0:26:50 > 0:26:57.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Hmm.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10I wonder what it is?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Oh! Hello!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I'm Charlie.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's nice to receive a parcel, isn't it?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20But I don't know who this parcel is from.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It just says it's from,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24"A. Stranger Esq."
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I wonder what it is?
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Oh! Some packets of herb seeds.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35There's some thyme...
0:27:38 > 0:27:39..some rosemary...
0:27:41 > 0:27:42..and some basil.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Mm.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I love herbs, what a nice surprise!
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I wonder if they're from the same stranger
0:27:52 > 0:27:55as the one in tonight's bedtime story?
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It's by Mini Grey and it's called Three By The Sea.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03On a pebbly stretch of shore, in a beach hut, by the sea
0:28:03 > 0:28:09there lived a black cat, a white dog and a little grey mouse.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The dog tended to the garden,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16the cat took care of the housework
0:28:16 > 0:28:18and the mouse looked after the cooking.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21And they lived happily.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Or so they thought.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29One night, a stranger blew in to the shore
0:28:29 > 0:28:33and found his way to the beach hut by the sea.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35He invited himself in.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39The stranger announced that they were the winners of a visit
0:28:39 > 0:28:42from the Winds Of Change trading company.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45And it would be absolutely free.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49He explained that if you felt strangely discontented,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52or wondered if your life was missing something,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56then Winds Of Change was the company for you.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59And, of course, everything was absolutely free!
0:29:01 > 0:29:06The stranger also explained that he needed to sleep in a proper bed
0:29:06 > 0:29:08with plenty of pillows and eiderdowns.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12There was only one bed.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19The next day, after breakfast, the stranger took the mouse aside
0:29:19 > 0:29:24and said, "You know, Mouse, I don't mean to be rude about Dog,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27"but his idea of gardening is a bit odd.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32"He only plants bones! Who wants a bone garden?
0:29:32 > 0:29:36"Where are the flowers? Where are the vegetables?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38"Where are the herbs?"
0:29:39 > 0:29:44The stranger gave Mouse some things to read from his suitcase.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47After lunch, the stranger said to Dog,
0:29:47 > 0:29:52"Dog, while you've been busy digging the garden,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54"Cat has been doing the housework.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58"Come and look at Cat doing the housework."
0:29:58 > 0:30:01"Hmm?" said Dog,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05"Well, we didn't sleep very well last night."
0:30:05 > 0:30:08But he felt a little upset.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11The stranger gave Dog a present too.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16Around suppertime the stranger found Cat alone and said,
0:30:16 > 0:30:21"You know, Cat, I've never been that keen on fondue myself,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24"but I suppose that mice never get tired of cheese.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28"Do you have fondue every night?"
0:30:28 > 0:30:30"Pretty much," said Cat.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Cat also got some gifts from the suitcase.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39At dinner everyone was very quiet, until,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44"A spot more fondue anyone?" asked Mouse.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And, "Why do we always have to have fondue?"
0:30:47 > 0:30:51"Well, you do the cooking then, if you don't like it!"
0:30:51 > 0:30:52"Maybe I will!"
0:30:52 > 0:30:56"Maybe you won't fall asleep while you're doing it!"
0:30:56 > 0:30:57"What do you mean?"
0:30:57 > 0:31:00"I saw you doing your so-called cleaning!"
0:31:00 > 0:31:03"That's not fair, Dog. What about the garden?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06"When did we say that we wanted a BONE garden?"
0:31:06 > 0:31:09"You're cooking is horrible!"
0:31:09 > 0:31:11"Your housework is rubbish!"
0:31:11 > 0:31:13"Your garden's a mess!"
0:31:15 > 0:31:19That night, while Cat and Dog were trying to sleep,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Mouse was packing his things,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25planning to travel to somewhere where his cooking was appreciated.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29At about midnight, the cat woke with a lurch
0:31:29 > 0:31:33and a sinking feeling that something was wrong.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35She walked along the seafront.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38On the pebbles was a bundle of things.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41The sort of things that belonged to Mouse.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Through the roar of the sea
0:31:43 > 0:31:46her keen ears heard a desperate, far away squeak.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51Cat couldn't swim but she waded into the water anyway.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54She just had to rescue Mouse.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Cat scooped up mouse and put him on her head,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59but she was having trouble staying afloat.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Then, from the watery darkness, a pale blob got nearer,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and nearer, and nearer.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Dog was a good swimmer,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11good enough for all three of them.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Dog carried them all to safety by the shore.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Back on the beach they made sure that everyone was still alive
0:32:19 > 0:32:21and nobody was drowned.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25They all agreed that it was probably time for the stranger to leave.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29But in the beach hut there was not a shred of the stranger,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31or his suitcase.
0:32:31 > 0:32:32Except a note
0:32:32 > 0:32:34and these packets of seeds.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37"Called away on urgent business.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41"Borrowed boat - hope you don't mind."
0:32:42 > 0:32:46"Here is a last free gift for you from the Winds Of Change company.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50"Yours, A. Stranger Esq."
0:32:51 > 0:32:55And now, if you happen to drop by the beach hut by the sea
0:32:55 > 0:32:59you might notice that they're doing things a little differently.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01You might see Mouse and Dog
0:33:01 > 0:33:03cultivating their bone and herb garden.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09Or you might see Cat and Mouse making cheese and pilchard fondue -
0:33:09 > 0:33:12with a twist of thyme and a bay leaf.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16In the morning you would probably hear Cat and Dog humming a tune
0:33:16 > 0:33:19as they kept the hut cosy and clean.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24And you might just notice a scent of herbs in the sea air.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30And that story was called Three By The Sea.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31Hmm.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33I love the smell of herbs.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38I'm really looking forward to planting these seeds tomorrow.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Right, it's time for you to go to sleep.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45And I'll see you soon for another bedtime story.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48I wonder what I could cook with these herbs?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk