April Underhill, Tooth Fairy

0:00:02 > 0:00:05CBeebies Bedtime Story.

0:00:06 > 0:00:10So, you go left and then you're there. OK, thank you.

0:00:10 > 0:00:12OK, I'll see you very soon.

0:00:12 > 0:00:14Hello.

0:00:14 > 0:00:15I'm Gina.

0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, just one second

0:00:17 > 0:00:20because I need to try and remember these directions.

0:00:20 > 0:00:24I go out of the door, down the path and then...

0:00:26 > 0:00:27..was it right or left?

0:00:29 > 0:00:32Oh... Maybe I'll have to call them and check them again.

0:00:32 > 0:00:35But first, I need to tell you a bedtime story

0:00:35 > 0:00:40about a special little fairy who's on an exciting journey.

0:00:40 > 0:00:45The story is by Bob Graham and it's called April Underhill, Tooth Fairy.

0:00:45 > 0:00:48April Underhill opened the door.

0:00:48 > 0:00:52A draught slipped through behind her and Esme,

0:00:52 > 0:00:55making the teeth on the rafters chatter and chime.

0:00:55 > 0:00:58John Underhill started to speak, "April..."

0:00:58 > 0:01:01"Don't say anything," April said.

0:01:01 > 0:01:06"We're collecting a tooth tonight and I have to write this down."

0:01:06 > 0:01:10"Tonight? April, you're only 7!" said her dad.

0:01:10 > 0:01:15"And three-quarters," April added. "I promised!"

0:01:15 > 0:01:18"I'm going, too," said Esme.

0:01:19 > 0:01:21"You...? And Esme?"

0:01:21 > 0:01:25"A tooth in Parkville," said their mum, Faye.

0:01:25 > 0:01:28"Darlings, you're far too young."

0:01:28 > 0:01:33"You went by yourself when you were six, Mummy," said Esme.

0:01:33 > 0:01:38She balanced a bubble on the end of her finger till it popped.

0:01:38 > 0:01:42"Same age as me and April's even older!"

0:01:42 > 0:01:45"Well, that was long ago," said Mum.

0:01:45 > 0:01:47"Before the motorway came."

0:01:47 > 0:01:50"Things were different back then."

0:01:50 > 0:01:54"Well, some things haven't changed, Mummy."

0:01:54 > 0:01:57Esme took a sip of her dandelion soup.

0:01:57 > 0:02:01"Children still lose their first teeth," April said.

0:02:01 > 0:02:05"And ducklings have to take their first swim."

0:02:05 > 0:02:07Their parents looked at them startled.

0:02:07 > 0:02:10"OK," said Dad. "You can both go

0:02:10 > 0:02:14"but take great care of your little sister, April."

0:02:14 > 0:02:16"YES!"

0:02:16 > 0:02:19"This is important, April," said Dad.

0:02:19 > 0:02:23"To Daniel you're a... a spirit of the air."

0:02:23 > 0:02:26"You are magic, he must never see you."

0:02:27 > 0:02:31"Magic? Me?!" said April.

0:02:31 > 0:02:35Mum found a string bag "For the coin going out

0:02:35 > 0:02:38"and the tooth coming back," she said.

0:02:38 > 0:02:41"And send me a text if you need to," she added.

0:02:41 > 0:02:45Then they lifted off into the night.

0:02:45 > 0:02:48The wind took them and shook them.

0:02:48 > 0:02:51Pushed them and pulled them.

0:02:51 > 0:02:53It shivered down Esme's wings

0:02:53 > 0:02:57and rippled through the feathers of a passing owl.

0:02:57 > 0:03:01"There's Cornflower Terrace!" shouted April.

0:03:01 > 0:03:03They dropped down through the dark,

0:03:03 > 0:03:07right onto the doorstep of Daniel's house.

0:03:07 > 0:03:08They peered underneath.

0:03:08 > 0:03:10April swallowed.

0:03:10 > 0:03:14"Hold down my wings, Esme, I'll go first."

0:03:14 > 0:03:17Esme crawled in after her to the other side.

0:03:17 > 0:03:21"Where will his room be?" she whispered.

0:03:21 > 0:03:25"Up there, I think," replied April.

0:03:25 > 0:03:28"Let's follow the toys."

0:03:28 > 0:03:31"This must be him!" whispered April.

0:03:31 > 0:03:34She pulled a note from her pocket,

0:03:34 > 0:03:38"We're at number 3, Cornflower Terrace, there's a dog,

0:03:38 > 0:03:40"but no cat."

0:03:40 > 0:03:42"Oh! There's the tooth!"

0:03:42 > 0:03:44Esme shivered with excitement.

0:03:44 > 0:03:49"But oh dear! He's put it in the water!" said April.

0:03:49 > 0:03:51She made a decision.

0:03:51 > 0:03:53"I can swim, I'll get it."

0:03:53 > 0:03:56She squeezed her eyes shut

0:03:56 > 0:03:59and in a cloud of bubbles went for the bottom.

0:03:59 > 0:04:04"I've got it, Esme, I've got it!" "Ssh!" hissed Esme.

0:04:04 > 0:04:08As Daniel Dangerfield stirred and woke.

0:04:10 > 0:04:12April flew and Esme followed her.

0:04:12 > 0:04:18Together they pulled Daniel's eyes shut, like the blinds over windows.

0:04:18 > 0:04:22For a long time they dared not breathe.

0:04:23 > 0:04:27"He's asleep again," April whispered.

0:04:27 > 0:04:31"But he saw us," Esme whispered back.

0:04:32 > 0:04:35"I'll text Mummy," said April.

0:04:35 > 0:04:38"Whisper in his ear," Mummy responded.

0:04:38 > 0:04:43"Whisper what?" Esme asked as she read her reply.

0:04:43 > 0:04:46"What Daddy told us, that we're spirits."

0:04:46 > 0:04:48"You do it, April," said Esme.

0:04:48 > 0:04:52"Me? But I'm soaking."

0:04:52 > 0:04:55But she leaned into the dark and whispered,

0:04:55 > 0:04:59"We're spirits of the air, Daniel,

0:04:59 > 0:05:03"you dreamed us, you did not see us."

0:05:03 > 0:05:06"Goodbye Daniel Dangerfield."

0:05:06 > 0:05:09They picked up the tooth and flew down the hall.

0:05:09 > 0:05:12"April! Wait!" called Esme.

0:05:12 > 0:05:17"It's the sweetest sight. I think it's the grandma"

0:05:17 > 0:05:21April waded waist-deep in Grandma's hair.

0:05:21 > 0:05:27"We did it, Grandma, our very first tooth," she whispered.

0:05:28 > 0:05:32"Oh, Esme, we don't take those, we have to go."

0:05:33 > 0:05:37They collected their coats, buttoned them tight

0:05:37 > 0:05:39and slipped under the door.

0:05:39 > 0:05:41Daniel's front tooth swung in its bag

0:05:41 > 0:05:44as they cleared the chimney and headed for home.

0:05:44 > 0:05:47The wind tumbled them high over the city.

0:05:47 > 0:05:52Up the motorway and set them down at their own front door.

0:05:52 > 0:05:56Mum and Dad hugged them till their wings crackled.

0:05:56 > 0:06:00"Here's a tooth, Daddy, it's wrapped in my wet vest."

0:06:00 > 0:06:04"You dived for it?" asked Faye.

0:06:04 > 0:06:09"Like a duckling in water," murmured John Underhill proudly.

0:06:09 > 0:06:14The girls drank hot elderberry juice and then were hugged some more.

0:06:14 > 0:06:17Mum hung Daniel's tooth from the rafters.

0:06:17 > 0:06:20"On Saturday, we'll take it to the Fairy Craft Market

0:06:20 > 0:06:24"for everyone to see," Dad promised.

0:06:24 > 0:06:27The sun rose and a blackbird sang outside the window

0:06:27 > 0:06:30louder than the distant traffic.

0:06:30 > 0:06:34As April and Esme fell asleep, Daniel Dangerfield woke

0:06:34 > 0:06:37to find a coin gleaming by his bedside.

0:06:37 > 0:06:40A new tooth was already growing.

0:06:40 > 0:06:43What dreams he'd had.

0:06:43 > 0:06:48And that was a story called April Underhill, Tooth Fairy.

0:06:48 > 0:06:50Have you lost a tooth today?

0:06:50 > 0:06:51Because if you have,

0:06:51 > 0:06:55then maybe April Underhill will visit you tonight

0:06:55 > 0:06:57but you have to be asleep.

0:06:57 > 0:07:00So, off you go to bed and I'd better call

0:07:00 > 0:07:02and find out what these directions are.

0:07:02 > 0:07:07See you very, very soon for another bedtime story. Good night.

0:07:07 > 0:07:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:07:09 > 0:07:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk