.909
use to call his mum and get a lift straight home. Home,
542
00:49:06.550 --> 00:49:09.480
where there'd be a warm dinner on the table, and
543
00:49:09.519 --> 00:49:15.690
his pet snail, and other aliens to shoot hoops with. Hey, buddy,
544
00:49:16.030 --> 00:49:19.969
have you chosen? the man said. Stanley closed his eyes.
545
00:49:20.170 --> 00:49:23.769
his mouth and grabbed his tickets off the desk. Change
546
00:49:23.789 --> 00:49:28.889
my mind, he said. I'm going for gold. He pointed
547
00:49:28.929 --> 00:49:32.460
a green finger at the top prize, and the moustache
548
00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:38.900
man raised his eyebrows, impressed by his determination. No one's
549
00:49:38.960 --> 00:49:44.309
got a thousand tickets before, he said. But if anyone
550
00:49:44.369 --> 00:49:49.210
can do it, my bet's on you. Stanley headed into
551
00:49:49.250 --> 00:49:53.989
the arcade, which was slowly filling up with kids. He
552
00:49:54.090 --> 00:49:59.030
needed one thousand tickets. It couldn't be that hard, could it?
553
00:50:00.760 --> 00:50:04.139
He started out on air hockey, and soon a line
554
00:50:04.179 --> 00:50:08.119
of kids was trailing around the arcade. No one could
555
00:50:08.159 --> 00:50:13.820
beat him. Stanley's reactions were record fast. As soon as
556
00:50:13.880 --> 00:50:17.449
the puck bounced off his opponent's pusher, Stanley was there
557
00:50:17.780 --> 00:50:21.869
in the perfect spot waiting for it. And every hit
558
00:50:21.909 --> 00:50:26.530
that he made sent the puck bouncing ping, ping, ping
559
00:50:26.610 --> 00:50:30.349
around the table until it slotted into the goal with
560
00:50:30.409 --> 00:50:35.869
a satisfying clunk. A lazy ribbon of tickets grew from
561
00:50:35.949 --> 00:50:39.630
Stanley's side of the table, curling into a pile on
562
00:50:39.650 --> 00:50:44.369
the floor. After he won against the last girl in
563
00:50:44.409 --> 00:50:47.989
the line, with a whoop and a victory dance, Stanley
564
00:50:48.030 --> 00:50:53.570
sat cross-legged and counted his tickets. After eight hours, he
565
00:50:53.610 --> 00:50:58.579
had won 75 tickets. His grand total was now 100.
566
00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:07.329
Stanley was puzzled. All that work, all those wins, and
567
00:51:07.369 --> 00:51:10.219
he was only one-tenth on the way to his goal.
568
00:51:11.260 --> 00:51:14.079
It'd take ten days for him to win the transmitter.
569
00:51:15.840 --> 00:51:20.199
Stanley sat in his booth, eating pizza, resting to get
570
00:51:20.239 --> 00:51:25.059
his energy up. The little alien looked around the arcade.
571
00:51:26.679 --> 00:51:31.510
Maybe there was a better way to win tickets, he thought.
572
00:51:33.050 --> 00:51:36.570
He wandered around the games, running through the maths in
573
00:51:36.610 --> 00:51:41.349
his head. How long each game took. How likely he
574
00:51:41.409 --> 00:51:45.510
was to win. How many tickets he could get per win.
575
00:51:46.590 --> 00:51:52.039
Nothing seemed to help his mission. There was one shadowy
576
00:51:52.119 --> 00:51:55.400
corner in the back of the arcade that Stanley was
577
00:51:55.420 --> 00:52:00.659
yet to explore. It looked pretty empty and unused. Maybe
578
00:52:00.800 --> 00:52:04.650
it held old broken games. or the ones no one
579
00:52:04.690 --> 00:52:09.210
cared to play anymore. He padded over, blinking through the
580
00:52:09.250 --> 00:52:14.579
darkness as his eyes adjusted. The bright, showy lights didn't
581
00:52:14.639 --> 00:52:19.340
reach back here. There, as if it had been left
582
00:52:19.400 --> 00:52:23.980
for a hundred years, Stanley found a machine covered in
583
00:52:24.019 --> 00:52:28.460
a sheet. He pulled back the sheet, sneezing as dust
584
00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:31.739
flew into the air like a cloud of glitter. It
585
00:52:31.780 --> 00:52:36.050
was a game. Stanley was sure of it. There was
586
00:52:36.090 --> 00:52:39.829
a platform to stand on and big speakers, a screen
587
00:52:40.309 --> 00:52:44.690
and buttons to press. There was a big pink button
588
00:52:44.949 --> 00:52:49.650
right in the middle. It was emblazoned with the word START.
589
00:52:50.989 --> 00:52:54.570
Thinking he had nothing to lose, Stanley stood on the
590
00:52:54.610 --> 00:53:00.789
platform and hit the button. A whirr sounded overhead. and
591
00:53:00.829 --> 00:53:04.130
a disco ball began to spin with a gentle creak.
592
00:53:05.429 --> 00:53:09.889
A series of beeps and boops sounded as the machine
593
00:53:09.969 --> 00:53:14.369
began to come slowly to life. One spotlight lit up,
594
00:53:15.090 --> 00:53:19.699
then another, and suddenly Stanley was in a show. A
595
00:53:20.699 --> 00:53:25.599
shimmering disco of multicoloured light began to swim around him,
596
00:53:26.579 --> 00:53:30.099
and music began to pump out of the speakers. as
597
00:53:30.179 --> 00:53:35.519
a dancer appeared on the screen. Stanley stared at a
598
00:53:35.599 --> 00:53:41.469
melody he knew well. It was K-pop. But not just that.
599
00:53:42.340 --> 00:53:47.650
It was his absolute favourite K-pop song. His favourite any
600
00:53:47.730 --> 00:53:52.969
song in the whole world. The floor lit up beneath him,
601
00:53:53.710 --> 00:53:58.130
and the dancer on the screen began to dance. Stanley
602
00:53:58.230 --> 00:54:03.389
quickly understood the rules. It was a dance game. He
603
00:54:03.449 --> 00:54:09.539
copied the screen, stamping in time, anticipating every move, every twirl,
604
00:54:09.860 --> 00:54:15.079
sashay and shimmy. Messages began to pop up on the screen.
605
00:54:15.619 --> 00:54:23.949
They said, Amazing! You got it! Style! Swag! On point!
606
00:54:24.889 --> 00:54:31.099
He didn't miss a single move. Stanley was winning the game.
607
00:54:31.619 --> 00:54:34.860
In fact, he thought, this game was made for him.
608
00:54:35.719 --> 00:54:40.039
He was a K-pop idol. He was a star. His
609
00:54:40.139 --> 00:54:44.460
fans were cheering for him and his antennae were bouncing,
610
00:54:44.940 --> 00:54:50.179
his feet moving faster than the speed of light. When
611
00:54:50.199 --> 00:54:53.429
the song came to an end, The machine released a
612
00:54:53.530 --> 00:54:59.190
long string of tickets. One hundred tickets. That's how well
613
00:54:59.349 --> 00:55:05.250
Stanley danced. Stanley scrolled through the list of songs. What
614
00:55:05.289 --> 00:55:09.909
would he do next? More K-pop, of course. He danced
615
00:55:10.010 --> 00:55:13.739
through every song in the repertoire, never missing a point.
616
00:55:15.119 --> 00:55:19.039
A crowd soon gathered to watch, drawn into the gloomy
617
00:55:19.139 --> 00:55:23.610
corner which was now a disco. Their faces bathed in
618
00:55:23.699 --> 00:55:29.380
flashing lights as they watched Stanley spin, twirl and leap
619
00:55:29.480 --> 00:55:34.860
across the dance pad in a green groovy blur. Word
620
00:55:34.900 --> 00:55:38.690
spread fast and passers-by were bundled in off the street,
621
00:55:39.369 --> 00:55:45.170
the whole town coming together in the intergalactic arcade. Not
622
00:55:45.309 --> 00:55:48.300
only were people seeing an alien for the first time,
623
00:55:49.019 --> 00:55:54.199
They were seeing an alien who could dance. Stanley, who
624
00:55:54.340 --> 00:55:58.869
usually blended in, was gathering more attention than he ever
625
00:55:58.929 --> 00:56:04.010
had before, and he kind of liked it. Someone pulled
626
00:56:04.110 --> 00:56:07.469
out a phone and snapped a pic. Then someone else
627
00:56:07.510 --> 00:56:12.050
did the same. Stanley didn't notice. He was too busy
628
00:56:12.369 --> 00:56:18.389
nailing a jump split. But before long... the intergalactic arcade
629
00:56:18.429 --> 00:56:22.670
was all over the internet and Stanley was being heralded
630
00:56:23.090 --> 00:56:30.329
the hashtag alien dance king. Each perfect performance caused another
631
00:56:30.409 --> 00:56:39.449
ribbon of tickets to drop into his waiting arms. 200, 400, 600.
632
00:56:40.590 --> 00:56:44.800
After what felt like hours, he finally hopped off the
633
00:56:44.860 --> 00:56:50.809
machine to hug and applause. He smiled for selfies, making
634
00:56:50.849 --> 00:56:54.849
little hearts with his fingers and thumbs, his signature pose.
635
00:56:55.889 --> 00:56:58.980
Someone took his place on the dance mat, bopping away,
636
00:56:59.599 --> 00:57:02.639
and the crowds turned to cheer on the new star.
637
00:57:04.320 --> 00:57:08.960
When his legs no longer felt like jelly, Stanley stood up,
638
00:57:09.579 --> 00:57:13.449
dusted himself off and marched up to the prize counter.
639
00:57:14.119 --> 00:57:20.139
a mountain of tickets piled high in his arms. Hey, champ,
640
00:57:20.719 --> 00:57:25.940
Mustache Man said. That was quite a show. Looks to
641
00:57:26.000 --> 00:57:29.590
me like you might have enough for the top prize.
642
00:57:31.070 --> 00:57:39.809
Stanley nodded, eyes bright. One thousand and fifty-three, he announced proudly,
643
00:57:40.449 --> 00:57:46.429
dropping the bundle with a satisfying rustle. Mustache Man reached
644
00:57:46.570 --> 00:57:51.179
up to the top shelf and retrieved the Martian transmitter.
645
00:57:52.440 --> 00:57:56.139
He rooted around for some AA batteries, popped them in
646
00:57:56.179 --> 00:58:03.059
the device and placed it ceremonially in Stanley's hands. Stanley
647
00:58:03.139 --> 00:58:06.530
took it carefully, as if it were made of glass.
648
00:58:07.789 --> 00:58:11.489
He felt a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his chest.
649
00:58:12.510 --> 00:58:19.260
He'd done it! He'd won the ultimate prize. Stanley twisted
650
00:58:19.320 --> 00:58:23.980
the dial, flipped the antenna and pressed the biggest button.
651
00:58:25.360 --> 00:58:30.320
A soft whirr filled the air, followed by a voice
652
00:58:30.780 --> 00:58:40.800
crackling through the speaker. Stanley? Sweetie? Is that you? Stanley beamed. Hi, Mum.
653
00:58:41.440 --> 00:58:46.800
I missed the bus. Of course you did, she sighed.
654
00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:52.280
Not to worry, buddy. Do you need a lift? Stanley
655
00:58:52.340 --> 00:58:57.239
looked around the arcade. The kids were still dancing, and
656
00:58:57.300 --> 00:59:00.659
a girl with big bouncy curls turned to look his way,
657
00:59:01.250 --> 00:59:05.590
beckoning him back into the game. He looked at the transmitter.
658
00:59:07.610 --> 00:59:11.190
I think I'll catch the bus home. actually when it comes,
659
00:59:11.909 --> 00:59:16.070
he said. I made some friends. I think I want
660
00:59:16.090 --> 00:59:21.860
to stay just a little longer, if that's okay. It was.
661
00:59:22.840 --> 00:59:25.360
And when he and his mum had hung up the call,
662
00:59:25.900 --> 00:59:30.329
Stanley turned back to the arcade. tucking the transmitter into
663
00:59:30.389 --> 00:59:34.010
his hoodie pocket and giving it a loving pat as
664
00:59:34.050 --> 00:59:39.239
he headed into the throng of laughing kids. That night,
665
00:59:39.920 --> 00:59:44.639
Stanley curled up in the claw machine, nestled amongst his
666
00:59:44.719 --> 00:59:51.510
pile of teddy bears. Soft, sleepy lights flashed gently overhead.
667
00:59:52.389 --> 00:59:57.269
The arcade once again packed down and wiped clean for
668
00:59:57.289 --> 01:00:02.909
the night. Now it was quiet, but Stanley still had
669
01:00:02.949 --> 01:00:07.670
a happy butterfly or two flapping in his tummy. As
670
01:00:07.750 --> 01:00:13.489
he took deep, sleepy breaths, the butterflies ceased their dancing,
671
01:00:14.530 --> 01:00:19.349
and Stanley sunk lower into the soft surface beneath him.
672
01:00:22.010 --> 01:00:25.889
His belly was full of pizza. and his arms and
673
01:00:25.969 --> 01:00:31.989
legs were pleasantly tired from a day of dancing. Stanley
674
01:00:32.820 --> 01:00:41.500
once again was pooped, and very, very happy. The little
675
01:00:41.679 --> 01:00:47.719
alien smiled to himself as he drifted into his dreams. Maybe,
676
01:00:47.739 --> 01:00:53.809
he thought, maybe he tried to miss the bus more often.
677
01:00:56.000 --> 01:01:00.280
The once noisy dance machine was now all turned off,
678
01:01:01.059 --> 01:01:08.659
polished clean, and sleeping until tomorrow. Stanley had left the
679
01:01:08.739 --> 01:01:14.949
disco ball turning, however, sending soft silver light swimming over
680
01:01:14.989 --> 01:01:20.250
the walls and floor of the arcade. He would almost
681
01:01:20.289 --> 01:01:25.269
have thought you were underwater, with a gentle whisper. undulating
682
01:01:25.329 --> 01:01:33.070
patterns shining over the arcade. Stanley dreamt of slowly twisting
683
01:01:33.130 --> 01:01:37.800
nebula as the silver light danced against his closed eyelids
684
01:01:38.940 --> 01:01:44.539
and he sank deeper into the soft plush surface beneath him.
685
01:01:46.980 --> 01:01:50.860
Glow in the dark stars shone from the ceiling with
686
01:01:51.010 --> 01:01:56.030
soft green light and the soft whir of the aircon
687
01:01:56.710 --> 01:02:04.409
filled his alien ears with a quiet, sleepy buzz. Everything
688
01:02:05.050 --> 01:02:12.670
was packed away, switched off, and sleeping. And so was Stanley,
689
01:02:13.829 --> 01:02:20.480
curled around a soft, plump teddy bear, little tummy moving
690
01:02:20.739 --> 01:02:26.570
up and down as he snored. There would be plenty
691
01:02:26.610 --> 01:02:35.369
of fun to come tomorrow. But for now, sleep. Tonight's
692
01:02:35.469 --> 01:02:45.500
bedtime story is The Sleepy Bear by Jane Thomas. Winter
693
01:02:45.519 --> 01:02:48.179
the grizzly bear had come into the world one cold
694
01:02:48.239 --> 01:02:51.699
January night, more than two years before this story set.
695
01:02:53.440 --> 01:02:57.039
He and his brother and sister appeared into the warmth
696
01:02:57.079 --> 01:03:00.420
of their mother's den, buried deep in a snowdrift on
697
01:03:00.460 --> 01:03:05.170
the northern slopes of Eagle Peak in Yellowstone. Their mother
698
01:03:05.230 --> 01:03:08.409
had curled her soft body and legs around the three
699
01:03:08.489 --> 01:03:13.469
tiny bears, protecting her young for month after month, until
700
01:03:13.530 --> 01:03:17.329
the outside world had wakened enough and the leaves were
701
01:03:17.489 --> 01:03:22.449
unfurling on the trees. Winter would never forget the first
702
01:03:22.530 --> 01:03:26.780
time he left the den. High up on the mountainside,
703
01:03:27.239 --> 01:03:31.360
they emerged to a land still covered in white, looking
704
01:03:31.460 --> 01:03:36.280
down towards green valleys that were dressed with flowing fields
705
01:03:36.340 --> 01:03:41.170
of wildflowers. Flashes of colour poured and spilled into the scene.
706
01:03:42.849 --> 01:03:46.789
The three cubs had stayed close to their mother, learning
707
01:03:46.869 --> 01:03:50.260
to climb a tree as fast as a flat. learning
708
01:03:50.380 --> 01:03:52.920
to grab a fish with a dab and a dash.
709
01:03:54.460 --> 01:03:58.500
For eight months, they'd followed close behind her, watching and
710
01:03:58.599 --> 01:04:03.420
copying her every move. In the moments where she rested,
711
01:04:03.880 --> 01:04:07.420
the trio batted away butterflies with paws that seemed to
712
01:04:07.519 --> 01:04:13.030
grow with each passing day. They rolled down hills, head
713
01:04:13.090 --> 01:04:17.480
tucked in and arms wrapped around their bodies. so perfect
714
01:04:17.500 --> 01:04:22.139
little balls of brown fur raced down the slopes. In
715
01:04:22.179 --> 01:04:25.380
the warmest months of the summer, they wrestled in the
716
01:04:25.440 --> 01:04:28.989
shallows of the river, watching as the waters that had
717
01:04:29.090 --> 01:04:33.909
raged when they first emerged slowly stalled to a sedentary
718
01:04:33.969 --> 01:04:37.670
stream as the last of the snow melted and headed
719
01:04:37.750 --> 01:04:43.239
towards other rivers and other lakes and distant seas. And
720
01:04:43.340 --> 01:04:47.389
as their first autumn appeared, Winter and his brother and
721
01:04:47.489 --> 01:04:51.769
sister learned the berries that were good to eat, found
722
01:04:51.809 --> 01:04:56.090
the nuts and grasses that were the most sweet and succulent,
723
01:04:57.030 --> 01:05:01.429
and dug deep into the ground to find the richest roots.
724
01:05:02.969 --> 01:05:07.260
They and their mother ate and ate to keep them
725
01:05:07.440 --> 01:05:11.300
full and safe for their long winter sleep, high on
726
01:05:11.320 --> 01:05:18.000
the slopes of Eagle Peak, buried beneath the snow. Winter
727
01:05:18.059 --> 01:05:21.920
had passed his first whole hibernation with his siblings and
728
01:05:21.960 --> 01:05:26.320
his mother, and then spent spring and summer refining his
729
01:05:26.380 --> 01:05:32.280
hunting skills and tree climbing and berry finding. Then, together
730
01:05:32.300 --> 01:05:34.719
they'd headed for the safety of a den for their
731
01:05:34.780 --> 01:05:40.860
second winter together. This year, when they emerged, blinking against
732
01:05:40.929 --> 01:05:45.679
the brightness of the sunshines, stretching and easing the sleep
733
01:05:45.750 --> 01:05:49.610
from their bones after having been curled up together for
734
01:05:49.730 --> 01:05:53.449
so many months, their mother had wished them well and
735
01:05:53.550 --> 01:05:58.190
sent them on their way, nudging them towards different corners
736
01:05:58.650 --> 01:06:03.400
of Yellowstone National Park. It was time for them to
737
01:06:03.460 --> 01:06:07.820
be by themselves at last, to use all the lessons
738
01:06:07.900 --> 01:06:12.099
they had learned and to live the lives of free bears.
739
01:06:12.800 --> 01:06:20.320
wandering in one of the world's great wildernesses. Sometimes, when
740
01:06:20.360 --> 01:06:23.969
he was down by his favourite fishing spot, where the
741
01:06:24.050 --> 01:06:28.230
salmon leaped and the fireweed rustled softly in the breeze,
742
01:06:28.929 --> 01:06:33.469
Winter would see his brother further downstream. They would smile
743
01:06:33.510 --> 01:06:37.599
at each other and wave, noses twitching, to read the
744
01:06:37.639 --> 01:06:42.539
messages sent through the air. But generally, each kept themselves
745
01:06:42.579 --> 01:06:47.510
to themselves. It was a solitary life, but not a
746
01:06:47.570 --> 01:06:50.949
lonely one, for grizzly bears are born to live alone
747
01:06:51.349 --> 01:06:54.190
and love the freedom they're given by being able to
748
01:06:54.269 --> 01:06:59.699
spend day after day, week after week, and month after month,
749
01:07:00.239 --> 01:07:07.199
just by themselves. Winter usually stayed in the same broad area,
750
01:07:07.849 --> 01:07:12.190
allowing himself to venture as far south as the fallen rocks,
751
01:07:12.949 --> 01:07:17.260
as far east as the river, as far west as
752
01:07:17.320 --> 01:07:21.659
the water the colour of sapphires that steamed gently all
753
01:07:21.719 --> 01:07:26.179
day and all night, and as far north as the
754
01:07:26.239 --> 01:07:32.119
meadows where the bison grazed. One morning he had allowed
755
01:07:32.159 --> 01:07:37.369
himself to go further, sniffing the air cautiously. and following
756
01:07:37.449 --> 01:07:41.469
new smells and scents until he came upon a clearing
757
01:07:42.030 --> 01:07:45.530
and saw for the first time in his life a
758
01:07:45.570 --> 01:07:50.550
strange new animal that was bright blue and shiny and
759
01:07:50.670 --> 01:07:54.030
roared in a way he'd never heard an animal roar before.
