How Big Is a Million? CBeebies Bedtime Stories

One, two, three, four,

fi... Oh, hello.

I'm Derek. I'm trying to count the chairs in the theatre.

How many do you think there are?

Do you think there are a million seats here?

I don't know,

as I don't know what a million chairs would look like.

Pipkin, the penguin in tonight's bedtime story,

doesn't know how many a million is either.

The story is by Anna Milbourne and Serena Riglietti,

and it is called How Big Is A Million?

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 you're asking such big questions.

Pipkin counted the fishes 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.

"It's 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, much bigger than a hundred," the middle penguin said.

"But a hundred is enough to keep you toasty 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 much the same thing.

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?

I don't think there are as many chairs here,

as there were stars in the sky. Do you?

So maybe there aren't a million,

but maybe I should just check.

And while I do, it's time for you to get ready to go to bed,

and I'll see you soon for another story. Good night.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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