The Talent Show CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hello. I'm Alex. I was just practising for a talent show.

Someone else is practising for their talent show as well,

and they're in tonight's bedtime story.

The story is called The Talent Show and it's by Jo Hodgkinson.

A sign stopped four friends in their tracks.

The news sent shivers down their backs.

A small red bird who'd seen it, too, flew down to get a better view.

He quietly said, "I'd like a go, to try and win this talent show."

The four friends laughed, "Ha! Don't be absurd.

"You're much too small, you're just a bird."

Then the friends went on their way to practise for this special day.

At home they practised day and night to get the tunes to sound just right.

They felt the rhythm, tapped their feet,

until they'd found a steady beat. The bear and lion, snake and croc,

played tunes that made the whole house rock!

This band could play, this band could move,

this band had really found their groove.

But all of a sudden, the drums went, "Boom!"

This wasn't a beat to match the tune.

Bear stood up and scratched his head,

looked quite serious, sighed and said,

"If we want to win this thing, one of the band will have to sing."

So everybody took a turn to sing a song that they had learnt.

But the only sounds that they could make were, "Grr." "Snap." "Growl."

And "hiss" of snake.

This came as quite a big surprise.

"I know," said Croc, "let's advertise."

They hung a sign up in the tree

so singers passing by might see.

Well, not much time had passed before

they heard a knock at their front door.

As Bear looked out onto the street, he heard a voice down by his feet.

"I saw the sign, so down I flew. I've come to have an interview."

Bear growled, "There's nothing left to say,

"you're much too small, now go away."

Singers came from all around, but no-one had that missing sound.

With no hope left, what would they do?

The band sat down to think things through

when suddenly they got a shock,

a loud, resounding knock, knock, knock.

They looked and saw an eerie sight, a stranger standing in the night.

His coat was long, his glasses black,

and on his head he wore a hat.

He said, "I've come to help you win

"this talent show. Can I come in?"

He sang the most amazing songs,

the band began to play along.

They knew this was the missing sound,

at last their singer had been found.

But as he sang and danced around, the stranger's coat fell to the ground.

And in their presence, now they saw,

the bird they'd laughed at twice before.

"Red Bird, will you forgive us, please?

"We realise we were wrong to tease."

Bird said, "You really were unwise to simply judge me by my size.

"But now I see you understand, and I'd be glad to join your band."

The next day at the talent show, the five were waiting for their go.

But as they stepped into the light,

the small red bird was filled with fright.

He felt so small and all alone, he thought about his tree-top home.

He wished that he could fly away, but then his friends began to play.

The rhythm started in his feet and travelled quickly to his beak.

The sound made by that little bird

was quite the best the crowd had heard.

The crowd got up, they danced and swayed

to every tune the great band played.

And as the crowd began to cheer, Bird saw he had no need to fear.

The judges gave the band the prize.

They judged on talent, not on size.

What a great band.

I think I might ask them to come and perform at my talent show.

Well, I'd better get practising while you get ready for bed.

Night-night.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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