The King of Tiny Things CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Nothing out there. What about in here? No.

Oh, hello! I'm Shappi.

Have you had a lovely day?

I've been outside in the garden exploring

and looking for something very, very small,

like the children in tonight's bedtime story

who go looking for very small things.

They find someone very special. Shall we find out who?

This story is by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward,

and it's called The King Of Tiny Things.

One summer, when we were small, we went to stay with Nana and Grandad.

There was a tent in Grandad's shed.

"You could camp under the stars," he said.

It seemed like a brilliant idea, until bedtime.

We'd only ever slept indoors with the light on.

"Night-night, sleep tight," they said.

We didn't. Daren't. Too dark.

I shone my torch. "Don't!" said Chrissy.

"Creepy crawlies will come and get us."

There was a fuzzy shadow. Something mothy crept in through the flap.

Chrissy screamed. She swatted it onto its back.

But it wasn't a bug. It was a boy - no bigger than a beetle.

He looked at us in the eye and he sang this lullaby.

# I am the King of Tiny Things

# Who creep and crawl or buzz their wings

# Mine is the magic that night-time brings

# Follow me, follow me, follow me. #

He led us up the garden path and disappeared under the shed.

We looked and there he was, oiling a slug who'd lost its slime.

"Oooo," said Chrissy. "How can you care for creepy crawlies?"

"How can you not?" he cried. "They turn the soil, so seeds can sow.

"They visit plants, so crops grow. We need them more than you can know."

# Follow me, follow me, follow me. #

So when the King of Tiny Things found a worm drying on the path,

we carried it to the compost heap to recover.

When he found a caterpillar trapped under a pot, we set it free.

And when he found a daddy-longlegs, missing a leg, we made it a new one.

The King showed us many marvellous, moonlit things -

weevils with copper wings, chubby grubs, badger cubs,

baby bats and furry hats.

But best of all, he showed us that, even in the shadows,

the night was bright with magic.

And he sang... # Follow me, follow me, follow me. #

We didn't follow him straight away.

We were too busy being brave but we should have. His boat had sunk.

We fished him out of the pond.

If his heart was beating, I couldn't feel it.

It was smaller than an apple pip.

I tried to give him the kiss of life but Chrissy said,

"Stop, he's no bigger than a beetle. Nurse him the creepy crawly way."

She found a reed, no wider than a whisker and put it to his lips.

"I'll give him little puffs," she said, "you pinch his nose."

I pinched and she puffed. She pinched and I puffed.

And he spluttered, sat up and looked very pleased to be alive.

As we tucked him into bed, he shivered and he said,

"For the love of tiny things, will you be my creepy crawly queens?"

"Yes!" we said. But you must rest, little man. Night-night, sleep tight.

We woke early. We went to say goodbye to him before Dad came to fetch us.

Chrissy got there first.

She was kneeling by his bed with her head in her hands.

All that was left of him was his crown, his cloak

and his crumpled skin.

"Fetch a matchbox," she cried, "and a trowel."

We buried the matchbox under a marigold,

but as we turned to leave, something flew down and landed on my hand.

At first, I thought it was a beetle but it wasn't.

It was the King of Tiny Things, only bigger, bolder, brighter,

as if he'd shed his skin to get his new, grown-up wings.

And by the light of the moon and the stars, he smiled and he sang...

# Follow me, follow me, follow me. #

And on those magical summer nights, when we stayed with Nana and Grandad,

that's just what we did.

That story was called The King Of Tiny Things.

I'm glad the King of Tiny Things taught the children

to care about those creatures.

It must have been fun, sleeping under the stars.

And it's time for you to go to sleep and I will say night-night.

I'll see you again soon for another story.

Maybe I can find something special over here.

Hello?

Hello?