Tom's Clockwork Dragon CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Oh, Hello! I'm Jonas.

I'm just trying to fix this clock. You see, it's broken.

So I thought if I did this, and then did this, well...

it's not right!

Do you know what I think I need?

I think I need Tom from tonight's bedtime story to help me.

Now he is very good at fixing things and inventing, too.

This story is by Jonathan Emmett and Mark Oliver, and it's called

Tom's Clockwork Dragon.

Finished, said Tom.

He wound up the little clockwork horse,

and watched it gallop across the workbench.

Just then, Tom's master, the Toymaker, returned.

Crash! The horse galloped off the edge of the bench

and smashed into pieces on the floor.

"What was that?" scowled the Toymaker.

"It was a clockwork horse," sighed Tom, gathering up the pieces.

"You're a useless apprentice, and you're fired!" he shouted

and he threw Tom out of the door.

Tom looked for a new job on the town notice board,

but there were no adverts for a toy maker's apprentice.

In fact, there was only one job advert

and it had been there for months. It said,

"Wanted. Brave Knight to rid the kingdom of Flamethrottle,

"the ferocious, man-eating, treasure-stealing dragon."

The King nearly fell off his throne laughing

when Tom turned up at the palace. "Ha-ha-ha!

"The advert was for a brave knight, not a foolish boy!"

he said, wiping his eyes.

"But since all the real knights have been eaten by the dragon,

"I suppose you might as well give it a try.

"But you need to be properly dressed," he added,

"Go and ask the armourer to knock you a suit in your size."

The Armoury was empty except for a young girl named Lizzie.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Er, a suit of armour, please?" said Tom.

"Armour?" said Lizzie. "You don't look like a knight!"

"Well, you don't look like an armourer," said Tom.

"I'm not!" said Lizzie. "My Dad is. There were no proper knights

"left to make armour for so he stays in bed,

"and I thought I'd have a go while he wasn't here.

"What do you need armour for, anyway?"

"I am going to get rid of the dragon," said Tom.

"Ha! You? You'll never do it. The only thing that will drive

"that dragon away is a bigger, scarier dragon."

"Drive it away," he repeated slowly to himself.

"I think I know what to do," he said, "but I'll need your help."

So later that night, Tom and Lizzie crept into the cave

where Flamethrottle lay asleep. The dragon was twice the size

that Tom had expected and three times as scary-looking.

The mouth of the cave was littered with armour,

which was all that was left of the brave knights who dared to go in.

"Come on!" hissed Lizzie, and they quietly gathered up the armour.

Back at the workshop, Tom and Lizzie

took the armour to pieces and began to make something new.

"It's finished!" said Lizzie, fastening the last plate in place.

"It's magnificent!" said Tom, admiring their creation.

"It'd better work," yawned Lizzie. "Of course it'll work!" said Tom,

picking up an enormous key, "Just as soon as I've wound it up!"

Flamethrottle was woken the next morning by a loud clanking sound.

He charged out to have it for breakfast,

but found a bigger, fiercer-looking dragon outside.

"What are you doing here?"

demanded the new dragon in a harsh, metallic voice.

"Er, I live here." said Flamethrottle, weakly.

"Not any more, you don't!" bellowed the giant dragon. "OUT!"

"R-right!" stuttered Flamethrottle, glancing back at the treasure.

"Perhaps I could just collect..."

"No! Get out, now!" roared the giant dragon,

chasing Flamethrottle away from the cave. They had almost chased

him out of the kingdom when the huge mechanical legs ground to a halt.

Tom fiddled frantically with the controls, but nothing happened.

The clockwork motor must have run down, he groaned. Flamethrottle

noticed he wasn't being chased and crept back to investigate.

There was something odd about this dragon. Its skin was too shiny

and it moved in a strange way. "What's that big key for?" he asked,

but then Tom had another of his ideas.

"Please, please do NOT touch that," he called. "It's very important!"

"What did you tell him that for?" hissed Lizzie.

"Why is it important?" demanded Flamethrottle.

"Because I am a mechanical dragon," replied Tom, "If you turn that key,

"my legs will lock and I won't be able to chase after you."

"Really?" said Flamethrottle, gleefully.

And he grabbed the key and gave it a turn.

Phew! Tom heaved a sigh of relief. His idea was working.

"Please, please stop!" whimpered Tom.

"Or my jaws will lock and I will not be able to chomp you up."

So, of course, Flamethrottle seized the key,

and turned it again and again until it would turn no more.

"Now I've got you!" yelled Flamethrower, triumphantly.

"No, now I've got you!" said Tom, pulling hard on the controls.

The fully-wound clockwork dragon sprang up

and lurched forward with gaping jaws.

"Urgh!" screamed Flamethrottle. And without stopping to see

if the metal dragon's legs and claws were also working,

he scrambled out of the kingdom and was never seen again.

The King was pleased to be rid of the real dragon, and delighted

to be presented with the clockwork one. He gave Tom and Lizzie

half of Flamethrottle's treasure, as promised.

And they used the reward to set up a clockwork toy shop,

where they made and sold the most wonderful clockwork toys.

The shop sold everything from clockwork archers to zebras.

But their most popular toy was...well, can you guess?

Yes, it was their little clockwork dragons, of course.

And that story was called, Tom's Clockwork Dragon.

Now, I don't need to do anything to this alarm clock to make sure

it wakes me up in the morning.

And it's time for you to go to bed.

So I'll see you very soon for another bedtime story.

Good night! So, if I pull this one here...

Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd