Witchety Sticks and the Magic Buttons CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Look at all these buttons. Lots and lots of buttons everywhere.

I wonder what they're for.

Do you know, Owl?

Oh, hello. I'm Shappi.

I'm just asking Owl what these buttons are doing here.

I wonder who they all belong to.

What was that?

These are magic buttons? Wow!

Oh, I know who they belong to.

They belong to the witch in tonight's bedtime story.

It's called Witchety Sticks And The Magic Buttons, by Helen Stephens.

This is a muddley-wuddley witch, called Witchety Sticks.

And this is her friend, Woo.

Witchety Sticks is no ordinary witch. Oh, no.

She lives in a ramshackle shed, in a very tall tree

and keeps magic buttons in her pocket.

One day, Witchety Sticks woke up in her wonky wooden bed.

She wiggled her toes, stretched her fingers

and pulled on her woolly socks.

"Time for a getting dressed button," she said.

"Magic button, witchey woo, time to get dressed into something new."

Up popped a pair of purple pantaloons.

"Perfect!" said Witchety Sticks.

She popped on her pantaloons and set off to find Woo.

"Good morning, Woo," said Witchety Sticks. "Are you hungry?

"It's time for a breakfast button.

"Magic button, bish, bash, bam, let's have breakfast, eggs and ham."

Up popped a chicken. It flapped its wings and started laying eggs,

here, there and everywhere.

"Witchety wow!" cried Witchety Sticks.

"What a mess!"

It was time for a spring-clean button.

"Magic button, alakazam, let's make everything spick and span."

Up sprang two mops and buckets, three feather dusters,

four soapy sponges and a pair of washing-up gloves.

Quickly, they got to work,

dusting the dark corners, washing the dishes and scrubbing the floor.

Then it was time for a rub-a-dub-dubbing.

Even Woo was dipped in the soap suds.

Before long, everything was hung out to dry.

Then the magic ran out.

The buckets, the dusters and the washing-up gloves vanished.

Everything was calm,

until, suddenly, a big gust of wind whistled through Muddly Woods

and swept all the laundry into the tree tops and into the bushes.

"Oh, dear," said Witchety Sticks, "what a muddle and a mess!"

Quickly, Witchety Sticks and Woo untangled everything.

Then, sniff, sniff, they heard a little noise,

coming from under a pair of Witchety Sticks' old gardening trousers.

It sounded like someone was crying.

"Hello?" whispered Witchety Sticks in her kindest voice.

"Are you all right in there?"

There was a bit of rustling.

And out stepped a very wet, very upset littlepotamus.

"I'm lost," he sobbed.

"I was...eating my breakfast, with my mamapotamus and my papapotamus,

"when our house got dipped in the washing tub and hung out to dry.

"Then a big gust of wind got me and now I can't find my house."

"Don't worry," said Witchety Sticks, "I'll find your house.

"What does it look like?"

"It's stripy," sobbed Littlepotamus.

"Stripy?" said Witchety Sticks.

She searched in her pockets for a suitable button.

"Magic button, witchety wows, bring Littlepotamus a stripy house."

Up popped a stripy...

sock.

"Is this it?" asked Witchety Sticks.

"No!" sniffed Littlepotamus.

"My house is stripy and round."

"Round?" said Witchety Sticks.

She searched her pockets for just the right button.

"Magic button, witchety wows, bring Littlepotamus a stripy round house."

Up popped a stripy round hat.

"Is this it?" asked Witchety Sticks.

"No!" sniffed Littlepotamus, wiping his tears.

"My house is stripy and round and it has a lovely yellow roof."

"Oh, dear," sighed Witchety Sticks.

Her magic just wasn't going right today.

"I'll give it one last try.

"Magic button, witchety wows,

"make Littlepotamus the perfect round house."

Up sprang a magic telescope.

"I can't live in a telescope!" wailed Littlepotamus.

"Now I'll never find my house."

But Witchety Sticks had an idea.

She held the magic telescope up to her eye.

It twinkled and shone and spun round and round until she felt dizzy.

Then she peered through the glass to see where the magic was pointing.

She smiled. "Take a look, Littlepotamus."

"That's it! That's it!" shouted Littlepotamus.

"My stripy round house with a yellow roof.

"And look, my mamapotamus and my papapotamus too!"

"You live in my sewing box with the thimbles and threads,"

cried Witchety Sticks happily.

And she gave Littlepotamus a kiss on his tiny potamus nose.

Witchety Sticks put the sewing box safely back on its usual shelf.

Mamapotamus and Papapotamus gave Littlepotamus a big hug.

Then Mamapotamus made a plate of pickled lily sandwiches.

Papapotamus poured everyone a thimble of his bubbly bluebell brew

and everyone had a very special tea.

"All we need now, is a washing-up button," said Witchety Sticks.

"Don't you think we've had enough magic for one day?" yawned Woo.

For once, Witchety Sticks had to agree.

So she popped the button in her pocket for another day.

And that story was called Witchety Sticks And The Magic Buttons.

I hope they get all that washing up done.

Do you like magic? I hope that story worked its magic on you,

and you're all cosy and ready for bed.

It's time for me to say good night

and I'll see you again soon, with another story.

Night-night.

I wonder if any of THESE buttons are magic.

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