0:00:07 > 0:00:10One, two, three, four,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12fi... Oh, hello.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16I'm Derek. I'm trying to count the chairs in the theatre.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18How many do you think there are?
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Do you think there are a million seats here?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22I don't know,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26as I don't know what a million chairs would look like.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Pipkin, the penguin in tonight's bedtime story,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33doesn't know how many a million is either.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36The story is by Anna Milbourne and Serena Riglietti,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and it is called How Big Is A Million?
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Pipkin was a very small penguin,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48who was always asking very big questions.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52How wide is the sea? How high is the sky?
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Is the moon made of cheese?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59But the thing he wanted to know most of all was,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01how big is a million?
0:01:01 > 0:01:06He went to ask his mama, but she was busy catching breakfast.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08It's important to have a full tummy
0:01:08 > 0:01:11when you're asking such big questions.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Pipkin counted the fishes Mama had caught, and found there were ten.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20"Ten's a big number of fish for breakfast," he said.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23"But if ten's this big, how big is a million?"
0:01:23 > 0:01:28"A million's more fish than you could ever eat," said Mama.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32"A million's much, much more than ten."
0:01:32 > 0:01:37Pipkin thought about this for a while. He tried to imagine
0:01:37 > 0:01:39much, much more than ten.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45"It's no good," he said at last. "I'll have to go and find a million
0:01:45 > 0:01:49"to know for sure how big it is," "Good luck!" called Mama,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51as she watched him go.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Pipkin walked a little way and found a crowd of penguins.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58They were all huddled in a circle, keeping warm.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01"That's a lot of penguins!" Pipkin thought,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05"There are much, much more than ten."
0:02:05 > 0:02:09"Excuse me," he called, "how many of you are there?"
0:02:10 > 0:02:13"A hundred," said the middle penguin,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16"and I'm the warmest one of all!"
0:02:16 > 0:02:21"A hundred's a very big number!" said Pipkin.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24"If a hundred's this big, how big is a million?"
0:02:24 > 0:02:31"A million's much, much bigger than a hundred," the middle penguin said.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34"But a hundred is enough to keep you toasty warm.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36"Would you like to join us?"
0:02:36 > 0:02:40"No, thank you," said Pipkin, "I have to find a million."
0:02:40 > 0:02:44He set off again, through the deep, white snow.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48After a while, his feet got tired of walking,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52so he slid on his tummy down a long, steep hill.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56He bumped into a seal cub, who was doing much the same thing.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Then, ever so quietly, it began to snow.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05"That's a lot of snowflakes!" Pipkin whispered.
0:03:05 > 0:03:11"There are more than a hundred, and much, much more than ten.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13"Do you think there are a million?"
0:03:13 > 0:03:20"No," said the seal cub, "but I'm sure there are a thousand."
0:03:20 > 0:03:22And there really were.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27"A thousand is a really big number!" said Pipkin.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31"If a thousand's this big, how big is a million?"
0:03:31 > 0:03:34The seal cub wrinkled his nose.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36"Well..." he said,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41"..a million's much, much bigger than a thousand."
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Pipkin and the seal cub built a snow penguin
0:03:44 > 0:03:51and a snow seal cub, and threw far too many snowballs to count.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Then Pipkin said, "I really have to go, I have to find my million."
0:03:56 > 0:03:59"Good luck!" said the seal cub.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Pipkin walked, and walked, and walked -
0:04:04 > 0:04:07all around the South Pole, and back home again.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12His toes were cold and he was sleepy all over,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and he hadn't found a million of anything at all.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Pipkin was a very, very disappointed penguin.
0:04:20 > 0:04:27He said to his mama, "I found ten yummy fish, a hundred warm penguins,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31"a thousand pretty snowflakes, and a brand new friend.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37"But I couldn't find a million, however hard I tried."
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Mama gave him a big, warm hug.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44"Come outside," she said.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47"I've got something to show you.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51"Here's your million, my little Pip.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56"You can make a wish on every single one."
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And that story was called How Big Is A Million?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I don't think there are as many chairs here,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08as there were stars in the sky. Do you?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10So maybe there aren't a million,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14but maybe I should just check.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And while I do, it's time for you to get ready to go to bed,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and I'll see you soon for another story. Good night.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:05:24 > 0:05:26E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk