The Smartest Giant in Town CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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CBeebies Bedtime Story.

This is too big, this tie!

Oh, hello! I'm Simon. This tie is enormous!

You see, I wanted to be smart to read you tonight's Bedtime Story.

I borrowed the tie from George the Giant, but it's far too big for me.

George is a very kind giant. Let me tell you about him.

The story is by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

and it's called The Smartest Giant in Town.

George was a giant, the scruffiest giant in town.

He always wore the same pair of old brown sandals

and the same old patched-up gown.

"I wish I wasn't the scruffiest giant in town," he said, sadly.

But one day, George noticed a new shop.

It was full of smart clothes,

so he bought a smart shirt,

a smart pair of trousers,

a smart belt, a smart stripy tie,

some smart socks, with diamonds up the sides

and a pair of smart shiny shoes.

"Now, I'm the smartest giant in town," he said, proudly.

George left his old clothes behind in the shop.

He was about to go home when he heard a sound.

On the pavement stood a giraffe, who was sniffing sadly.

"What's the matter?" asked George.

"It's my neck," said the giraffe. "It's so very long, so very cold.

"I wish I had a long, warm scarf."

"Cheer up," said George. And he took off his stripy tie.

"It didn't match my socks, anyway,"

he said, as he wound it round and round the giraffe's neck.

It made a wonderful scarf. "Thank you," said the giraffe.

As George strode towards home, he sang to himself.

# "My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe, but look me up and down.

# "I'm the smartest giant in town".

George came to a river.

On a boat, stood a goat, who was bleating loudly.

"What's the matter?" asked George.

"It's my sail," said the goat. "It blew away in the storm.

"I wish I had a strong new sail for my boat."

"Cheer up," said George. And he took off his new white shirt.

"It kept coming untucked, anyway,"

he said, as he tied it to the mast of the goat's boat.

It made a magnificent sail!

"Thank you," said the goat.

George strode on, singing to himself,

# "My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe

# "My shirt's on a boat as a sail for a goat

# "But look me up and down, I'm the smartest giant in town."

George came to a tiny, ruined house.

Beside the house stood a white mouse, with lots of baby mice.

They were all squeaking.

"What's the matter?" asked George.

"It's our house!" squeaked the mother mouse.

"It burned down and now we have nowhere to live!"

"I wish we had a nice new house."

"Cheer up," said George, then he took off one of his shiny shoes.

"It was giving me blisters, anyway," he said,

as the mouse and her babies scrambled inside.

The shoe made a perfect home for them.

"Thank you!" "Thank you!" they squeaked.

George had to hop along the road now, but he didn't mind.

As he hopped, he sang to himself,

# "My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe

# "My shirt's on a boat as a sail for a goat

# "My shoe is a house for a little white mouse

# "But look me up and down, I'm the smartest giant in town." #

George came to a campsite.

Beside a tent stood a fox, who was crying.

"What's the matter?" asked George.

"It's my sleeping bag," said the fox.

"I dropped it in a puddle."

"And I wish I had a warm, dry sleeping bag."

"Cheer up," said George,

and he took off one of his socks with diamonds up the side.

"It was tickling my toes, anyway," he said, as the fox snuggled into it.

It made a very fine sleeping bag.

"Thank you," said the fox.

George came to a big, squelchy bog.

Beside the bog stood a dog, who was howling.

"What's the matter?" asked George.

"It's this bog!" said the dog.

"I need to get across, but I keep getting stuck in the mud."

"I wish there was a safe, dry path."

"Cheer up," said George, and he took off his smart new belt.

"It was squashing my tummy, anyway,"

he said, as he laid it down over the bog.

It made an excellent path.

"Thank you!" said the dog.

The wind started to blow, but George didn't mind.

He hopped on, singing to himself,

# "My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe

# "My shirt's on a boat as a sail for a goat

# "My shoe is a house for a little white mouse

# "One of my socks is a bed for a fox

# "My belt helped a dog who was crossing a bog

# "But... #

"..my trousers are falling down! I'm the coldest giant in town."

Suddenly, George felt sad and shivery, and not at all smart.

He stood on one foot and thought.

"I have to go back to the shop and buy some more clothes," he decided.

He turned round and hopped all the way back to the shop.

But when he got there, it was closed.

"Oh, no!" cried George.

He sank down onto the doorstep and a tear ran down his nose.

He felt as sad as all the animals he had met on his way home.

Then, out of the corner of his eye,

he saw a bag with something familiar poking out of the top.

George took a closer look.

"My gown!" he yelled. "My dear old gown and sandals!"

George put them on.

They felt wonderfully comfortable.

"I'm the cosiest giant in town!" he cried,

and he danced back home along the road.

Outside his front door stood all the animals he had helped.

They were carrying an enormous present.

"Come on, George!" they said.

"Open it!"

George untied the ribbon.

Inside, was a beautiful gold paper crown and a card.

"Look inside the card, George," said the animals.

George put the crown on his head and opened the card.

"Your tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,

"your shirt's on a boat as a sail for a goat,

"your shoe is a house for a little white mouse,

"one of your socks is a bed for a fox,

"your belt helped a dog who was crossing a bog,

"so here is a very fine crown, to go with the sandals and gown

of the kindest giant in town."

That story was called The Smartest Giant in Town.

Wasn't George a very generous and kind giant?

Can you think of anybody you can help tomorrow, just like George?

Well, while you're thinking,

it's time to close your eyes and go to bed.

I'll see you soon for another Bedtime Story.

Goodnight.

Now then, I really should take this tie back to George,

he probably needs it.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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