0:00:08 > 0:00:10I do like the colour blue.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Maybe...yellow.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Although...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Oh, hello. I'm Shobna.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27I'm looking at all the colours in the CBeebies House
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and trying to decide which is my favourite.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34Do you like one colour more than another? Maybe you like lots.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37There are lots of colours in tonight's Bedtime Story.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And there are lots of elephants too.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45This story is by David McKee and it's called Elmer.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48There once was a herd of elephants.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Elephants young, elephants old, elephants tall,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53or fat or thin.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Elephants like this, that or the other.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58All different, but all happy.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03And all the same colour. All, that is, except Elmer.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Elmer was different.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Elmer was patchwork.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Elmer was yellow and orange and red and pink and purple
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and blue and green and black and white.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Elmer was not elephant colour.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21It was Elmer who kept the elephants happy.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Sometimes he joked with other elephants,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26sometimes they joked with him,
0:01:26 > 0:01:32but if there was even a little smile, it was usually Elmer who started it.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35One night, Elmer couldn't sleep for thinking.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And the think that he was thinking
0:01:38 > 0:01:42was that he was tired of being different.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45"Who ever heard of a patchwork elephant?" he thought.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48"No wonder they laugh at me."
0:01:48 > 0:01:52In the morning, before the others were really awake,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Elmer slipped quietly away unnoticed.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59As he walked through the jungle, Elmer met other animals.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02They always said, "Good morning, Elmer!"
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Each time Elmer smiled and said, "Good morning."
0:02:06 > 0:02:10After a long walk, Elmer found what he was looking for,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14a large bush - a large bush covered with berries,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18a large bush covered with elephant coloured berries.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Elmer caught hold of the bush and shook it so that the berries
0:02:22 > 0:02:24fell on the ground.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Once the ground was covered in berries, Elmer lay down
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and rolled over and over, this way and that way and back again.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Then he picked up bunches of berries and covered himself with berry juice
0:02:36 > 0:02:40until there wasn't a sign of yellow or orange or red or pink
0:02:40 > 0:02:44or purple or blue or green or black or white.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48When he had finished, Elmer looked like any other elephant.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52After that, Elmer set off back to the herd.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56On the way, he passed the other animals again.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00This time each one said to him, "Good morning, elephant."
0:03:00 > 0:03:04And each time, Elmer smiled and said, "Good morning,"
0:03:04 > 0:03:06pleased that he wasn't recognised.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10When Elmer rejoined the others, they were all standing quietly.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14None of them noticed Elmer, as he worked his way into the middle
0:03:14 > 0:03:19of the herd. After a while, Elmer felt something was wrong.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25But what? He looked around. Same old jungle, same old bright sky,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28same old rain cloud that came over from time to time
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and lastly, same old elephants.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Elmer looked at them. The elephants were standing absolutely still.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Elmer had never seen them so serious before.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The more he looked at the serious, silent, still standing elephants,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47the more he wanted to laugh.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Finally, he could bear it no longer.
0:03:49 > 0:03:55He lifted his trunk and at the top of his voice shouted, "Boo!"
0:03:55 > 0:03:58The elephants jumped and fell all ways in surprise.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00"Oh, my gosh and golly!" they said
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and they saw Elmer helpless with laughter.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06"Elmer," they said, "it must be Elmer!"
0:04:06 > 0:04:11Then the other elephants laughed too, as they had never laughed before.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15As they laughed, the rain cloud burst and when the rain fell on Elmer,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17his patchwork started to show again.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22The elephants still laughed and Elmer was washed back to normal.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25"Oh, Elmer," gasped an old elephant.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30"You've played some good jokes but this is the biggest laugh of all.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33"It didn't take you long to show your true colours!"
0:04:33 > 0:04:37"We must celebrate this day every year," said another.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40"This will be Elmer's Day.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44"All elephants must decorate themselves
0:04:44 > 0:04:47"and Elmer will decorate himself elephant colour."
0:04:47 > 0:04:51That is exactly what the elephants do.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55On one day a year, they decorate themselves and parade.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And on that day, if you happen to see an elephant -
0:04:58 > 0:05:03ordinary elephant colour, you'll know it must be Elmer.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06And that story was called Elmer.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11What kind of pattern would you paint yourself on Elmer's Day?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I think I'd have a butterfly pattern.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Or maybe a patchwork, just like Elmer.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Well, you can dream of lots of colours now,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24as it's time for you to go to sleep.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Have colourful dreams and I'll see you soon for another story.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Night-night.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:05:33 > 0:05:35E-mail us subtitling@bbc.co.uk