760
01:07:55.489 --> 01:07:58.659
And then more creatures had emerged from the blue animal
761
01:07:59.340 --> 01:08:02.900
and set a blanket on the ground, and they had
762
01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:07.559
all sat down and taken out boxes, filled with foods
763
01:08:07.639 --> 01:08:13.340
that had scents such as Winter had never known. Winter
764
01:08:13.489 --> 01:08:16.689
sat and watched from the safety of the shadows of
765
01:08:16.710 --> 01:08:21.970
the trees, returning to the sight again and again, and
766
01:08:22.069 --> 01:08:28.069
always seeing the same scene, except sometimes the giant animal,
767
01:08:28.569 --> 01:08:33.199
which made strange noises, was red, like the setting sun,
768
01:08:34.199 --> 01:08:38.720
or silver, like the fish that leapt or black like
769
01:08:38.760 --> 01:08:44.439
the sky at night. And sometimes the smaller creatures that
770
01:08:44.520 --> 01:08:49.289
emerged were very quiet and sat peacefully looking out at
771
01:08:49.329 --> 01:08:55.590
the world from behind strange black boxes that clicked and flashed.
772
01:08:56.649 --> 01:09:01.079
And sometimes there were loads of the smaller creatures and
773
01:09:01.119 --> 01:09:05.920
they ran around making noises and shouted and screamed and laughed.
774
01:09:07.399 --> 01:09:13.409
The longer he watched, the more Winter learned. Soon he
775
01:09:13.489 --> 01:09:20.699
found out that the little creatures were called Peoples. Sometimes,
776
01:09:20.899 --> 01:09:25.010
when the people weren't looking, Winter would emerge from his
777
01:09:25.060 --> 01:09:30.409
hiding place, lumbering over to their picnic blankets as softly
778
01:09:30.489 --> 01:09:34.470
and gently as he could, sniffing and peering at the
779
01:09:34.529 --> 01:09:39.989
food within. There were tastes he'd never known, with the
780
01:09:40.069 --> 01:09:44.460
tang of salt and vinegar dancing on his tongue. and
781
01:09:44.479 --> 01:09:49.029
the strange texture of cheese and soft bread getting stuck
782
01:09:49.090 --> 01:09:53.010
for a while in his teeth. Winter didn't head to
783
01:09:53.029 --> 01:09:56.649
the clearing every day, but on the days he did go,
784
01:09:56.670 --> 01:10:00.060
he learned which foods were good and which were not.
785
01:10:01.119 --> 01:10:04.720
He loved the fruits that appeared on the picnic blankets,
786
01:10:05.539 --> 01:10:12.130
fruits that didn't grow anywhere in Yellowstone. Sometimes the creatures
787
01:10:12.210 --> 01:10:17.930
left things behind, carelessly discarded packets that rustled as he
788
01:10:17.970 --> 01:10:23.779
picked them up, and bottles filled with strange-coloured liquids that
789
01:10:23.880 --> 01:10:28.239
tasted as sweet as a hundred raspberries in a single sip.
790
01:10:29.579 --> 01:10:33.130
Winter ate them all, for his mother had given him
791
01:10:33.210 --> 01:10:37.130
the very important job of eating as much as possible
792
01:10:37.329 --> 01:10:40.630
in preparation for the long months of winter when he
793
01:10:40.649 --> 01:10:43.729
would need to dig a den and hide himself away
794
01:10:43.789 --> 01:10:49.550
from the world. There were days when Winter let himself
795
01:10:49.609 --> 01:10:53.119
be idle for a few hours, when he lay on
796
01:10:53.180 --> 01:10:56.699
his back in the soft grasses of the meadow and
797
01:10:56.760 --> 01:11:01.840
watched the eagles soar high above. He wished that he
798
01:11:01.880 --> 01:11:08.579
could fly, drifting around on the thermals, swooping high and low,
799
01:11:09.500 --> 01:11:14.619
skimming across the surface of a river, and sometimes he
800
01:11:14.640 --> 01:11:18.020
was sure the birds were showing off, teasing him with
801
01:11:18.060 --> 01:11:22.699
their skills. On one of the first days by himself,
802
01:11:23.220 --> 01:11:27.619
Winter had climbed a tree, reaching up branch by branch
803
01:11:28.000 --> 01:11:32.079
and going as high as he dared, before launching himself
804
01:11:32.159 --> 01:11:36.659
into the sky the way the eagles did. His fall
805
01:11:36.720 --> 01:11:40.609
to the ground was slowed by those same branches, and
806
01:11:40.670 --> 01:11:45.270
he ouched and bothered. his way to the grass far below.
807
01:11:47.270 --> 01:11:52.189
Winter had looked up and down and left and right,
808
01:11:52.789 --> 01:11:57.000
checking that nobody else had seen his foolishness and tucking
809
01:11:57.060 --> 01:12:02.560
away his new knowledge for future use. Bears did not fly,
810
01:12:03.180 --> 01:12:07.039
he now knew. His mother had been right and she
811
01:12:07.079 --> 01:12:10.310
had taught him everything he needed to know to survive
812
01:12:10.350 --> 01:12:14.149
in the world. From now on, he would remember the
813
01:12:14.210 --> 01:12:17.710
lessons and not try to be something he was not.
814
01:12:19.789 --> 01:12:23.770
Bears and eagles, Winter thought to himself as he lay
815
01:12:23.850 --> 01:12:27.489
on his back and watched them wheel and swoop, were
816
01:12:27.560 --> 01:12:34.579
very different beasts. As, indeed, he supposed, were bears and bison.
817
01:12:35.819 --> 01:12:40.659
The bison always travelled in huge groups. and one afternoon
818
01:12:40.819 --> 01:12:43.609
he tried to count the animals as they grazed in
819
01:12:43.649 --> 01:12:48.770
the field below. By the time he reached three thousand,
820
01:12:49.289 --> 01:12:52.989
he was feeling quite cross-eyed and confused and gave up,
821
01:12:53.829 --> 01:12:58.170
realising that these animals that wanted to be around thousands
822
01:12:58.229 --> 01:13:04.609
of others were very different to bears. One afternoon in
823
01:13:04.670 --> 01:13:08.359
late summer, as he played on the shingle beaches, and
824
01:13:08.460 --> 01:13:11.859
dashed in and out of the waters catching the silver
825
01:13:11.939 --> 01:13:17.020
salmon that leapt and wriggled and surged, he thought he
826
01:13:17.060 --> 01:13:21.100
saw his mother high on a mountainside, looking down at
827
01:13:21.159 --> 01:13:25.729
him and smiling. He wasn't sure, but just in case,
828
01:13:26.199 --> 01:13:30.909
he took extra care to charge and dive and catch
829
01:13:30.989 --> 01:13:34.810
as well as he ever had, reassuring her that he
830
01:13:34.850 --> 01:13:38.579
was doing well in the world, and, He had learned
831
01:13:38.680 --> 01:13:43.600
from all the lessons she had shared. And one evening
832
01:13:43.659 --> 01:13:47.319
in the late autumn, he had seen his sister heading
833
01:13:47.380 --> 01:13:51.609
towards the same patch of berries as himself, holding back
834
01:13:51.649 --> 01:13:54.390
to let her go ahead and eat them instead of him.
835
01:13:55.949 --> 01:13:59.989
For a moment he wondered about going forwards and tapping
836
01:14:00.050 --> 01:14:03.310
her on the shoulder and wrestling and playing with her
837
01:14:03.449 --> 01:14:07.050
as they had in those early years. But his sister
838
01:14:07.109 --> 01:14:11.890
gave off such an air of contentment, her soft breaths
839
01:14:12.390 --> 01:14:15.069
showing white in the air as the coolness of the
840
01:14:15.229 --> 01:14:19.880
evening took hold, that he held back and let her be,
841
01:14:20.840 --> 01:14:26.079
safe and happy to be alone in the world. There
842
01:14:26.140 --> 01:14:30.069
was one thing Winter's mother hadn't told him, but that
843
01:14:30.109 --> 01:14:34.350
he had decided all for himself. He knew that he
844
01:14:34.409 --> 01:14:37.909
needed to eat and eat in order to survive the
845
01:14:37.949 --> 01:14:41.079
five months he would lie buried in his den beneath
846
01:14:41.140 --> 01:14:44.859
the snow, and she had given him all the skills
847
01:14:44.920 --> 01:14:47.439
he would ever need to be able to do that
848
01:14:47.560 --> 01:14:53.560
ten times over. As late autumn reached towards early winter,
849
01:14:54.739 --> 01:14:58.430
as the days grew shorter and the nights closed in,
850
01:14:59.670 --> 01:15:02.729
he was more aware than ever that he wanted to
851
01:15:02.829 --> 01:15:08.770
fill his mind with all things beautiful and wonderful, so
852
01:15:08.890 --> 01:15:13.270
that he would dream the best and most glorious dreams
853
01:15:13.850 --> 01:15:20.180
as he slept for month after month. And so, every
854
01:15:20.270 --> 01:15:26.079
moment of winter's days were filled with finding something more
855
01:15:26.199 --> 01:15:31.550
extraordinary than he'd seen on the last. He watched the
856
01:15:31.609 --> 01:15:36.539
leaves on trees as they turned from green into brown
857
01:15:37.239 --> 01:15:43.180
and red and yellow, seeing how their edges dried and curled.
858
01:15:44.000 --> 01:15:48.319
And finally, when the winds, laced with ice, whipped through
859
01:15:48.350 --> 01:15:53.569
the valleys, they drifted softly and gently to the ground.
860
01:15:55.270 --> 01:15:58.810
He felt them under his great paws, the crunching of
861
01:15:58.850 --> 01:16:02.689
the dry ones, and soft slipperiness of the wet ones,
862
01:16:03.649 --> 01:16:07.550
and sometimes he lay in piles of them, and kicked
863
01:16:07.590 --> 01:16:10.710
his feet so they danced in the air once more
864
01:16:11.130 --> 01:16:17.920
before falling down on his nose. He watched as the
865
01:16:18.020 --> 01:16:22.579
other animals prepared for winter too, seeing how the squirrels
866
01:16:22.699 --> 01:16:26.609
piled up nuts and buried them one by one into
867
01:16:26.649 --> 01:16:31.649
the ground, gently patting them into place and looking around
868
01:16:31.750 --> 01:16:37.220
to find ways of remembering their secret store. And, one
869
01:16:37.340 --> 01:16:42.060
by one, the birds started to fly south, sometimes in
870
01:16:42.159 --> 01:16:48.420
small groups and sometimes with thousands flying together, their wings
871
01:16:49.060 --> 01:16:54.109
beating in unison as they soared towards warmer weather and
872
01:16:54.289 --> 01:17:01.010
sunnier skies. In those last weeks before he headed up
873
01:17:01.090 --> 01:17:05.529
Eagle Peak to make his den, Winter sniffed the air
874
01:17:06.369 --> 01:17:11.789
and knew that the first snows were coming. He loved
875
01:17:11.989 --> 01:17:16.159
the snow. He loved the feel of it falling onto
876
01:17:16.220 --> 01:17:20.460
his face and fur, and he loved the way it
877
01:17:20.560 --> 01:17:26.199
crunched under his feet. He loved rolling into giant drifts,
878
01:17:26.840 --> 01:17:31.060
and sliding down the slopes, looking back at the trails
879
01:17:31.100 --> 01:17:37.430
he left behind. Sometimes, when it was snowing hard, he
880
01:17:37.470 --> 01:17:41.270
could walk for ten paces and look back to find
881
01:17:41.310 --> 01:17:46.069
his tracks already covered by falling snow and he felt
882
01:17:46.189 --> 01:17:49.229
as if he was magically invisible to the rest of
883
01:17:49.270 --> 01:17:54.810
the world. When it was like this, he dared himself
884
01:17:54.989 --> 01:18:00.340
to dance. lifting his giant feet and humming sounds to
885
01:18:00.399 --> 01:18:04.140
himself that sounded like the river and the wind in
886
01:18:04.180 --> 01:18:10.420
the trees and the screeches of eagles high above. No
887
01:18:10.539 --> 01:18:13.819
other living beast would ever know that Winter danced in
888
01:18:13.859 --> 01:18:17.869
the snow, for he always took care to do this
889
01:18:18.229 --> 01:18:22.310
only when the snow fell thick and fast and his
890
01:18:22.369 --> 01:18:26.090
footsteps echoed. were filled in forever as quickly as he
891
01:18:26.130 --> 01:18:33.060
made them. The giant blue and red and black creatures
892
01:18:33.199 --> 01:18:36.880
winter now knew to be cars stopped coming when the
893
01:18:36.960 --> 01:18:43.600
snows came. Sometimes the smaller creatures appeared, balancing on slender
894
01:18:43.649 --> 01:18:49.970
skis and racing fast across the countryside, weaving between the
895
01:18:50.140 --> 01:18:55.979
trees and shrieking with delight. They didn't come anymore with
896
01:18:56.020 --> 01:19:01.550
their rustling packets of strange-tasting food and fruits from lands
897
01:19:01.619 --> 01:19:05.329
far away, but they made him laugh in the way
898
01:19:05.390 --> 01:19:11.390
they charged across the snow-covered landscape, stopping sometimes to scoop
899
01:19:11.569 --> 01:19:16.149
up handfuls of the soft white powder and throw it
900
01:19:16.189 --> 01:19:20.880
at each other. He saw them pile the snow together once,
901
01:19:21.500 --> 01:19:26.520
forming it into the shape of a giant bear. That night,
902
01:19:27.439 --> 01:19:30.939
after the small creatures had gone, he went to the
903
01:19:30.979 --> 01:19:35.399
bear and patted the snow into place, putting a smile
904
01:19:35.479 --> 01:19:40.949
on the snow bear's face. The same small creatures returned
905
01:19:40.989 --> 01:19:44.949
the next day and saw what had been done. And
906
01:19:45.010 --> 01:19:49.399
he saw them laughing and scratching their heads and looking around.
907
01:19:50.069 --> 01:19:54.659
But who could possibly have done this? And safe behind
908
01:19:54.779 --> 01:19:59.760
a snowdrift, Winter laughed to himself to watch their confusion
909
01:19:59.840 --> 01:20:05.199
and delight. It was when the sun began to sink
910
01:20:05.340 --> 01:20:08.810
so low in the sky that that the days barely
911
01:20:08.869 --> 01:20:12.590
had light left in them, that winter knew it was
912
01:20:12.630 --> 01:20:17.029
time to begin his annual trip to the highest reaches
913
01:20:17.210 --> 01:20:23.619
of Eagle Peak. His mother had always told him to
914
01:20:23.680 --> 01:20:27.960
create his den on the north-facing slopes of the mountain.
915
01:20:29.500 --> 01:20:32.699
It was the coldest part where the winds blew the
916
01:20:32.779 --> 01:20:37.729
snow into the highest mounds piling up the warmth above
917
01:20:37.789 --> 01:20:44.270
him as he slept through the long winter months. By now,
918
01:20:45.090 --> 01:20:48.810
winter was so large that it was almost difficult to
919
01:20:48.869 --> 01:20:54.720
drag himself up the mountainside. Each step felt heavier and
920
01:20:54.819 --> 01:21:01.659
heavier and the snow became deeper and deeper. He looked
921
01:21:01.859 --> 01:21:07.869
up and chose a tree to aim for, The highest, strongest,
922
01:21:08.170 --> 01:21:12.250
toughest tree he could find, that would be the perfect
923
01:21:12.329 --> 01:21:19.760
placement for his first solo den. For hour after hour
924
01:21:20.159 --> 01:21:26.159
he trudged through the snow, his eyes almost completely closed
925
01:21:26.239 --> 01:21:32.250
against the winds that whipped and swirled around him. Winter
926
01:21:32.449 --> 01:21:35.210
thought of the den he would build and the sleep
927
01:21:35.369 --> 01:21:39.130
he would have, and the dreams that would fill his
928
01:21:39.250 --> 01:21:44.539
mind for month after month. And when he reached the
929
01:21:44.600 --> 01:21:48.859
giant tree, he set about digging deep into the ground,
930
01:21:49.739 --> 01:21:54.960
pulling up rocks and plants and stones and soft earth.
931
01:21:56.399 --> 01:22:00.439
He dug far into the mass of roots, to create
932
01:22:00.539 --> 01:22:04.890
something of a cave, and when he was finished, he
933
01:22:04.949 --> 01:22:09.489
turned to take one last look at the world before
934
01:22:09.550 --> 01:22:16.180
he retreated. Stretching as far as he could see was
935
01:22:16.239 --> 01:22:22.539
a blanket of white. Far beneath him, far, far away,
936
01:22:23.340 --> 01:22:29.569
he saw and heard of three thousand bison marching, slowly
937
01:22:29.670 --> 01:22:35.869
and steadily across the land. A golden eagle soared above,
938
01:22:36.670 --> 01:22:42.760
its feathers a dark blur against the falling snow. Winter
939
01:22:43.189 --> 01:22:47.899
whispered a soft goodbye to everything he knew and loved
940
01:22:48.800 --> 01:22:53.760
and headed into the softness of his den, turning himself
941
01:22:53.920 --> 01:22:58.060
this way and that on the earth floor, until he
942
01:22:58.140 --> 01:23:01.739
found just the way to curl himself to be as
943
01:23:01.859 --> 01:23:07.500
warm and cosy as possible. He kept one eye on
944
01:23:07.539 --> 01:23:12.510
the entrance for a while, watching as the snow piled
945
01:23:12.699 --> 01:23:16.750
up and up until he was quite sealed off from
946
01:23:16.789 --> 01:23:24.789
the world. He lay, wrapped in cosy silence and sleepy darkness.
947
01:23:27.140 --> 01:23:31.430
As the snow grew deeper and deeper above him, the
948
01:23:31.510 --> 01:23:35.029
cries of the eagle and the whistle of the wind
949
01:23:35.449 --> 01:23:42.979
were lost. Winter smiled to himself as he looked back
950
01:23:43.100 --> 01:23:48.920
on his first spring, his first summer, his first autumn
951
01:23:49.399 --> 01:23:54.000
that he had spent roaming the wilderness. He thought of
952
01:23:54.060 --> 01:23:57.979
the way the river had churned and roared during those
953
01:23:58.079 --> 01:24:03.279
early months, filled with the icy water of melting snow,
954
01:24:04.720 --> 01:24:10.550
and how the brightest, freshest, greenest leaves had dared to
955
01:24:10.829 --> 01:24:15.829
unfurl as the sun rose warmer and higher in the sky.
956
01:24:17.489 --> 01:24:21.050
He thought of the fish he'd caught and the warm
957
01:24:21.130 --> 01:24:25.250
roots he had pulled from the ground, and the berries
958
01:24:25.390 --> 01:24:29.810
that had appeared brighter and plumper as the year went on.
959
01:24:31.689 --> 01:24:34.930
He thought of the strange tangs of the food he
960
01:24:34.970 --> 01:24:40.260
had tried that the little people brought. He thought of
961
01:24:40.460 --> 01:24:44.880
all the animals readying themselves in their own way for
962
01:24:44.899 --> 01:24:50.350
the winter, some heading south and others piling up stores
963
01:24:50.409 --> 01:24:54.710
of food, and the other animals... the chipmunks and the
964
01:24:54.789 --> 01:24:58.489
mice and the frogs that he had seen heading off
965
01:24:58.529 --> 01:25:04.720
to hibernate, just like him. He thought of his mother
966
01:25:05.500 --> 01:25:11.199
and his brother and his sister, probably not so very
967
01:25:11.300 --> 01:25:16.189
far away, curled up safe and warm in their own
968
01:25:16.289 --> 01:25:22.590
dens far beneath the snow. And Winter knew he was
969
01:25:22.670 --> 01:25:29.449
ready for a long and wonderful sleep, dreaming a thousand
970
01:25:29.569 --> 01:25:36.310
dreams of everything he'd seen and done. The spring would
971
01:25:36.350 --> 01:25:41.739
be beautiful again, the summer would be filled with magic,
972
01:25:42.979 --> 01:25:49.100
but now it was time to sleep and rest, to
973
01:25:49.159 --> 01:25:52.739
drift away and hide from the world for a while,
974
01:25:54.619 --> 01:26:00.300
He breathed soft and low, just the way his mother
975
01:26:00.380 --> 01:26:09.319
had taught him. Gently in and gently out. Gently in
976
01:26:11.380 --> 01:26:20.159
and gently out. His body relaxed and was warm and
977
01:26:20.300 --> 01:26:32.689
safe and flowing. With gentle dreams. We are drifting towards
978
01:26:32.840 --> 01:26:40.779
dreams now. The happiest, loveliest dreams you've ever dreamt. We're
979
01:26:40.840 --> 01:26:46.590
calm and cozy. Your breathing is relaxed and you can
980
01:26:46.689 --> 01:26:51.369
feel that lovely weight of the blanket keeping you safe
981
01:26:51.670 --> 01:26:59.460
and warm. Aren't you comfy? You are so warm and cozy.
982
01:27:00.859 --> 01:27:07.689
So sleepy. As you drift into dreams, count all the
983
01:27:07.750 --> 01:27:13.810
things you're grateful for. Let yourself fill up with all
984
01:27:13.850 --> 01:27:19.449
of the little moments that made you smile today. See
985
01:27:19.529 --> 01:27:24.800
the faces of the people that made you laugh. Think
986
01:27:24.899 --> 01:27:30.300
of the things that challenged you. Think of the things
987
01:27:30.359 --> 01:27:34.140
you learned and the practice that meant you'll be a
988
01:27:34.220 --> 01:27:40.560
little bit better tomorrow than you were today. Think about
989
01:27:40.680 --> 01:27:46.310
how warm and cozy and sleepy you are here in
990
01:27:46.369 --> 01:27:54.270
your bed. What a day you had. wonderful things lie
991
01:27:54.329 --> 01:27:59.760
ahead for you too, you will have wonderful adventures tomorrow,
992
01:28:00.520 --> 01:28:05.479
and the next day, and the one after that, the
993
01:28:05.659 --> 01:28:11.810
whole world is waiting for you, but there's no rush,
994
01:28:12.689 --> 01:28:17.949
there's nothing more to do today, all that's left for
995
01:28:17.989 --> 01:28:26.479
today is rest, deep cozy sleep, the most beautiful of
996
01:28:26.600 --> 01:28:31.359
dreams are waiting for you now, that's why you're drifting
997
01:28:31.479 --> 01:28:40.850
off gently into dreamland, so keep breathing slowly, let yourself
998
01:28:40.909 --> 01:28:47.420
get toasty warm. Let your eyelids stay heavy. And know
999
01:28:47.520 --> 01:28:52.779
that you are safe. Remember that you are smart. You
1000
01:28:52.840 --> 01:29:00.210
are brave. You are kind. And you are loved. Think
1001
01:29:00.229 --> 01:29:09.000
it to yourself. I am smart. I am brave. I
1002
01:29:09.359 --> 01:29:17.229
am kind. I am loved. You are a dream. When
1003
01:29:17.329 --> 01:29:21.970
tomorrow comes, you'll face it with a smile. Because you
1004
01:29:22.109 --> 01:29:31.960
are smart, brave, kind and loved. Because you... A you. Uniquely,
1005
01:29:32.699 --> 01:29:40.659
wonderfully you. What kind of dream are you drifting towards tonight?
1006
01:29:41.899 --> 01:29:47.350
You can dream however you want, because your imagination is
1007
01:29:47.430 --> 01:29:52.310
as wide as the universe. What will you find in
1008
01:29:52.390 --> 01:29:59.270
tonight's dream? Maybe you'll see your favourite characters. Is that
1009
01:29:59.390 --> 01:30:05.649
Hector and Sunny over there? Maybe you'll visit the moon...
1010
01:30:05.890 --> 01:30:12.010
Where there's mice eating cheese in the craters. Maybe you'll
1011
01:30:12.050 --> 01:30:17.270
walk through Sleepy Forest... Where Coco the koala... Is strumming
1012
01:30:17.350 --> 01:30:23.060
his pink ukulele... On the banks of Sleepy River. Let
1013
01:30:23.140 --> 01:30:30.899
your imagination take you away. Your dreams... are all yours
1014
01:30:31.880 --> 01:30:38.079
and you deserve the sweetest dreams of all because you
1015
01:30:38.420 --> 01:30:47.510
are brave you are kind and you are loved you
1016
01:30:47.590 --> 01:30:55.310
are brave you are kind and you are loved and
1017
01:30:55.449 --> 01:31:04.409
you are wonderfully uniquely You. You are a dream. And
1018
01:31:04.470 --> 01:31:10.779
it's time to sleep. Tucked up in your bed. Breathe
1019
01:31:10.920 --> 01:31:17.340
slowly and melt into your bed. Isn't it warm and
1020
01:31:17.500 --> 01:31:25.859
soft and cozy? It's time to rest. Take deep breaths
1021
01:31:26.500 --> 01:31:31.659
in and out. and let yourself relax as you say
1022
01:31:31.720 --> 01:31:38.090
goodbye to the day let your body get even heavier
1023
01:31:39.770 --> 01:31:48.949
let your whole body go floppy drift deeper into sleep
1024
01:31:49.529 --> 01:31:59.859
with every breath and say goodnight remember Tomorrow will be
1025
01:31:59.920 --> 01:32:06.250
a good day. Because you have a big heart. You
1026
01:32:06.369 --> 01:32:13.930
are a good friend. You believe in yourself. You know
1027
01:32:14.029 --> 01:32:20.609
there's nothing better to be than yourself. It's okay to
1028
01:32:20.680 --> 01:32:27.300
get things wrong. It's okay to ask for help. You
1029
01:32:27.399 --> 01:32:33.050
can do whatever you set your mind to. Be proud
1030
01:32:33.119 --> 01:32:39.270
to be different. Be proud of your achievements. Be proud
1031
01:32:39.310 --> 01:32:44.949
of yourself. You are a good learner. You are a
1032
01:32:45.029 --> 01:32:52.359
good listener. You are a good example to others. You
1033
01:32:52.439 --> 01:33:03.069
are valued. You are loved. You are sleepy. So drift
1034
01:33:03.229 --> 01:33:11.069
off now, little one. Let the dreams take over. As
1035
01:33:11.109 --> 01:33:16.079
you sleep, let your dreams take you to magical lands
1036
01:33:16.199 --> 01:33:22.640
and faraway places. Remember, there's no room for worries in
1037
01:33:22.680 --> 01:33:30.720
your dreams. Just magic. It's a magic place where anything
1038
01:33:30.899 --> 01:33:37.590
can happen. Anything you want. It's a place of positivity
1039
01:33:38.310 --> 01:33:46.729
and light. Let positivity soak into you and fill you up.
1040
01:33:48.850 --> 01:33:53.550
Imagine it as a golden light traveling from the tips
1041
01:33:53.649 --> 01:33:59.329
of your toes to the top of your head. Imagine
1042
01:33:59.390 --> 01:34:06.930
that wherever the light touches you fills with happiness. Imagine
1043
01:34:07.329 --> 01:34:13.510
that the light makes you feel calm. You're wrapped in
1044
01:34:13.550 --> 01:34:22.039
a warm, cozy glow within your soft, toasty blanket. Isn't
1045
01:34:22.119 --> 01:34:30.640
that nice? You're safe, tucked up tight. So sleep soundly
1046
01:34:31.979 --> 01:34:39.159
all through the night. Sweet dreams, little one. I'll see
1047
01:34:39.199 --> 01:34:50.829
you soon. Tonight's bedtime story is The Sleepy Little Foxes
1048
01:34:51.649 --> 01:35:01.359
by Alicia Ainslie. It was a cool night in Sleepy Forest.
1049
01:35:02.069 --> 01:35:05.949
The sun had already set, and the moon was beaming
1050
01:35:06.069 --> 01:35:10.770
brightly in the sky. The trees rustled with the motion
1051
01:35:10.810 --> 01:35:14.399
of the wind as it passed through, and faintly, in
1052
01:35:14.420 --> 01:35:17.800
the distance, you could hear the cooing of an owl.
1053
01:35:19.380 --> 01:35:23.369
All of the woodland creatures were starting to wind down
1054
01:35:23.449 --> 01:35:27.710
for the evening. The rabbits were burrowing down into their
1055
01:35:27.770 --> 01:35:32.090
warm beds in the tunnels, and the birds were nestling
1056
01:35:32.210 --> 01:35:37.479
up tight into their luxurious nests. The bears were cuddled
1057
01:35:37.659 --> 01:35:42.220
up in their cosy caves, and the bees had fallen
1058
01:35:42.319 --> 01:35:48.390
silent as they slept in their hives. The parents told
1059
01:35:48.470 --> 01:35:51.829
pleasant stories to their children to whisk them off to
1060
01:35:51.890 --> 01:35:57.500
sweet dreams. or sang them darling lullabies to ease them
1061
01:35:57.619 --> 01:36:02.899
into their slumber. Some of the parents rocked their young
1062
01:36:02.939 --> 01:36:10.050
to sleep, while others simply slept next to their babies. Meanwhile,
1063
01:36:10.890 --> 01:36:15.970
one mother despaired over her children's inability to drift off.
1064
01:36:17.210 --> 01:36:22.399
Her mother fox sighed with exasperation, as she watched her
1065
01:36:22.500 --> 01:36:27.239
two young cubs tumble around and frolic in the grass together.
1066
01:36:28.409 --> 01:36:31.569
She'd been trying to coax them into their warm den
1067
01:36:31.949 --> 01:36:37.250
for over an hour, but the defiant little foxes refused
1068
01:36:37.409 --> 01:36:44.149
to listen. Go to sleep, little foxes, she implored her
1069
01:36:44.220 --> 01:36:50.310
two sons. But the rambunctious pair wouldn't listen. We have
1070
01:36:50.369 --> 01:36:53.989
too much energy, one of them declared as he leapt
1071
01:36:54.090 --> 01:36:57.369
on top of his brother and playfully wrestled him to
1072
01:36:57.409 --> 01:37:04.619
the ground. Oh dear, oh dear, Mother Fox tutted, shaking
1073
01:37:04.720 --> 01:37:10.180
her head from side to side. She was tired of
1074
01:37:10.220 --> 01:37:13.640
trying to force her mischievous sons to go to sleep.
1075
01:37:14.579 --> 01:37:19.699
She had too much to do. At night, The adult
1076
01:37:19.779 --> 01:37:23.479
foxes would venture outside of their dens in search of
1077
01:37:23.590 --> 01:37:27.989
food for the next day. If she didn't go out tonight,
1078
01:37:28.050 --> 01:37:30.810
then they would all be very hungry the next day,
1079
01:37:31.590 --> 01:37:34.350
and she would have to wait for nightfall yet again
1080
01:37:34.609 --> 01:37:40.380
to go out. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her
1081
01:37:40.479 --> 01:37:44.399
to do her job without keeping watch over her sons.
1082
01:37:46.239 --> 01:37:50.479
Foxes are animals of the night, you see. They are
1083
01:37:50.560 --> 01:37:55.140
nocturnal creatures, so they are accustomed to roaming around the
1084
01:37:55.199 --> 01:38:01.819
forest when the sun sets and night comes. Foxes don't
1085
01:38:01.899 --> 01:38:05.819
have the best eyesight, so they communicate with each other
1086
01:38:05.899 --> 01:38:10.520
by sound and scent. That is why they are so
1087
01:38:10.680 --> 01:38:14.939
perfectly built for living in the dark and enjoying the
1088
01:38:15.000 --> 01:38:18.960
night time. They can find their way in the dark
1089
01:38:19.659 --> 01:38:25.289
using simply their ears and their noses. When her sons
1090
01:38:25.369 --> 01:38:29.310
were young, Mother Fox had no problem with getting them
1091
01:38:29.369 --> 01:38:32.539
to sleep at night. night while she went out foraging.
1092
01:38:33.920 --> 01:38:37.560
When they were babies, they needed as much sleep as possible,
1093
01:38:38.340 --> 01:38:41.729
and they only woke up to eat and drink before
1094
01:38:41.819 --> 01:38:46.289
drifting back off to sleep. But now that they were
1095
01:38:46.329 --> 01:38:51.939
getting bigger, They were requiring more energy and were wanting
1096
01:38:52.000 --> 01:38:56.840
to stay up later and later each night. She was
1097
01:38:56.920 --> 01:39:00.460
finding it more and more of a struggle to get
1098
01:39:00.520 --> 01:39:05.090
them to go to sleep than ever. The two little
1099
01:39:05.149 --> 01:39:11.170
fox brothers were called Arlo and Louis. Arlo and Louis
1100
01:39:11.270 --> 01:39:15.430
both had bright red fur with white chins and chests
1101
01:39:15.789 --> 01:39:20.140
and black paws upon their feet. They had black button
1102
01:39:20.180 --> 01:39:23.899
noses on the ends of their pointed snouts, and they
1103
01:39:23.960 --> 01:39:28.899
had big triangular ears on the top of their tiny heads.
