How Big Is a Million? CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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202, 203... Oh, hello. My name's Tom.

And I'm trying to work out how many leaves are on those trees.

Do you think there's a million?

I'm not sure.

Pipkin wants to know, How Big Is A Million?

That's the title of tonight's story.

Pipkin was a very small penguin

who was always asking very big questions -

"How wide is the sea?"

"How high is the sky?"

"Is the moon made of cheese?"

But the thing he wanted to know most of all was,

How Big Is A Million?

He went to ask his mama, but she was busy catching breakfast.

It's important to have a full tummy when asking big questions.

Pipkin counted the fish his mama had caught and found there were ten.

"Ten's a big number of fish for breakfast," he said.

"But if ten's this big, how big is a million?"

"A million's more fish than you could ever eat," said mama.

"A million's much, much more than ten."

Pipkin thought about this for a while.

He tried to imagine much, much more than ten.

"No good," he said at last.

"I'll have to go and find a million to know for sure how big it is."

"Good luck!" called mama as she watched him go.

Pipkin walked a little way and found a crowd of penguins.

They were all huddled in a circle keeping warm.

"That's a lot of penguins," Pipkin thought.

"There are much, much more than ten."

"Excuse me!" he called.

"How many of you are there?"

"A hundred!" said the middle penguin,

"and I'm the warmest one of all."

"A hundred's a very big number," said Pipkin.

"If a hundred's this big, how big is a million?!"

"A million's much bigger than a hundred," the penguin said.

"But a hundred is enough to keep you warm. Would you like to join us?"

"No thank you," said Pipkin. "I have to find a million."

He set off again through the deep, white snow.

After a while, his feet got tired of walking.

So he slid on his tummy down a long, steep hill.

He bumped into a seal cub who was doing the same.

Then, ever so quietly, it began to snow.

"That's a lot of snowflakes," Pipkin whispered.

"There are more than a hundred and much, much more than ten."

"Do you think there are a million?"

"No," said the seal cub.

"But I'm sure there are a thousand."

And there REALLY were.

"A thousand is a really big number," said Pipkin.

"If a thousand's this big, how big is a million?!"

The seal cub wrinkled his nose.

"Well," he said,

"a million's much, much bigger than a thousand.

Pipkin and the seal cub built a snow penguin

and a snow seal cub

and threw far too many snowballs to count.

Then Pipkin said, "I really have to go, I have to find my million."

"Good luck!" said the seal cub.

Pipkin walked... and walked...and walked...

all around the South Pole and back home again.

His toes were cold and he was sleepy all over.

And he hadn't found a million of anything at all.

Pipkin was a very, very disappointed penguin.

He said to his mama,

"I found ten yummy fish,

"a hundred warm penguins,

"a thousand pretty snowflakes and a brand-new friend,

"but I couldn't find a million however hard I tried."

Mama gave him a big, warm hug.

"Come outside," she said,

"I've got something to show you."

"Here's your million, my little Pip."

"You can make a wish on every single one."

And that story was called, How Big Is A Million.

Have you ever wished on a star?

Why don't you make a wish now?

And then it's time for bed.

I'll see you soon for another story.

Night, night.

Now, just how many leaves are on these trees? Where was I?

207...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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