Minty and Tink CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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CBeebies Bedtime Story.

What can I give my friend?

Hmm...

I don't know.

Oh, hello! I'm Romola.

Do you like presents?

I do. I love receiving unusual things from my friends,

and I like giving presents too.

But I don't know what to give my friend as a birthday present.

I want to give them something special,

but I just don't know what they would like.

Sometimes it's very difficult to give just the right present.

And Minty, in tonight's bedtime story, has just that problem.

The story is by Emma Chichester Clark and is called Minty And Tink.

It all started when we were looking for a birthday present

for my baby brother.

I kept finding things and Mum kept saying, "No, no, no, Minty."

But, just as I was looking at a life-sized baby doll

that cried real tears, I saw something peculiar.

On the shelf, a teeny-weeny panda bear

was jumping up and down, waving at me.

It said, "Help! Get me out of here!"

As I picked him up, Mum said,

"OK, Minty, that will do, bring it to the checkout."

She paid for the bear, it was put in a bag and we went home.

I couldn't wait to go up to my room.

I looked at the bear and he looked at me.

"Are you really real?" I asked.

"I'm as real as you are," he replied.

"I'm one in 1,000 and my name is Tink."

Then he did a handstand, just to prove it.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me," I said.

And it was true.

I had lots of animals that I talked to,

all the time, but they never talked back.

"This is my luckiest day!" I thought.

Then Mum called. "Minty, wash your hands and come down to tea."

I put Tink in my pocket and went downstairs.

My baby brother had strawberry jam all over his face

and all over his giraffe.

Mum said, "After tea, bring that little B-E-A-R

"and we'll wrap it up for you-know-who!"

"Do I really have to give it to him?" I asked.

"Of course you do, we bought it specially for him," answered Mum.

I sat in the bath.

How could I possibly give Tink to the baby?

Not now, not ever.

He was my best friend.

"What are you going to do?" asked Tink.

"We'll think of something," I said, "We've got to."

"Why don't you give him something else?" said Tink.

"Brilliant!" I said.

"Mum! Can I give him this instead?"

"It's only got one leg, Minty. So, no," said Mum.

"No good," I told Tink. "What else is there?"

"This?" said Tink.

"Brilliant," I said.

Mum was waiting. "Can I give him this?" I asked.

"It's dirty," said Mum.

"So, no?" I asked.

"No," said Mum.

"There must be something else!" I cried.

"These?" asked Tink.

My mum was still waiting.

"Can I give him these?" I asked.

"Not good for him," said Mum.

"Hurry up, Minty," said Mum,

"Get the bear and I'll help you to wrap it."

"Looks like you'll have to give me to the baby," sighed Tink.

"You don't want that, do you?" I asked.

"No!" cried Tink, "I chose you.

"I think he might eat me."

Mum wrapped Tink up,

stuck him down with sticky tape and tied ribbon round him.

When I went to bed, I knew there was no way

I was ever going to get to sleep.

"It's not too late," I was thinking,

"I can still make something, but what?" I wondered.

"Something the baby will really like," I thought.

Then I had an idea.

I was late for breakfast the next morning.

When I came down the baby was just about to rip open my present.

Tink fell out of the wrapping paper.

The baby opened his mouth.

"Noooo!" I cried.

"Noooooo!" cried Mum.

"Noooooo!" cried Dad.

"Tink!" I yelled,

"Don't let him eat Tink!" I screamed.

Dad rescued Tink.

"You'd better keep him, Minty,

"he's really too small to give to a baby," Dad said.

"I've got another present for him," I told them.

"I made it all by myself."

"It's beautiful," said Mum.

"It's wonderful," said Dad.

"Happy birthday, Tom," I said to my little baby brother.

And that's how Tink became my very own best friend REAL bear!

That story was called Minty And Tink.

What a good idea, I'll make a big birthday banner for my friend.

I'm sure they'll like that.

Well, while I get making, it's time for you to get sleeping!

Night, night, and I'll see you soon for another story.

Right, let's get started. Pens, paper...

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