The Story Blanket

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0:31:50 > 0:31:57.

0:32:08 > 0:32:10Now, where is this leading me?

0:32:10 > 0:32:12Oh, hello. I'm Floella.

0:32:12 > 0:32:15Can you see where this trail of wool is going?

0:32:15 > 0:32:18It started in the lounge,

0:32:18 > 0:32:20it's gone through to the kitchen,

0:32:20 > 0:32:23and now...it has led me...

0:32:26 > 0:32:28..to these story books.

0:32:28 > 0:32:31A-ha! I know why there's a trail of wool -

0:32:31 > 0:32:36because there's lots of wool in tonight's bedtime story.

0:32:36 > 0:32:40It's by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz

0:32:40 > 0:32:42and it's called The Story Blanket.

0:32:43 > 0:32:46Deep in the snow-covered mountains,

0:32:46 > 0:32:50there was a tiny village where Babba Zarrah lived.

0:32:50 > 0:32:53The children loved to settle down

0:32:53 > 0:32:57on Babba Zarrah's big old story blanket, to listen to her stories.

0:32:57 > 0:33:02One day, Babba Zarrah noticed there was a hole in Nikolai's shoe.

0:33:02 > 0:33:04When the children left,

0:33:04 > 0:33:08she decided to knit Nikolai some nice, warm socks.

0:33:08 > 0:33:11But so much snow had fallen that winter

0:33:11 > 0:33:15that no-one could get through to the village to deliver wool.

0:33:15 > 0:33:19How could she knit some socks without wool?

0:33:19 > 0:33:23"Every question has an answer," said Babba Zarrah.

0:33:23 > 0:33:28"I just have to think of it."

0:33:28 > 0:33:33She poured herself a glass of sweet tea to help her think.

0:33:33 > 0:33:37Before she'd taken three sips,

0:33:37 > 0:33:40Babba Zarrah knew what to do.

0:33:40 > 0:33:44"I will unravel a little of the story blanket

0:33:44 > 0:33:47"and use the wool for Nikolai's socks," she said.

0:33:47 > 0:33:51Late that night, when everyone was asleep,

0:33:51 > 0:33:53Babba Zarrah trekked through the snow

0:33:53 > 0:33:57and left the socks on Nikolai's doorstep.

0:33:57 > 0:34:02Soon after, the postman found a scarf wrapped around his mail bag

0:34:02 > 0:34:05when he left to start his morning rounds.

0:34:05 > 0:34:09"Do you know who made it?" he asked everyone he met.

0:34:09 > 0:34:11No-one did.

0:34:11 > 0:34:15The schoolmaster was surprised to find a pair of warm mittens

0:34:15 > 0:34:19on the wood pile when he brought in the wood for the school stove.

0:34:19 > 0:34:22Mrs Evanoff flapped the ravens from her wash

0:34:22 > 0:34:26with a new knitted apron she discovered beside her water pump.

0:34:26 > 0:34:30Before long, the grocer was wearing a new shawl,

0:34:30 > 0:34:34instead of the moth-eaten one she used to have.

0:34:34 > 0:34:37The children had to sit closer on the blanket

0:34:37 > 0:34:39when they came for a story.

0:34:40 > 0:34:44Day by day, the villagers grew more curious.

0:34:44 > 0:34:49Baby Olga received a mysterious new soft blanket,

0:34:49 > 0:34:53and the butcher showed off the fancy woollen cap

0:34:53 > 0:34:55that covered his shiny, bald head!

0:34:55 > 0:34:59The children were now squashed together

0:34:59 > 0:35:01on a very small story blanket.

0:35:01 > 0:35:06The confusion grew when the tailor's scraggly cat

0:35:06 > 0:35:12suddenly showed up, purring and grand in a snug cat coat.

0:35:13 > 0:35:18There was no blanket left to sit on. The villagers asked the mayor

0:35:18 > 0:35:20to help them solve the mystery.

0:35:22 > 0:35:26"You know what Babba Zarrah always says," the mayor replied.

0:35:26 > 0:35:30"Every question has an answer."

0:35:30 > 0:35:35When the children saw the socks, the scarf, the mittens,

0:35:35 > 0:35:37the apron, the shawl, the cap,

0:35:37 > 0:35:41the baby blanket and the cat in her coat,

0:35:41 > 0:35:43all together they shouted,

0:35:43 > 0:35:47"It looks like Babba Zarrah's old story blanket."

0:35:48 > 0:35:52"But she doesn't have it any more," said Nikolai.

0:35:52 > 0:35:55"A-ha," said the mayor,

0:35:55 > 0:36:00"Babba Zarrah used the wool in her blanket to make these."

0:36:00 > 0:36:06"Now, it is our turn to give Babba Zarrah a surprise."

0:36:06 > 0:36:09So while Babba Zarrah slept,

0:36:09 > 0:36:13a few rows of wool were unravelled from every blanket

0:36:13 > 0:36:17in every household and left on Babba Zarrah's doorstep.

0:36:17 > 0:36:19Babba Zarrah was amazed

0:36:19 > 0:36:22when she opened her front door in the morning.

0:36:22 > 0:36:27She'd never seen so much wool in so many colours.

0:36:27 > 0:36:29And on the top of it all was a sign -

0:36:29 > 0:36:32"For your new story blanket."

0:36:32 > 0:36:37The next time the children went to Babba Zarrah's for a story,

0:36:37 > 0:36:40there was a colourful new blanket to sit on,

0:36:40 > 0:36:46and a tale about a village where everyone shared with each other.

0:36:46 > 0:36:48As she hugged the children goodbye,

0:36:48 > 0:36:52Babba Zarrah noticed a hole in Alexandra's sweater.

0:36:52 > 0:36:56She wanted to knit Alexander a surprise,

0:36:56 > 0:36:59but the snow was still on the hills -

0:36:59 > 0:37:02and no wool was to be had anywhere in the village.

0:37:04 > 0:37:08Babba Zarrah knew that every question had an answer.

0:37:08 > 0:37:13She looked at her new story blanket and smiled.

0:37:13 > 0:37:15FLOELLA CHUCKLES

0:37:15 > 0:37:18And that story was called The Story Blanket.

0:37:18 > 0:37:22Maybe I can knit a story blanket with all this wool.

0:37:22 > 0:37:28But it might take quite a long time, so I think you should go to bed now

0:37:28 > 0:37:32and I'll see you very soon for another bedtime story.

0:37:32 > 0:37:34Night-night. Sweet dreams!

0:37:34 > 0:37:37Now, if I start winding here...