Sally Phillips - Bringing Down the Moon CBeebies Bedtime Stories

CBeebies Bedtime Story.

Hello. I'm Sally.

I hope you're snuggled up and ready for tonight's bedtime story.

It's called Bringing Down The Moon

and it's by Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban.

"Hot diggerty!" exclaimed Mole,

as he burrowed out of the ground one night.

"Whatever's that?"

The moon was hanging in the sky above him like a bright silver coin.

Mole thought it was the most beautiful thing

that he had ever seen.

"Whatever it is, I must have it," Mole said to himself.

"I know, I'll jump up and pull it down."

Thump! Thump! Thumpety-bump!

Mole was so busy jumping, he didn't think about the noise he was making

and he woke up Rabbit.

"Mole!" said Rabbit. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"Hello, Rabbit," said Mole,

"I'm trying to pull down that shiny thing."

"You mean the moon?" asked Rabbit.

"Ah, so that's what it's called," said Mole.

"You'll never do that," said Rabbit. "It's not as near as it looks."

But Mole would not give up.

"I know," he thought, "I'll get a stick and poke it down."

He found a long stick and he poked it up at the moon.

Swish! Swish! Swishety-swish!

Mole was so busy poking

that he tripped over Hedgehog in his bed of leaves.

"Mole!" grunted Hedgehog. "What the weevil are you up to?"

"Hello, Hedgehog," said Mole. "I'm trying to poke down the moon."

"Oh, you'll never do that," said Hedgehog.

"It's not as near as it looks."

But Mole would not give up.

"I know," he thought, "I'll throw something at it and knock it down."

He found some acorns and threw them at the moon.

Plink-plink! Plinkety-plink!

"Ouch!" said Squirrel. "Mole, have you gone nuts?"

"Hello, Squirrel," said Mole.

"I'm trying to knock down the moon."

"You'll never do that," said Squirrel.

"It's not as near as it looks."

But Mole wanted the moon so badly

he would not give up.

"I know," he thought, "I'll climb a tree and I will fetch it down."

Mole had never climbed a tree before.

It was hard work and he was scared to be so far from the ground.

But he kept on going until he saw the moon

resting in the leaves above him.

Mole stretched out his paws,

but just when he thought he had the moon, he slipped.

"Oh! Eek! Ouch! Ooo!"

Mole tumbled down

and landed - splash! - in the middle of a puddle.

"Hot dang diggerty drat," thought Mole.

"I almost had it that time."

Then he noticed something floating in the puddle beside him.

It was pale...

and wrinkled...

but Mole recognised it at once.

"Ah! The moon!" whispered Mole.

"It must have fallen down with me."

He reached out to pick up the moon,

but as soon as he touched it, it broke into pieces and vanished.

Mole sat in the puddle and cried.

Rabbit, Hedgehog and Squirrel came running up.

"Are you all right, Mole?" asked Rabbit.

"I'm all right," sobbed Mole, "but the moon isn't."

"I pulled it down and then I broke it!

"And it was so beautiful!

"And now I shall never see it again."

"Oh, Mole," said Rabbit.

"You couldn't have pulled down the moon."

"And you couldn't have broken it," said Hedgehog.

"And you'll certainly see it again," said Squirrel.

"Look!"

High up in the sky above them,

the moon was coming out from behind a cloud.

"Oh!" whispered Mole.

"And it's just as beautiful as ever."

Mole, Rabbit, Hedgehog and Squirrel

stood and stared up at the moon together.

"It is beautiful," said Rabbit.

"Very beautiful," said Hedgehog.

"Very beautiful indeed," said Squirrel.

"Yes," said Mole, "but it's not as near as it looks."

That story was called Bringing Down The Moon.

As the big beautiful moon is shining down on us,

it's time for you to go to sleep.

So close your eyes and I'll see you soon for another bedtime story.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd