Simon Pegg - The Diabolical Mr Tiddles CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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A fluffy friend.

A feathery friend.

A furry friend.

Oh, hello! I'm Simon.

If you could have any pet in the world, what would it be?

I think I'd like a polar bear. Lots of warm cuddles.

Although perhaps a little bit too big for indoors. Sorry!

Well, in tonight's bedtime story,

Harry is quite surprised by his new best friend.

The story is by Tom McLaughlin and is called The Diabolical Mr Tiddles.

For as long as he could remember,

all Harry had wanted in the whole wide world was a cat.

A furry, purry friend to care for and to play with.

And you'll never guess what - this was Harry's lucky day.

Today was Harry's birthday, and a cat is just what he got.

"What a perfect puss cat!" said Harry excitedly.

"I'll call him Mr Tiddles."

Every day, Harry made sure that Mr Tiddles was as happy

as a cat could possibly be.

Every night, he tucked Mr Tiddles up on the comfiest armchair

and stroked his tummy as he drifted into a dreamy sleep.

Harry loved his new friend.

Mr Tiddles loved Harry too and he wanted to show him

how lucky he was to have such a kind friend.

First, he brought Harry a fresh mouse.

But Harry just went a funny colour.

Then, he left Harry's favourite treat at the bottom of his bed.

Triple chocolate cream and custard cake with extra banana jam. Mmm!

"Delicious!" said Harry, as he licked a dollop of cream.

But where did this come from? Mr Tiddles kept quiet.

The next day, Harry found a pogo stick

and a train, tooting its way around his bedroom.

"What's going on? Where has all this come from?" he cried.

Mr Tiddles just grinned.

Day by day, things got even more puzzling.

Before long, Harry's room was awash with rock-star guitars,

peculiar paintings, fearsome dinosaurs, yummy jelly beans

and whooshing jet packs.

Then, one morning, Harry awoke

to find a horse named Alan in his bedroom.

It was the last straw.

"What are you up to, Mr Tiddles, you rascally cat?" he cried.

Mr Tiddles didn't make a sound.

He just went a little red in the face.

What mischief was Mr Tiddles getting up to while Harry was asleep?

That evening, Harry followed Mr Tiddles

as he vanished into the night, slinking along high wires,

leaping across rooftops and jumping over rickety fences.

It was a job for Harry to keep up

until Mr Tiddles reached the home of the Queen!

"Oh, my!" said Harry,

as the rascally moggy squeezed through the railings

and started to scale the wall.

"Mr Tiddles is a cat burglar, how diabolical!"

Taking a deep breath, Harry followed Mr Tiddles over the palace gates,

up the palace wall and into the royal bedroom.

"Stop!" shouted Harry,

just as Mr Tiddles swiped the crown right off the Royal head.

Mr Tiddles froze. The Queen woke up and Harry started to fall.

"Help!" he screamed.

Whoosh! Quick as a flash, Mr Tiddles dropped the Royal crown

and dived across the room.

"Aaargh!"

With a swish and a swoop and some splendid acrobatics,

Mr Tiddles grabbed Harry's shoelace

and hauled him back through the window.

"Phew! That was close," sighed Harry,

as he and Mr Tiddles landed in a heap at the Queen's slippers.

The Queen, however, was not amused.

"Guards!" she called,

"Arrest these two intruders for acts of cheekiness against the Crown."

"No!" cried Harry. "Please, your Majesty, Mr Tiddles isn't a bad cat,

"he's just been taking things because he cares for me so much."

"You mean he's stolen other things too?" cried the Queen in dismay.

She scratched her Royal head

and a Royal thought popped into her Royal brain.

"It's wrong to steal," she snorted.

"But I think Mr Tiddles has learnt his lesson.

"I can see that he isn't a bad cat.

"If he promises to give everything back, we'll say no more about it."

Mr Tiddles looked up at the Queen

and gave the cutest, furry, purry pussycat smile he could muster.

With no more time to lose,

Mr Tiddles returned the grand piano to the conductor at the Opera House.

The whooshing jet pack to the astronaut.

And the noisy guitar to the rock-star man.

And Alan to a very relieved cowboy.

When they were finished,

Harry gave Mr Tiddles his biggest, bestest squeezy hug.

The two of them agreed then and there that having each other

was the best present that anyone could wish for. The end.

That story was called The Diabolical Mr Tiddles.

I think Harry and Mr Tiddles will be the best of friends

and have lots more squeezy hugs, don't you?

Now, have you snuggled down and given your favourite toy a hug?

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

I'll see you soon for another bedtime story. Good night.

There they are! I've been looking for these everywhere.

I'm sure they weren't there before.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd