Derek Jacobi - How to Catch a Star CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Now, how many stars can I see from here?

Oh, hello. I'm Derek. Can you see any stars?

You can? How many?

I love counting stars.

When you see them shining high in the sky, next to the moon.

It's great fun counting them.

And tonight's bedtime story is all about stars,

and a little boy who loves them.

The story is by Oliver Jeffers, and it's called How To Catch A Star.

Once, there was a boy, and the boy loved stars very much.

Every night, the boy watched the stars from his window,

and wished he had one of his very own.

He dreamed how this star might be his friend.

They would play hide-and-go-seek, and take long walks together...

The boy decided he would try to catch a star.

He thought getting up early would be best,

because then the star would be tired from being up in the sky all night.

So, the next day, he set out at sunrise.

But he could not see a star anywhere.

He sat down and waited for one to appear.

He waited, and he waited...

and ate lunch, and waited...

and after dinner he waited some more.

Finally, just before the sun was about to go away,

he saw a star.

The boy tried to jump up and grab it,

but he could not jump high enough.

So, very carefully,

he climbed to the top of the tallest tree he could find,

but the star was still way out of reach.

He thought he might lasso that star

with a lifebelt from his father's boat,

but it was much too heavy for him to carry.

He thought he could fly up in his spaceship and grab the star,

but his spaceship had run out of petrol last Tuesday

when he flew to the moon.

Perhaps he could get a seagull to help him fly up into the sky

to reach his star?

But the only seagull he could find didn't want to help at all.

The boy thought he would never catch a star.

Just then, he noticed something floating in the water.

It was the prettiest star he had ever seen.

Just a baby star - it must have fallen from the sky.

He tried to fish the star out with his hands,

but he couldn't reach it.

Then he had an idea. The star might wash up on the shore.

He ran back along the jetty to the beach.

Then, he waited, and walked... and watched...

and waited...and sure enough,

the star washed up on the bright golden sand.

The boy had caught a star, a star of his very own.

And that story was called How To Catch A Star.

I wonder if you'll see a starfish, like the boy in tonight's story,

when you go to the seaside next.

And maybe you can see stars shining in the sky tonight.

But it's time for you to go to bed now,

and you can dream of seeing lots of stars.

I'll see you soon for another story.

Goodnight.

Now, how many stars can I find?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd