James Bolam - Wave the Flag and Blow the Whistle CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Ch-ch-ch-ch!

Hello, I'm Grandpa.

Would you like to jump aboard the bedtime story train?

Hop on, then.

Tonight's bedtime story is called Wave The Flag And Blow The Whistle,

and it's by Ronda Armitage and Andrew Gordon.

"Ready, Tom, ready?"

"Ready, Grandpa, ready."

To Blueberry Hill, to Blueberry Hill.

We're catching the train to Blueberry Hill.

"I'm ready too," says Spotty Raffe. Oh, dear, nobody hears him.

Grandpa and Tom, trittity-trot, trittity-trot to the station.

"What about me?" called Spotty Raffe.

And he goes galloping after.

"Tickets, please! Tickets, please!"

Look, an express train travelling fast. Whoosh! Whee! It rushes past.

Whisk! Grandpa's hat blows off.

Here's the train to Blueberry Hill, the train for Tom and Grandpa.

"Ready, Tom, ready?" "Ready, Grandpa, ready."

No, no, the train mustn't go. Look outside. Who is galloping? Who? Who?

Spotty Raffe is coming too.

WHISTLE BLOWS

"Hurry, hurry. All aboard! Wave the flag and blow the whistle."

Poop-poop! Chuggety-chug, going faster, swishing by.

Look outside, an orange tractor with four fat pigs.

A yellow digger dig, dig, digs.

Look inside, Spotty Raffe sees Nellie Fant.

"Hurry, hurry," says the train.

Chuggety-chug, chuggety-chug into a tunnel dark as night. Woo! Woo!

Who is scared? Who is hiding, eyes shut tight?

"Hurry, hurry," says the train.

Chuggety-chug, chuggety-chug out of the tunnel, into the light.

Look outside.

There is a river, three boats and a crane.

Cars on a road and a freight train.

Look inside, Spotty Raffe and Tom play with Nellie Fant and Maisie.

One granny and one grandpa share a nice cup of tea.

"Blueberry Hill! This is Blueberry Hill!

"Everyone off for Blueberry Hill."

Crying and laughing, rushing and pushing...

"Wait for me!" called Spotty Raffe.

"Where's Spotty Raffe?" says Grandpa.

"Oh, train, don't go, don't go! Look, look! There he is!

"Spotty Raffe, hello, hello."

"I'm the Grand Old Duke of York," says Tom.

"So am I," says Maisie.

"We'll all march up to the top of the hill."

TRUMPET PLAYS

"And we'll all march down again."

Time to go home now, time to go home.

Ready, train, ready? Ready, everyone, ready?

Wave the flag and blow the whistle.

But, oh, no, the train won't go.

Ping-ping. Dong-dong. No, no, this train won't go.

Everyone out at the station.

The guard on the platform goes ring, ring, ring.

The children on the platform run, run, run.

The babies on the platform, chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.

Tom and Maisie throw, throw, throw.

Spotty Raffe and Nellie Fant dingle-dangle down-o.

A squeal and a whoosh! And a poop-poop-poop!

Another train at the station.

Tom waves the flag, Maisie blows the whistle.

All aboard! All aboard!

This train is ready to go.

"No, no, don't go, don't go!"

Tom and Maisie, what can they see?

Two passengers dangling down from a tree.

The guard laughs,

"Hee-hee-hee, catch them if you can and hold them tight."

This train is ready to go.

Slow, slow...slowly slow.

Look inside... Tom and Maisie close their eyes.

Hushety-hush...hushety-hush...

Look outside, stars in the sky

while the moon stands still over Blueberry Hill.

And that story was called Wave The Flag And Blow The Whistle.

I hope you enjoyed tonight's story.

But, now, I think it's time for a little lie down.

I'll see you again very soon... goodnight.