Floella Benjamin - Little Nelly's Big Book CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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So, this animal has a long, skinny tail and big ears.

And so does this one.

But they are not the same type of animal.

Hello, I am Floella.

Do you know what kind of animals these are?

Well, maybe one of our books can help us.

In tonight's bedtime story,

Nelly is a little bit confused about what kind of animal she is

and looks for the answer in the wrong place.

This story is by Pippa Goodhart

and Andy Rowland and it is called Little Nelly's Big Book.

Little Nelly looked in a book

and found out that she was a mouse.

"Mice can be white, grey..." Oh, tick!

"..brown, black.

"Mice have big ears," tick.

"Mice have skinny tails," tick.

After all that reading, Little Nelly was tired.

SHE YAWNS

I need somewhere to sleep.

Little Nelly looked in the book again.

And she read, "Mice have homes behind holes in skirting boards."

So, Little Nelly went home.

"Hello," said Little Nelly.

"I am a new mouse for your house."

"Er? You're rather big for a mouse," said Mickey.

"I am not," said Little Nelly.

"If I'm a big mouse, why am I called Little Nelly?"

"I don't think you're a mouse at all," said Mickey.

"I am!" Said Little Nelly, "I am!

"I looked in a book and it says that I am."

"Never mind what anybody says, Little Nelly," says Granny Mouse.

"You are very welcome here.

"We'll look after you." And they did.

Little Nelly fitted in very well.

But even though the other mice were kind to her,

Little Nelly sometimes felt she was...

different somehow.

And she did get terribly hungry.

Granny Mouse saw how things were and she had an idea.

"Little Nelly, I have been asking around and I have found out

"that there are some other mice who are rather like you.

"Most of them live far away, but some live in a zoo nearby."

"Really?" said Little Nelly. "Can we go and see them? Please!"

"Of course," said Granny Mouse.

They all set off for the zoo.

"Wow! Look at them!" said Mickey.

"They are just like you, Little Nelly,

"only zoo mice are even bigger!"

"I told you that I was little," said Little Nelly.

The zoo mice were kind and nice to the visiting mice.

There were big helpings of food and other stuff.

"Would you like to live here with us?" asked the zoo mice.

"Yes, please," said Little Nelly.

"We can all be zoo mice!"

Just then, Mickey came running.

"Look, Little Nelly! Look what I found out from your book."

"What is it?" asked Little Nelly.

"I found out that I am not a mouse after all," said Mickey.

"Really? Then, what are you?"

"I am an elephant," said Mickey.

"Elephants can be brown, grey..." Tick.

"Elephants have big ears," tick.

"Elephants have skinny tails," tick.

"Oh, that's interesting," said Little Nelly.

"But Mickey, even though you aren't a mouse like me,

"I'll still be your friend."

"Thanks, little Nelly," said Mickey.

Which just goes to show why books should always have pictures.

That story was called Little Nelly's Big Book.

I think Nelly and Mickey are still very confused, don't you?

Of course, this is a mouse and this is an elephant.

But they both are ready to snuggle down for a good night's sleep.

Are you? Well, I'll see you soon for another bedtime story.

Night-night and sweet dreams.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd