Dan Walker - Ambrose Goes for Gold CBeebies Bedtime Stories

.

CBeebies Bedtime Story.

Oh, yeah. That's a good one.

Come on!

Oh, hello. I'm Dan. I was stretching, and warming

for tonight's Bedtime Story.

Why don't you try one with me? Yeah, that's it.

I know someone else stretching and warming up. His name is Ambrose,

and I'll tell you ALL about him.

This story is by Tor Freeman,

and it's called, Ambrose Goes For Gold.

It was a beautiful, sunny morning,

and Ambrose had been awake since dawn.

He was far too excited to sleep.

It was the day of the Great Insect Games.

And, for the very first time, Ambrose was big enough to compete.

He couldn't WAIT to win a shiny gold medal,

and had been practising very hard.

Ambrose had done his lifting, his stretching,

and his toning, and firming.

He'd even done his to-ing and fro-ing.

"I wonder which game I will win?" said Ambrose.

"I'm sure to be the best at something."

As he arrived, the judge called the insects to gather round.

"Welcome to the Great Insect Games!" he cried.

"Today's first event will be the long jump."

"Hooray!" said Ambrose, "I'm a good jumper."

He did some little hops for practice.

Ambrose watched the leaf beetle skitter.

He watched the ant leap.

And when it was Ambrose's turn, he jumped VERY far!

But NOBODY could jump further than the grasshopper.

"Oh, no!" sighed Ambrose.

He felt very disappointed.

"Don't feel sad," said the kindly grasshopper.

"I am a grasshopper. Jumping's what I do best.

"Everybody is good at something".

"Well," thought Ambrose.

"I may not be a good jumper, but I expect I'm a good skater."

Feeling much brighter, he strode over to the pond.

The waterskating contest had just begun,

and Ambrose watched the insects glide round and round.

"Well, this looks easy," he thought.

But, oh dear! It wasn't easy.

"Don't worry," said the pond skater, helping Ambrose out of the water.

"I am a pond skater, and skating is what I do best."

"Well," thought Ambrose. "I may not be a good skater,

"but I KNOW I'm a good runner". And off he went to join the race.

Bang! They were off. The butterfly was fast,

the ladybird faster, Ambrose faster still!

He raced towards the finish.

But nobody was as fast as the tiger beetle.

"Oh, dear!" puffed Ambrose.

He had been so close.

"Chin up," said the tiger beetle.

"Tiger beetles are ALWAYS fast. Running is what we do best."

"Well," thought Ambrose "I may not be fast enough,

but I'm sure to be STRONG enough."

He felt ready to win the strong bug contest.

The grain of sand? No problem!

The berry? A bit more puff.

Next came the acorn.

Ambrose strained, and he pushed,

and he pulled his very hardest. But the acorn would not budge.

"Good try, Ambrose," said the rhino beetle.

"A rhino beetle is a strong beetle.

"Pushing and lifting is what we do best.

"Don't worry," he said. "Your turn will come."

But time was running out, and Ambrose was getting tired.

"One last chance," he whispered,

as he braced himself for the loud noise competition.

Oh, WHAT a lot of noise!

The worm warbled, the bee buzzed, and Ambrose made SUCH a clatter.

But nobody was as noisy as the cicada.

"I suppose being noisy is what cicadas do best,"

said Ambrose in his smallest, saddest voice.

Ambrose walked slowly away.

"Everyone has a gold medal," he sniffed.

"Everyone, except me. I'm just not at good at anything.

"My legs are not springy. I fall over when I skate.

"I can't run quickly, and I'm not that strong.

"I'm not even very noisy."

Feeling tired and unhappy,

Ambrose sat down, and nibbled on a twig.

It was a nice twig, so he had another. And another.

And then another. Suddenly, there came a loud voice.

"And the winner of the twig eating competition is...Ambrose!"

It was the judge! Ambrose had won!

He had REALLY won his very own, very shiny gold medal.

"Hip, hip, hooray for Ambrose!"

all the insects cried.

"We KNEW you could do it!" said the kindly grasshopper.

"But, how did you know?" asked Ambrose. Everyone laughed.

"Because, Ambrose, you're a termite.

"And EATING is what termites do best!"

As the sun went down, the fireflies came out,

and the celebrations began.

Ambrose danced until his little legs tingled.

"That grasshopper was right," thought Ambrose.

"Everybody REALLY IS good at something.

"But I MIGHT practise my skating for next year, just in case."

That story was called, Ambrose Goes For Gold.

Everybody IS good at something.

I expect YOU'RE good at a lot of things, aren't you? Yeah.

I'm quite good at eating. A bit like Ambrose.

I'm practising, so I CAN get even better.

After all that fun and games, it's time for you to go to sleep.

Good night, I'll see you soon.