The Big Dark CBeebies Bedtime Stories

.

Hello, my name's Emilia.

I was looking to see how far I can see.

What can you see?

Look...

there's the bridge and the river,

it's amazing.

But if it was very, very dark, I don't think I would see as much,

and it's very dark in tonight's Bedtime Story

about a little boy called Chinoo,

who lives a long way away, near the Arctic Circle.

It's very cold there, and in winter the days can be so short

that it doesn't really get light at all.

The story's called The Big Dark.

In a distant, dark, cold land, lived little Chinoo with his parents,

in a house built of snow.

It was winter and Chinoo was fed up.

The Big Cold had frozen the sea solid, so he couldn't go fishing.

The Big Wind blew nearly every day, so he couldn't play outside.

And the Big Dark was everywhere...

All the time.

One morning, when Chinoo looked outside into the Big Dark,

all was quiet and still.

"Come, little Chinoo", said Mama and Papa, "It's time to go."

"Where?" asked Chinoo.

"To the sea," they said.

So, Chinoo followed his parents' footprints through the snow.

Soon, he saw some big, wide tracks.

Chinoo scampered after them and found a young polar bear

heading for the sea.

"Want to play a game?" asked Chinoo.

"Oh, yes please," said the polar bear.

So, they played hide-and-seek.

The polar bear hid, while Chinoo counted to ten.

"One...

"two, three, four, five, six...

"seven, eight, nine, ten...

I'm coming!"

"Oh, this is easy!", thought Chinoo. "Just follow the tracks."

"Found you", giggled Chinoo, now it's my go.

But, before the bear could start counting,

Chinoo heard his parents calling -

"Come, little Chinoo, hurry up or we'll miss it."

"Miss what?" asked Chinoo.

"You'll see," they replied.

So, Chinoo followed his parents' footprints through the snow again.

Soon, he saw a set of small, round prints.

He scampered after them and found...

a wolf cub heading for the sea.

"Want to play a game?" asked Chinoo.

"Oh, yes please," replied the wolf cub.

Chinoo took a ball out of his bag and threw it as far as he could.

"Yippee!" said the wolf cub,

who scampered after it and brought it back.

But before Chinoo could throw it again, he heard his parents calling.

"Come on, Chinoo, hurry or we'll miss it."

"Miss what?" asked Chinoo.

"You'll see," they replied.

Once again, Chinoo plodded on,

following his parents' footprints through the snow.

Soon, he saw a set of enormous, wide tracks.

He scampered after them and found...

a young walrus and a daddy walrus galumphing through the snow.

"Want to play a game?" asked Chinoo.

"What?" huffed the daddy walrus.

"No, no, no, no, no, we're going to the sea and we're very late."

Chinoo's legs suddenly felt really tired.

"It's such a long way to the sea," he said.

"I'm tired of walking and I want to play."

"How about a lift?" offered the daddy walrus.

"Oh, thank you," said Chinoo.

Quickly, he climbed on board.

It was the wobbliest ride ever,

like sitting on a giant jelly.

Soon, they caught up with Mama and Papa,

and together they walked on through the Big Dark.

Chinoo was amazed to see so many tracks in the snow,

all heading in the same direction.

At last, as they rounded a corner, they saw the frozen sea.

The shore was lined with animals of all sorts,

all watching the lightening sky.

Chinoo slid off the walrus's back.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"Shh," said Mama, "just watch and wait."

Chinoo watched and waited...

and waited and watched,

and then, very, very slowly, it happened.

"Oh... Oh, look!", said Chinoo.

"Mmm!" said the animals. "The sun!"

"At last," whispered Mama.

"The Big Dark is over, the sun will shine and the ice will melt."

"We can go fishing again and play outside any time," said Papa.

"Yippee!" cried Chinoo.

He skipped all the way home and he didn't feel tired at all.

And that story was called The Big Dark.

Didn't the sun reflecting on the snow look lovely?

It must have been exciting seeing the sun,

after it being dark for so long.

I wonder what else I can see if I look over here?

Maybe I can see the sun.

Well, while I look, it's time for you to go to bed,

and I'll see you soon for another story.

Night-night.

Now, what can I see over here?

E-mail [email protected]