0:08:06 > 0:08:09Hello, I'm David.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Do you like magic?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Oh, you do!
0:08:12 > 0:08:13And do you like...
0:08:16 > 0:08:17..animals?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's fantastic!
0:08:20 > 0:08:27Because tonight's bedtime story is full of both magic and animals.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's called My Friend Nigel
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and it is by Jo Hodgkinson.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37Billy's dad and Billy's mum thought magic was a lot of fun.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39You might think Bill would like it too,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42but quite the opposite was true.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44The spells were always going wrong,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Mum's potions made a nasty pong.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51While they liked magic quite a lot, Billy certainly did not.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Billy peered at all the strange supplies.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Jellied bugs and pickled flies,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59bubbling potions and lizard scales.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And what was this?
0:09:01 > 0:09:02A little snail.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04"Oh, Mum. Please, no.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07"Don't tell me he is for a magic recipe.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09"To do that would be so unkind.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11"I have a better plan in mind.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14"Instead, why don't you say you'll let
0:09:14 > 0:09:17"me keep the snail as my new pet."
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Bill gave him Nigel as his name.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22He taught him how to play new games.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Said Dad to Mum, "Oh, just give him time,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28"he'll soon get bored of all that slime.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30"These spells will help us show our boy
0:09:30 > 0:09:33"some other pets he could enjoy."
0:09:33 > 0:09:35"We know you're fond of your pet snail,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38"but have you thought about...
0:09:38 > 0:09:39"a whale?!
0:09:41 > 0:09:45"If not a whale, now, let me see, perhaps a giant dancing bee.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48"This elephant does tricks, you know,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51"unlike your snail, who's rather slow.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55"This tiger here could be your guy, while Nigel is a little shy."
0:09:55 > 0:09:57But, suddenly, Bill shouted,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00"Whoa! I'm sorry, but they'll have to go.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05"Oh, Mum and Dad, why can't you see? It's Nigel who's the pet for me."
0:10:05 > 0:10:08But what Bill said, he said too late.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10And Nigel didn't hear his mate.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12As Billy turned to see his snail,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15he saw instead a slimy trail.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21It read, "I think it's for the best. I'm not as fun as all the rest.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23"I hope you find the perfect pet
0:10:23 > 0:10:25"and I'm so happy that we met.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27"I'm sorry that it had to end.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29"Lots of love from your friend."
0:10:29 > 0:10:31"Nigel!"
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Meow!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35As Billy shouted Nigel's name,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Dad's magic spells went wrong again.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Things got crazy, things went bad!
0:10:40 > 0:10:43The tiger tried to eat Billy's dad!
0:10:43 > 0:10:45The elephant was tickling Mum,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47the bee stung Billy on his bum!
0:10:47 > 0:10:49As Nigel reached to call the lift,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52he heard Bill's crying and, being swift,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55he pulled the skateboard from its case
0:10:55 > 0:10:59and whizzed along at a lightning pace, catapulted through the door
0:10:59 > 0:11:04and slid across the hallway floor. But no-one noticed Nigel snail
0:11:04 > 0:11:06or saw his super-slimy trail.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08The tiger slipped onto his back
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and knocked Mum's potions off the rack.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13And, suddenly, a puff of smoke
0:11:13 > 0:11:15made everyone cough and choke.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17But, as the smoke began to clear,
0:11:17 > 0:11:21those crazy beasts had disappeared.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Well, Mum and Dad were pleased as punch.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And made their snail a hero's lunch.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Mum giddily patted Nigel's shell and said,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36"This snail beats any spell.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38"And now with magic we are through,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41"we'll soon find something else to do."
0:11:42 > 0:11:45You see, at last, we know it's true.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50A friendship can be magic too.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And that story was called My Friend Nigel.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Friends like Nigel are magic.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01We are all very lucky
0:12:01 > 0:12:05to have lots of friends here at Cbeebies, aren't we?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Maybe we'll dream about our friends tonight.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12I'll see you soon for another bedtime story.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14Good night.