1104
01:39:30.470 --> 01:39:34.810
Their red fur was so soft and fluffy that other
1105
01:39:34.930 --> 01:39:38.989
animals in the forest often referred to them as little
1106
01:39:39.109 --> 01:39:44.300
fluffy red clouds. Although, now that they were getting older,
1107
01:39:45.079 --> 01:39:50.140
their mother referred to them as little fluffy red storm clouds.
1108
01:39:51.000 --> 01:39:57.289
They were becoming tougher to handle each day. Arlo and
1109
01:39:57.390 --> 01:40:01.789
Louis continued to play with each other around the forest clearing,
1110
01:40:02.510 --> 01:40:08.100
ignoring their mother. They jumped over logs and bounced off
1111
01:40:08.180 --> 01:40:13.020
the sides of tree trunks. They ran through flowerbeds and
1112
01:40:13.119 --> 01:40:16.880
pushed their way through bushes and in their quest to
1113
01:40:16.939 --> 01:40:22.420
chase one another. Their energy seemed to be endless, and
1114
01:40:22.460 --> 01:40:28.729
Mother Fox didn't know what to do. Eventually, Mother Fox
1115
01:40:28.850 --> 01:40:34.689
sighed and said to her disobedient sons, Fine, you win.
1116
01:40:35.829 --> 01:40:38.899
If you won't go to sleep, then so be it.
1117
01:40:40.180 --> 01:40:42.520
I am going to go out and find us some
1118
01:40:42.619 --> 01:40:47.189
food for tomorrow. If you two want to continue playing,
1119
01:40:47.229 --> 01:40:51.149
then you can do so. But just make sure that
1120
01:40:51.180 --> 01:40:56.720
you are back in the den by sunrise. Arlo and
1121
01:40:56.880 --> 01:41:02.560
Louis jumped with glee. This was the first time that
1122
01:41:02.640 --> 01:41:06.479
their mother was allowing them to stay up late to play,
1123
01:41:07.199 --> 01:41:11.550
and they couldn't wait. They watched their mother trot off
1124
01:41:11.649 --> 01:41:16.300
into the forest. leaving them behind to do as they pleased.
1125
01:41:19.020 --> 01:41:25.109
This is so exciting, expressed Arlo to his brother. What
1126
01:41:25.170 --> 01:41:31.130
shall we do with our first night of freedom? Louis
1127
01:41:31.210 --> 01:41:36.189
tilted his head and thought. He wiggled his button nose
1128
01:41:36.350 --> 01:41:42.970
and twitched his whiskers, then suggested, Well, we haven't been
1129
01:41:43.069 --> 01:41:47.149
outside of our den before, so we need to explore
1130
01:41:47.189 --> 01:41:56.819
the forest. Good idea, Arlo replied, before adding, I wonder
1131
01:41:56.859 --> 01:42:00.560
what other animals we'll meet in the forest. There must
1132
01:42:00.600 --> 01:42:05.409
be so many other creatures we can play with. The
1133
01:42:05.470 --> 01:42:09.270
roguish foxes looked at each other with a sparkle in
1134
01:42:09.329 --> 01:42:14.710
their eyes. and grinned. They ran away from the grassy
1135
01:42:14.789 --> 01:42:20.250
clearing outside their den and sped through the trees out
1136
01:42:20.710 --> 01:42:27.010
into the night. They were in high spirits and enthusiastically
1137
01:42:27.409 --> 01:42:31.890
ran further away from home and out into the forest.
1138
01:42:34.350 --> 01:42:39.569
After about ten minutes of mindless running, the little foxes
1139
01:42:39.810 --> 01:42:47.079
came to a halt. They glanced around in confusion. Everywhere
1140
01:42:47.239 --> 01:42:51.760
looked the same to them. In each direction they turned,
1141
01:42:52.640 --> 01:42:58.920
all they could see were trees. Trees for miles, and bushes.
1142
01:43:00.220 --> 01:43:04.090
They lifted their heads up to the sky, and all
1143
01:43:04.119 --> 01:43:08.239
they could see were the branches and the leaves and
1144
01:43:08.260 --> 01:43:14.109
the twinkling stars in the night sky, accompanied by the half-moon.
1145
01:43:16.090 --> 01:43:24.409
I haven't seen anyone around, Arlo pouted disappointedly. Louis harrumphed
1146
01:43:24.989 --> 01:43:29.500
and sat his bottom down on the ground. Me neither.
1147
01:43:31.359 --> 01:43:38.149
He sighed. Where is everybody? All of a sudden... they
1148
01:43:38.250 --> 01:43:45.449
heard a shushing sound. Shhh, came the voice. They looked
1149
01:43:45.489 --> 01:43:48.840
around for where it had come from, but they couldn't
1150
01:43:48.920 --> 01:43:57.560
see anything. Did you hear that? Louis whispered. Hello, is
1151
01:43:57.619 --> 01:44:04.869
anyone there? Arlo called out into the forest. Shhh, came
1152
01:44:04.930 --> 01:44:11.029
the sound again. but even louder this time. The brothers
1153
01:44:11.109 --> 01:44:17.560
looked around, confused. They couldn't see anyone, but they couldn't
1154
01:44:17.600 --> 01:44:22.119
have been imagining it. They tried calling out again to
1155
01:44:22.199 --> 01:44:26.619
see if anyone responded, and they were delighted when they
1156
01:44:26.699 --> 01:44:33.420
finally got a response. Please, will you be quiet? A
1157
01:44:33.520 --> 01:44:39.140
hushed voice came from above. They lifted their heads back
1158
01:44:39.260 --> 01:44:43.100
up to the sky and saw a pair of tiny
1159
01:44:43.470 --> 01:44:47.289
eyes looking down at them from one of the tree branches.
1160
01:44:48.590 --> 01:44:53.149
It was a bird. Arlo and Louis were very pleased
1161
01:44:53.229 --> 01:44:57.420
to see the bird, but the feeling didn't appear to
1162
01:44:57.479 --> 01:45:03.560
be mutual. The bird seemed a tad annoyed. My children
1163
01:45:04.000 --> 01:45:08.289
are trying to sleep. And you two are being very loud,
1164
01:45:09.289 --> 01:45:13.369
the bird continued. Shouldn't you be in your own beds
1165
01:45:13.489 --> 01:45:21.189
by now? Louis puffed out his fluffy chest proudly and responded.
1166
01:45:22.850 --> 01:45:27.399
We are too grown up for bedtime. Our mother said
1167
01:45:27.529 --> 01:45:33.119
we are allowed to stay up all night. The bird
1168
01:45:33.279 --> 01:45:39.470
furrowed its brows. and shuffled its feathers. Well, that might
1169
01:45:39.529 --> 01:45:43.590
be so for you nocturnal foxes, but for the rest
1170
01:45:43.630 --> 01:45:48.989
of us, we sleep at night, the bird retorted. Please
1171
01:45:49.250 --> 01:45:53.149
go to sleep, little foxes, and keep the noise down.
1172
01:45:55.880 --> 01:46:00.220
On its final word, the bird hopped off along the
1173
01:46:00.279 --> 01:46:06.189
tree branch and back towards its nest. Arlo and Louis
1174
01:46:06.619 --> 01:46:12.050
shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly. They would just find somewhere else
1175
01:46:12.130 --> 01:46:14.949
to go play if the bird didn't want them around.
1176
01:46:17.229 --> 01:46:21.649
With a swish of their bushy tails, they raced off
1177
01:46:21.729 --> 01:46:26.989
again through the trees. The deeper into the forest they got,
1178
01:46:27.710 --> 01:46:34.229
the more interesting the wilderness became. There were larger, brighter flowers.
1179
01:46:35.000 --> 01:46:39.779
dimmed in the darkness, and they came across a stream
1180
01:46:40.100 --> 01:46:45.899
trickling through. They stopped to grab a drink of fresh
1181
01:46:46.020 --> 01:46:55.470
water before wandering further up the bank. Hey Arlo, watch this,
1182
01:46:56.270 --> 01:47:02.279
Louie giggled. As Arlo turned around to face Louie, he
1183
01:47:02.380 --> 01:47:07.420
felt a splash of water land across his face. His
1184
01:47:07.520 --> 01:47:12.579
fur was soaking wet, and when he opened his bewildered
1185
01:47:12.899 --> 01:47:18.109
eyes again, he saw that his impish brother was stood
1186
01:47:18.689 --> 01:47:23.189
in the shallow part of the stream. He had splashed him.
1187
01:47:24.829 --> 01:47:29.920
Arlo sprang forward and used his paw to splash water
1188
01:47:30.000 --> 01:47:35.420
in his brother's direction, The wave of water washed over
1189
01:47:35.500 --> 01:47:41.850
Louis and they both laughed elatedly. The playful duo splashed
1190
01:47:41.930 --> 01:47:47.109
each other to and fro, soaking their fluffy hair through.
1191
01:47:48.770 --> 01:47:52.970
This was an enthralling new activity that they hadn't discovered before.
1192
01:47:54.510 --> 01:47:58.350
Playing in the stream was even more fun than playing
1193
01:47:58.420 --> 01:48:03.449
in the grass. Just as they were both covered from
1194
01:48:03.649 --> 01:48:08.489
head to toe in water, they heard a bark. They
1195
01:48:08.550 --> 01:48:12.689
glanced over to the other side of the stream and
1196
01:48:12.770 --> 01:48:18.590
saw a funny-looking creature that they hadn't seen before. A
1197
01:48:18.649 --> 01:48:24.239
rotund rodent. with short spiky brown hair stood on the
1198
01:48:24.420 --> 01:48:28.539
other side of the stream with its hands on its hips.
1199
01:48:30.079 --> 01:48:34.380
It had two long buck teeth peeping out from its
1200
01:48:34.460 --> 01:48:39.579
mouth and had a large flat tail behind it that
1201
01:48:39.699 --> 01:48:48.149
tapped and padded impatiently against the muddy bank. Excuse me,
1202
01:48:49.250 --> 01:48:54.029
the odd creature hissed across the water. What do you
1203
01:48:54.180 --> 01:48:58.939
think you are doing? You are making an awful racket,
1204
01:48:59.939 --> 01:49:06.399
and it's disturbing my children. Harlow and Louie looked sheepish
1205
01:49:06.739 --> 01:49:12.170
and apologised. They didn't realise that anyone else was around.
1206
01:49:13.369 --> 01:49:17.220
They were too caught up in their entertaining game to notice.
1207
01:49:20.539 --> 01:49:27.140
What are you? Arlo queried innocently, not realising how blunt
1208
01:49:27.180 --> 01:49:34.119
his question was. The beaver folded its arms and fumed. I,
1209
01:49:34.630 --> 01:49:39.760
young fox, am a beaver. Hasn't your mother been? ever
1210
01:49:39.840 --> 01:49:46.260
introduced you to one before Arlo shook his head bewilderedly
1211
01:49:46.340 --> 01:49:51.489
and explained no no she hasn't this is our first
1212
01:49:51.590 --> 01:49:56.909
night away from our den the beaver raised its eyebrows
1213
01:49:57.670 --> 01:50:04.159
and calmed down upon hearing this in that case I
1214
01:50:04.180 --> 01:50:08.739
can understand why you might be confused the beaver tutted
1215
01:50:10.350 --> 01:50:15.029
but let me teach you something, little foxes. The beaver
1216
01:50:15.170 --> 01:50:19.750
informed Arlo and Louis that whilst they were animals of
1217
01:50:19.810 --> 01:50:25.750
the night, most other creatures are not. When the sun sets,
1218
01:50:26.439 --> 01:50:29.939
most animals go to sleep so that they can rest
1219
01:50:30.399 --> 01:50:33.859
and wake up rejuvenated and ready for the next day
1220
01:50:33.920 --> 01:50:38.479
when the sun rose. If they didn't get their much-needed sleep,
1221
01:50:39.359 --> 01:50:47.770
Then they would become cranky and impatient all day, beavers included. So,
1222
01:50:48.390 --> 01:50:54.270
the beaver concluded, I suggest you go to sleep, little foxes,
1223
01:50:54.789 --> 01:50:58.710
or move on and find somewhere else to play your
1224
01:50:58.789 --> 01:51:05.130
childish games. Then the beaver spun around and gave its
1225
01:51:05.229 --> 01:51:11.060
tail a One last hard thump against the ground before
1226
01:51:11.119 --> 01:51:16.939
returning to its lodge and its family. We'd better go
1227
01:51:17.079 --> 01:51:22.539
find somewhere else to play, Louis remarked. I don't fancy
1228
01:51:22.600 --> 01:51:29.750
being scolded by a beaver again. Still dripping wet, the
1229
01:51:29.810 --> 01:51:34.329
brothers climbed out of the streams and shook their bodies
1230
01:51:34.430 --> 01:51:39.510
from side to side to dry off. Then they galloped off,
1231
01:51:40.109 --> 01:51:46.560
further upstream. They were learning a lot about the forest
1232
01:51:46.649 --> 01:51:51.720
and what it contained. On just their first night of freedom,
1233
01:51:52.640 --> 01:51:56.619
they had met two new animals and learnt a bit
1234
01:51:56.699 --> 01:52:01.250
about the way things were in the wilderness. They had
1235
01:52:01.310 --> 01:52:06.609
discovered the joys of playing in water, and now they
1236
01:52:06.649 --> 01:52:10.060
were purposefully looking for new ways to have fun in
1237
01:52:10.100 --> 01:52:16.300
the forest. Eventually, they came across the entrance to a
1238
01:52:16.359 --> 01:52:25.069
large cave. They couldn't see anything inside. It was pitch black. Hello,
1239
01:52:26.130 --> 01:52:30.720
Arlo called out into the dark cave. He waited to
1240
01:52:31.060 --> 01:52:36.920
see if anyone responded, but he heard nothing. I don't
1241
01:52:36.979 --> 01:52:41.720
think anyone is in there, he reported, turning back to
1242
01:52:41.760 --> 01:52:50.170
his brother. Louis stepped further into the cave and called out, Hello!
1243
01:52:52.090 --> 01:52:56.609
As he did so, the sound of his voice reverberated
1244
01:52:56.630 --> 01:53:04.220
around the cave walls. creating an echo. Hello, hello, hello.
1245
01:53:05.460 --> 01:53:11.340
The sound of his voice repeated, fading out with each repetition.
1246
01:53:13.649 --> 01:53:20.590
Arlo and Louis' eyes grew wide with wonder. Wow, they
1247
01:53:20.649 --> 01:53:29.859
both chimed, and then heard their voices echo again. Wow, wow, wow.
1248
01:53:32.539 --> 01:53:37.199
They turned to each other and cracked up. They fell
1249
01:53:37.279 --> 01:53:43.220
about laughing so hard that they held their stomachs. Their
1250
01:53:43.340 --> 01:53:51.109
euphoric laughter echoed around the cave. This is amazing, Louis rejoiced,
1251
01:53:51.609 --> 01:53:56.680
chuckling as the word amazing continued to bounce off the
1252
01:53:56.739 --> 01:54:04.180
stone walls. Shall we go further inside? Arlo nodded his
1253
01:54:04.260 --> 01:54:10.130
head eagerly, and they started to tiptoe further into the cave,
1254
01:54:11.170 --> 01:54:18.449
but were stopped by a squeaky voice. I wouldn't recommend
1255
01:54:18.529 --> 01:54:23.529
going in there if I were you, the meek voice recommended.
1256
01:54:24.699 --> 01:54:29.199
A family of bears lived there, and I don't think
1257
01:54:29.640 --> 01:54:36.260
they will be too impressed by your noisy shenanigans. Arlo
1258
01:54:36.340 --> 01:54:42.710
and Louis paused. They knew what bears were, and they
1259
01:54:42.789 --> 01:54:45.529
knew that they didn't want to get on the wrong
1260
01:54:45.670 --> 01:54:50.850
side of a mother bear. They turned around swiftly and
1261
01:54:50.970 --> 01:54:58.739
scampered back out of the cave. Once safely outside, they
1262
01:54:58.800 --> 01:55:03.600
stopped by a tree to catch their breath. They noticed
1263
01:55:03.659 --> 01:55:07.239
a blur of movement come from the mouth of the
1264
01:55:07.279 --> 01:55:13.199
cave and fly through the air. They heard the fluttering
1265
01:55:13.229 --> 01:55:18.710
of wings and looked up above them. Hanging from a
1266
01:55:18.770 --> 01:55:26.010
branch upside down was another unusual creature. They'd never seen
1267
01:55:26.270 --> 01:55:33.449
anything like it before. The topsy-turvy creature spoke to them
1268
01:55:34.229 --> 01:55:39.670
in the same small voice they had heard in the cave. Phew!
1269
01:55:40.409 --> 01:55:43.529
I'm glad we're out of there. I wouldn't want to
1270
01:55:43.569 --> 01:55:47.619
be around when Mother Bear comes looking for who woke
1271
01:55:47.880 --> 01:55:55.869
up her sleeping cubs. The creature chuckled. Arlo and Louis
1272
01:55:56.329 --> 01:56:01.329
looked back at the cave and instinctively ran further away,
1273
01:56:02.050 --> 01:56:05.390
as far as they could, until they could no longer
1274
01:56:05.449 --> 01:56:11.319
see it. The capsized creature followed them and perched on
1275
01:56:11.399 --> 01:56:18.600
another branch overhead. Nobody else understands what it's like to
1276
01:56:18.659 --> 01:56:26.470
be nocturnal, the small black creature sighed. What are you?
1277
01:56:28.289 --> 01:56:36.369
Arlo asked curiously. Why, I'm a bat, of course, it
1278
01:56:36.430 --> 01:56:42.989
replied proudly, expanding its wings to the sides while still
1279
01:56:43.170 --> 01:56:50.220
hanging head over heels from the tree. Arlo explained that
1280
01:56:50.279 --> 01:56:54.840
they had never seen a bat before or even heard
1281
01:56:54.880 --> 01:56:59.909
of one The bat was very kind and didn't judge
1282
01:57:00.010 --> 01:57:04.720
them for their lack of knowledge. Instead, the bat was
1283
01:57:04.779 --> 01:57:08.220
delighted to be able to teach them a thing or two.
1284
01:57:09.859 --> 01:57:15.380
The bat added, It's hard finding anyone to play with
1285
01:57:15.560 --> 01:57:21.000
when you're nocturnal. Everyone else wants to sleep at night.
1286
01:57:21.850 --> 01:57:25.289
And we have to be as quiet as possible so
1287
01:57:25.390 --> 01:57:28.970
as not to wake them up. But all I really
1288
01:57:29.029 --> 01:57:34.260
want to do is fly and play to my heart's content.
1289
01:57:36.600 --> 01:57:43.260
Arlo and Louis smiled and offered kindly. Why don't you
1290
01:57:43.319 --> 01:57:49.210
play with us? The bat looked ecstatic. and let go
1291
01:57:49.270 --> 01:57:53.590
of the tree branch to hover in the air. I
1292
01:57:53.630 --> 01:58:00.079
would love to do that, the bat replied. The three
1293
01:58:00.300 --> 01:58:05.149
fun-loving animals spent the next hour playing around the forest.
1294
01:58:06.090 --> 01:58:10.250
They tried to be as quiet as possible. to not
1295
01:58:10.329 --> 01:58:15.090
disturb anyone else, and they chased one another round and
1296
01:58:15.170 --> 01:58:21.569
round in circles. The bat flew through the air, soaring
1297
01:58:21.720 --> 01:58:28.500
high and diving low, whilst the two little foxes dove
1298
01:58:28.640 --> 01:58:34.529
under and bolted over objects on the ground. They had
1299
01:58:34.770 --> 01:58:42.310
a rollicking good time all together. After a while, Arlo
1300
01:58:42.409 --> 01:58:47.770
and Bluey found themselves starting to get slower and slower.
1301
01:58:49.220 --> 01:58:53.460
They had less energy, and were finding it harder to
1302
01:58:53.520 --> 01:58:57.579
keep up with the bat that flew so easily through
1303
01:58:57.619 --> 01:59:04.439
the air. Their little legs were starting to ache and
1304
01:59:04.479 --> 01:59:10.100
their eyes were beginning to droop. Louis let out a
1305
01:59:10.159 --> 01:59:17.109
little yawn and Arlo followed suit. The bat flew lower
1306
01:59:17.170 --> 01:59:21.930
to the ground and back to them. Why aren't you
1307
01:59:21.989 --> 01:59:29.529
keeping up? the bat inquired inquisitively. Louis yawned yet again
1308
01:59:32.239 --> 01:59:40.239
I'm tired, he answered. Me too, piped up Arlo. The
1309
01:59:40.300 --> 01:59:46.960
bat looked over the two young foxes and smiled. They
1310
01:59:47.039 --> 01:59:52.520
looked absolutely worn out from all the fun they had
1311
01:59:52.539 --> 02:00:00.340
been having. Go to sleep, little foxes. the bat comforted
1312
02:00:00.420 --> 02:00:04.939
them in a hushed voice. I'll lead your way home.
1313
02:00:07.659 --> 02:00:14.149
Arlo and Louis sleepily followed the bat through the trees
1314
02:00:14.510 --> 02:00:20.909
and back to their den. They walked sluggishly slow and
1315
02:00:20.989 --> 02:00:24.850
fought to stay awake to make it back to their mother.
1316
02:00:26.930 --> 02:00:31.840
Upon sight of their den, Arlo and Louis picked up
1317
02:00:31.979 --> 02:00:36.939
speed and trotted over to the entrance to their den,
1318
02:00:37.720 --> 02:00:43.439
where their mother was waiting patiently. Did you have a
1319
02:00:43.579 --> 02:00:49.609
good night? she questioned. But Arlo and Louis could hardly
1320
02:00:49.649 --> 02:00:55.310
get a word out, they were so tired. Without saying
1321
02:00:55.390 --> 02:01:00.720
a thing, they climbed down into the den, and curled
1322
02:01:00.960 --> 02:01:07.369
up in their warm bed. Mother Fox watched them and
1323
02:01:07.470 --> 02:01:14.100
giggled fondly. They certainly looked like they had enjoyed their night,
1324
02:01:15.399 --> 02:01:18.899
and she had a feeling that she wouldn't have to
1325
02:01:19.000 --> 02:01:23.979
force them to go to sleep now. She was sure
1326
02:01:24.060 --> 02:01:29.789
that within seconds, they would be gently snoozing and snoring
1327
02:01:29.869 --> 02:01:37.449
away in their comfy bed. Mother Fox turned back to
1328
02:01:37.489 --> 02:01:41.869
the bat and thanked it for guiding her sons home
1329
02:01:42.569 --> 02:01:49.590
and keeping watch over them. It was my pleasure, the
1330
02:01:49.649 --> 02:01:58.739
bat assured her. They will sleep well now. Mother Fox laughed. Oh,
1331
02:01:58.819 --> 02:02:05.199
of that I'm very sure, she agreed. The bat flew
1332
02:02:05.460 --> 02:02:10.600
off back out into the night sky, and Mother Fox
1333
02:02:10.819 --> 02:02:17.399
crawled into the den. As she expected, Arlo and Bluey
1334
02:02:18.100 --> 02:02:24.090
were snuggled up close to each other, fast asleep. She
1335
02:02:24.149 --> 02:02:29.390
watched their bellies rise and fall with their breath and
1336
02:02:29.470 --> 02:02:37.210
heard their sweet sighs of contentment. Nuzzling up close, she
1337
02:02:37.310 --> 02:02:44.720
wrapped herself around her beloved sons protectively and closed her eyes.
1338
02:02:46.560 --> 02:02:50.060
There were some battles she was willing to fight with
1339
02:02:50.119 --> 02:02:57.420
her children, but not tonight. Tonight, they had learned their
1340
02:02:57.479 --> 02:03:02.720
lesson all on their own and had a lovely experience
1341
02:03:02.840 --> 02:03:08.890
along the way. As Mother Fox began to drift off
1342
02:03:09.630 --> 02:03:15.289
to her own relaxing land of sleep, she looked forward
1343
02:03:15.409 --> 02:03:19.930
to the night when she could go exploring with her
1344
02:03:20.010 --> 02:03:29.430
little foxes in the future too. now we're drifting gently
1345
02:03:29.630 --> 02:03:35.189
from the waking world into the world of dreams our
1346
02:03:35.229 --> 02:03:41.279
body is soft and heavy our arms are heavy and
1347
02:03:41.359 --> 02:03:47.739
our legs are heavy too our breathing is gentle and
1348
02:03:47.800 --> 02:03:55.729
relaxed our breath going in through our noses and down
1349
02:03:55.829 --> 02:04:10.079
into our chest Breathing in and out. Breathing in and out.
1350
02:04:11.699 --> 02:04:18.170
Just like the waves lapping back and forth, back and forth.
1351
02:04:19.130 --> 02:04:27.510
Carrying you gently into sleep. In the waking world our
1352
02:04:27.569 --> 02:04:32.090
bodies are busy and active but as we pass into
1353
02:04:32.130 --> 02:04:38.409
the world of dreams our bodies can relax. Let your
1354
02:04:38.470 --> 02:04:46.300
bodies relax now. Let your eyes relax. Let your fingers relax.
1355
02:04:48.560 --> 02:04:54.020
Let your toes relax. Feel all the muscles of your
1356
02:04:54.039 --> 02:04:59.020
body sink Down further into your warm and cozy duvet.
1357
02:05:01.800 --> 02:05:07.149
Feel your body rest heavily down on the firm comfort
1358
02:05:07.310 --> 02:05:16.149
of your bed. Now feel as your body relaxes how
1359
02:05:16.210 --> 02:05:22.800
your mind is released. Feel just how free your mind is.
1360
02:05:25.500 --> 02:05:29.270
The world of dreams is like a playground for your mind.
1361
02:05:30.850 --> 02:05:36.329
There are swings and roundabouts and slides where your mind
1362
02:05:36.449 --> 02:05:45.369
can play. In the world of dreams, your mind gets
1363
02:05:45.590 --> 02:05:51.460
bigger and bigger and fills your sleep with all kinds
1364
02:05:51.579 --> 02:05:59.010
of joys and wonders And magical stories. And here is
1365
02:05:59.090 --> 02:06:04.529
something that not many people know. But it's a secret
1366
02:06:04.949 --> 02:06:08.590
I'm going to tell you. But you're the only one
1367
02:06:08.930 --> 02:06:13.449
I'm going to tell. When we go to sleep and
1368
02:06:13.550 --> 02:06:18.949
pass into the world of dreams. We are accompanied by
1369
02:06:18.989 --> 02:06:24.960
the kindly spirits who live in the dream world. They
1370
02:06:25.020 --> 02:06:30.100
live on the moon and when night time comes they
1371
02:06:30.239 --> 02:06:35.670
float down softly as silk to meet each person who
1372
02:06:35.750 --> 02:06:42.689
is drifting into sleep. The dream spirits are waiting there
1373
02:06:42.770 --> 02:06:46.789
for your mind to arrive and when you get there
1374
02:06:47.609 --> 02:06:52.489
they take your hand in theirs and squeeze it gently.
1375
02:06:53.439 --> 02:06:59.590
And guide you through the world of dreams. Isn't that wonderful?
1376
02:07:00.869 --> 02:07:04.550
To have a guide who can keep you company. Even
1377
02:07:04.949 --> 02:07:12.039
as you sleepwalk through the world of dreams. They take
1378
02:07:12.119 --> 02:07:16.939
you by the hand. They give you a friendly squeeze.
1379
02:07:18.319 --> 02:07:25.189
They guide you into sleep. the spirits of the dream
1380
02:07:25.239 --> 02:07:30.289
world ask you, what would you like to dream about tonight?
1381
02:07:32.250 --> 02:07:37.130
And because your dreams are your very own playground, where
1382
02:07:37.189 --> 02:07:44.170
you can build and create anything your imagination desires, you
1383
02:07:44.189 --> 02:07:52.890
can answer however you like. Maybe tonight, In your dreams,
1384
02:07:53.770 --> 02:07:58.350
you would like to climb a tree, sit in the canopy,
1385
02:07:59.140 --> 02:08:04.199
surrounded by the by tinkling leaves and bathed in dappled
1386
02:08:04.300 --> 02:08:11.239
moonlight and listen to the nightingale sing or the crickets
1387
02:08:11.760 --> 02:08:19.250
chirrup from the forest floor below Or perhaps you would
1388
02:08:19.310 --> 02:08:23.869
like the dream spirits to guide you into a magical
1389
02:08:23.949 --> 02:08:29.529
world where you can learn how to perform all kinds
1390
02:08:29.630 --> 02:08:36.189
of wondrous spells and charms. You can go on adventures,
1391
02:08:37.060 --> 02:08:42.369
flying through the air on your broomstick, The white clouds
1392
02:08:42.850 --> 02:08:48.250
spread out below you like an ocean of fluffy marshmallows.
1393
02:08:51.050 --> 02:08:55.819
Or maybe you'd like to visit a magical zoo full
1394
02:08:56.380 --> 02:09:01.880
of rabbits and puppies and kittens whose fur is so
1395
02:09:02.079 --> 02:09:08.180
soft and comes in all kinds of different colours. Brown
1396
02:09:08.920 --> 02:09:16.250
and white and black but also purple and green and blue.
1397
02:09:19.090 --> 02:09:22.590
In this zoo you can find all kinds of animals
1398
02:09:23.109 --> 02:09:28.989
that you can't find in the waking world. Animals, people
1399
02:09:29.069 --> 02:09:36.010
in the waking world, say couldn't possibly exist. But they do.
1400
02:09:37.350 --> 02:09:44.340
They do exist. And do you know why? Because your
1401
02:09:44.399 --> 02:09:51.420
mind is so powerful and rich and magical that in
1402
02:09:51.479 --> 02:10:00.850
the world of dreams anything is possible. Your imagination is
1403
02:10:00.890 --> 02:10:06.850
an enchanted place. It can create whole worlds out of
1404
02:10:07.050 --> 02:10:14.590
thin air, out of nothing. Anything your heart desires can
1405
02:10:14.630 --> 02:10:20.130
be found in the world of dreams. So let your
1406
02:10:20.390 --> 02:10:26.289
eyelids be heavy. Let your body sink into the warmth
1407
02:10:26.369 --> 02:10:34.180
of your duvet. Let your body drift into a deep
1408
02:10:34.479 --> 02:10:43.300
and peaceful sleep. And let your mind Float away into
1409
02:10:43.359 --> 02:10:51.500
the world of dreams. The dream spirits are waiting to
1410
02:10:51.539 --> 02:10:57.239
guide you through their magical world. Their world of wonder.
1411
02:10:58.489 --> 02:11:05.869
Their world of delight. See the soft smiles on their
1412
02:11:05.930 --> 02:11:12.739
beaming faces. Feel the warmth of their hands in yours.
1413
02:11:15.810 --> 02:11:19.890
They take you by the hand. They give you a
1414
02:11:20.010 --> 02:11:29.840
friendly squeeze. They guide you into sleep. Walk with them
1415
02:11:30.699 --> 02:11:35.460
and let them lead you on magical adventures into the
1416
02:11:35.520 --> 02:11:42.979
world of dreams. The jungles of green leaves with all
1417
02:11:43.060 --> 02:11:49.399
kinds of creatures ready to show you their lives. The
1418
02:11:49.460 --> 02:11:57.979
castles built out of clouds. The rivers bright as rainbows
1419
02:11:58.079 --> 02:12:06.890
for you to swim down. The crackling campfires next to lakes.
1420
02:12:08.439 --> 02:12:15.300
where the pitter-patter sound of rain sounds like the gentle
1421
02:12:15.699 --> 02:12:26.130
tinkling of music. Remember to thank your dream spirits for
1422
02:12:26.170 --> 02:12:34.619
guiding you lovingly through the land of dreams. Say, thank you,
1423
02:12:34.920 --> 02:12:42.409
dream spirit. And when you say thank you dream spirits,
1424
02:12:43.810 --> 02:12:52.390
the dream spirits will say thank you back. Because the
1425
02:12:52.449 --> 02:12:58.909
dream spirits are just as lucky to accompany you through
1426
02:12:59.050 --> 02:13:04.960
your magical dream world as you are. That the spirits
1427
02:13:05.680 --> 02:13:13.239
are there to guide you. So let your eyes close.
1428
02:13:16.199 --> 02:13:24.789
Let the lids fall heavy. Let every part of your body,
1429
02:13:25.930 --> 02:13:30.170
from the top of your head to the tips of
1430
02:13:30.210 --> 02:13:40.979
your fingers and toes, be warm and heavy. and sleepy.
1431
02:13:44.640 --> 02:13:50.520
Let your mind slip into the peaceful world of sleep,
1432
02:13:52.579 --> 02:14:21.250
where anything is possible. Goodnight. Thank you.