0:25:49 > 0:25:56.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Hello, I'm Derek.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Do you know who lives in a tree?
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Yes, squirrels and birds live in trees.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19But I know about another family who live in a special tree.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21They're called the Stick family,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and tonight's bedtime story is all about the dad.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29He ends up having a lot of adventures, and one in particular
0:26:29 > 0:26:35means he can help a very special person, who visits us once a year.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I wonder if you know who that is. Why don't I tell you the story,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and you can find out if you're right? The story is by
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and is called Stick Man.
0:26:47 > 0:26:53Stick Man lives in the family tree, with his Stick Lady Love
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and their stick children, three.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58One day, he wakes early and goes for a jog.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, beware of the dog!
0:27:02 > 0:27:05"A stick," barks the dog, "an excellent stick!
0:27:05 > 0:27:09"The right kind of stick for my favourite trick.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13"I'll fetch it and drop it and fetch it and then I'll drop it
0:27:13 > 0:27:17"and fetch it and drop it again." "I'm not a stick! Why can't you see?
0:27:17 > 0:27:22"I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, that's me,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25"and I want to go home to the family tree."
0:27:25 > 0:27:29A notice says, "Dogs must be kept on the lead."
0:27:29 > 0:27:33At last, the game's over, and Stick Man is freed.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36He sets off for home with a hop and a twirl,
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, beware of the girl!
0:27:41 > 0:27:45"A stick!" cries the girl, with a smile on her face,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49"The right kind of Pooh-stick for winning the race.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52"Has everyone got one? Get ready to throw.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56"It's one, two, three, into the river they go."
0:27:56 > 0:27:59"I'm not a Pooh-stick, why can't they see?
0:27:59 > 0:28:04"I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, that's me,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08"and I'm heading away from the family tree."
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Stick Man is floating, he floats on and on.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, beware of the swan.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22"A twig," says the swan, "this twig is the best.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25"It's the right kind of twig to weave into my nest."
0:28:25 > 0:28:32"I'm not a twig! Why can't they see? I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34"I'm Stick Man, that's me,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38"and I long to be back in the family tree."
0:28:38 > 0:28:43The nest is deserted, and Stick Man is free.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47He drifts down the river and sails out to sea.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51He tosses and turns, till the frolicking foam
0:28:51 > 0:28:54washes him up on a beach far from home.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Here comes a dad with a spade in his hand.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, beware of the sand.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06"A mast!" yells the dad, "An excellent mast!
0:29:06 > 0:29:10"Hooray, there's a flag on our castle at last."
0:29:10 > 0:29:15"I'm not a mast for a silly old flag,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18"or a sword for a knight, or a hook for a bag.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23"I'm not a pen, I'm not a bow, I'm not a bat or a boomerang, no.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26"I'm Stick Man."
0:29:26 > 0:29:31Oh, Stick Man, beware of the snow.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32Here comes a boy
0:29:32 > 0:29:35in a warm woolly scarf.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39"An arm for my snowman." he says with a laugh.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44"I'm not an arm, can nobody see?
0:29:44 > 0:29:49"I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, that's me.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54"Will I ever get back to the family tree?"
0:29:55 > 0:30:01Stick Man is lonely, Stick Man is lost. Stick Man is frozen,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05covered in frost. Stick Man is weary,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07his eyes start to close.
0:30:07 > 0:30:15He stretches and yawns and lies down for a doze.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17He can't hear the bells,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20or the sweet-swinging choir,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23or the voice saying,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26"Here's a good stick for the fire!"
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Stick Man is lying asleep in the grate.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36Can anyone wake him before it's too late?
0:30:36 > 0:30:41He dreams of his kids and his Stick Lady Love,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43then suddenly wakes.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46"What's that noise up above?"
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It starts as a chuckle, then turns to a shout.
0:30:49 > 0:30:55"Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho, I'm stuck! Get me out."
0:30:55 > 0:30:59A stuck man? A stuck man?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Now who could that be?
0:31:01 > 0:31:05"Don't worry," cried Stick Man, "I'll soon set you free."
0:31:05 > 0:31:10A scratch and a scrape and a flurry of soot, a wiggle, a jiggle,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12and out pokes a foot.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15A shove and a nudge and a hop and a jump,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19and Santa falls into the room with a thump.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24"Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, you excellent friend,
0:31:24 > 0:31:29"thanks, thanks a million, thanks without end."
0:31:29 > 0:31:34Then Stick Man helped Santa deliver the toys to fast asleep girls,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and to fast asleep boys.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Faster and faster, they fly through the snow, till Santa says,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44"Only one chimney to go!"
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Stick Lady's lonely.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49The children are sad.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53It won't feel like Christmas without their stick dad.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56They toss and they turn in the family bed,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00but what is that clattering sound overhead?
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Someone is tumbling into their house!
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Is it a bird, or a bat, or a mouse?
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Or could it...
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Yes, could it just possibly be...?
0:32:15 > 0:32:22"I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, that's me!
0:32:22 > 0:32:27"And I'm sticking right here in the family tree."
0:32:28 > 0:32:30And that story was called Stick Man.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Were you right?
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Did you guess that Stick Man would be helping Father Christmas?
0:32:36 > 0:32:40And it's a good job he did, otherwise no-one would've got
0:32:40 > 0:32:42their Christmas presents.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Well, it's time for me to go now, but I'll be back soon,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48with another bedtime story.
0:32:48 > 0:32:49Night night.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd