0:36:50 > 0:36:57.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Oh, what a lovely card!
0:37:10 > 0:37:16That makes me even more excited about Christmas, if that's possible!
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Hello. I'm Frances and I'm opening some Christmas cards.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Let's see who this one's from.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Oh, it's from my auntie, my uncle and their pet rabbits,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Dandelion and Heather.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35That reminds me of a story I can tell you.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38It's all about a family of rabbits who moved home
0:37:38 > 0:37:41just before Christmas. Let me tell you about them.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45The story's by Julia Rawlinson and Tiffany Beeke,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and it's called Ferdie's Christmas.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56It was an ice bright Christmas Eve, and the sky was a dazzling blue.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Every tree in the wood was frost-sprinkled and sparkling,
0:38:00 > 0:38:05and frozen puddles creaked and crackled under Ferdie's paws.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09He padded down the burrow bank where the rabbits used to live,
0:38:09 > 0:38:14and bounced over the fallen tree that blocked their old front door.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18And stopped. And looked. And had a terrible thought,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22"How was Father Christmas going to find the rabbits' new home?"
0:38:22 > 0:38:27Ferdie shivered as a chill wind sliced through the wood,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29rattling the bare branches.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34He thought about how sad he would feel if he had to leave his den.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36He thought about
0:38:36 > 0:38:40how the rabbits would feel if Father Christmas did not come.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44And then he thought about...arrows!
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Ferdie began to scrunch around, collecting sticks from
0:38:48 > 0:38:54the frosty ground, making a trail of arrows leading to the new burrow.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57"What are you doing?" asked Squirrel,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59looking down from the branches.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04"Making a trail to the rabbits' new burrow for Father Christmas,"
0:39:04 > 0:39:05said Ferdie.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10"Otherwise they might not get their presents," gulped Squirrel.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14And he scampered down to help Ferdie collect more sticks.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Soon, a flock of birds had gathered in the tree tops,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21their feathers fluffed, to see what was going on.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26"We're making a trail to the rabbits' new burrow," said Ferdie.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29"For Father Christmas," added Squirrel.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32"We'll help you!" chirped the birds.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36The trail passed between bare trees and crossed the tinkling,
0:39:36 > 0:39:43ice-rimmed stream, as the sun began to set, turning a dazzling gold.
0:39:43 > 0:39:49Ferdie and Squirrel shivered with cold, and hurried up the little hill
0:39:49 > 0:39:54to where the mice were draping their nest with holly and ivy leaves.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57"What are you doing?" asked the mice.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00"We're making a trail," said Ferdie.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03"To the rabbits' new burrow," added Squirrel.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06"For Father Christmas," added the birds.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11"You'd better hurry," said the mice. "It's getting late. We'll help you."
0:40:11 > 0:40:15So Ferdie, Squirrel, the birds and the mice finished the trail
0:40:15 > 0:40:17to the rabbits' new home,
0:40:17 > 0:40:23which was sweet with the smell of blackberry pie. Cosy and warm.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26They gathered round the crackling fire,
0:40:26 > 0:40:31thawing out their icy noses, nibbling pieces of pie
0:40:31 > 0:40:35and singing Christmas songs.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40And while Squirrel put on a juggling show with holly, berries
0:40:40 > 0:40:47and mistletoe, outside in the shivery darkness, it began to snow.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53Fat, white flakes tumbled softly from a heavy sky.
0:40:53 > 0:40:59They landed, light and whisper-quiet, on the frozen ground.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04And when Ferdie went to the burrow door to go home for the night,
0:41:04 > 0:41:09the snow was soft and deep and white,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12and all the arrows had gone!
0:41:12 > 0:41:16"Oh, no!" cried Ferdie, blinking back tears.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20"What will happen to your presents now?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24"Father Christmas will never be able to find your home!"
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Ferdie stared out into the darkness,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30imagining Father Christmas lost in the snow.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34"I know!" he said, gathering his friends.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38"If we stay awake tonight when Father Christmas visits our homes,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40"we can tell him where he needs to go!"
0:41:40 > 0:41:43The animals said goodnight to each other,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47and hurried off through the snow-muffled wood.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Ferdie snuggled down in his warm, soft bed
0:41:51 > 0:41:53to keep watch for Father Christmas.
0:41:53 > 0:42:00But curled in the cosy hollow of an oak tree, Squirrel began to snore!
0:42:00 > 0:42:08High in the snowy branches of a fir tree, the birds began to doze.
0:42:08 > 0:42:15In their toasty warm nest, the mice dreamt of ribbon-wrapped berries.
0:42:15 > 0:42:24And in his snug little bed, Ferdie's...eyes...closed.
0:42:24 > 0:42:30So when Father Christmas came to call, everyone was fast asleep!
0:42:30 > 0:42:35And next morning, when Ferdie rushed to the rabbits' burrow...
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Father Christmas had found them after all!
0:42:38 > 0:42:42"I'm sorry, I went to sleep!" puffed Ferdie.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45"But I've brought you a Christmas rose."
0:42:45 > 0:42:47"And we've brought nuts!" panted Squirrel,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50pulling the mice through the snow.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53"And we've brought berries," sang the birds,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57spiralling in the snow-bright sky.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01"And best of all, you've brought yourselves.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06"There's room in the burrow for everyone!"
0:43:06 > 0:43:09"Happy Christmas!" cried the rabbits,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11and they welcomed their friends
0:43:11 > 0:43:14into the berry-bright warmth of their home.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18That story was called Ferdie's Christmas.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Ooh, I feel all warm and cosy after that story, do you?
0:43:22 > 0:43:27And I'm really glad Father Christmas found the rabbits' new home.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31But it's time for you to go to bed, and for me to say goodnight.
0:43:31 > 0:43:38Have sweet dreams, and I'll see you soon for another story. Night-night.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:42 > 0:43:45E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk