0:37:06 > 0:37:10Hello, my name is Ben and I hope you've had a good day today
0:37:10 > 0:37:12because I have had a splendid day.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14I went to a friend's birthday party
0:37:14 > 0:37:19and I got a whole bag of goodies to take home with me!
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I love birthday parties, do you?
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Because tonight's bedtime story is about a little boy
0:37:24 > 0:37:27who's invited to a birthday party.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Do you want to hear it? Good!
0:37:29 > 0:37:32The story is called Alfie Gives A Hand by Shirley Hughes.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39One day, Alfie came home from nursery school with a card in an envelope.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42His best friend Bernard had given it to him.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46"Look, it's got my name on it," said Alfie, pointing.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53Mum said that it was an invitation to Bernard's birthday tea party.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56"Will it be at Bernard's house?" Alfie wanted to know.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58He'd never been there before.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Mum said yes, and she told him all about birthday parties
0:38:01 > 0:38:03and how you had to take a present,
0:38:03 > 0:38:07and about the games and how there would be nice things to eat.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Alfie was very excited about Bernard's party.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13When the day came, Mum washed Alfie's face,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16brushed his hair, and helped him put on
0:38:16 > 0:38:18a clean T-shirt and his brand-new shorts.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22"You and Annie-Rose are going to be at the party, too, aren't you?"
0:38:22 > 0:38:25asked Alfie. "Oh, no," said Mum.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28"I'll take you to Bernard's house and then Annie-Rose and I
0:38:28 > 0:38:30"will go to the park and come back to collect you
0:38:30 > 0:38:32"when it's time to go home."
0:38:32 > 0:38:34"But I want you to be there," said Alfie.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39Mum told him that she and Annie-Rose hadn't been invited to the party,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42only Alfie, because he was Bernard's special friend.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46"You don't mind me leaving you at nursery school," she said.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49"You won't mind being at Bernard's house either
0:38:49 > 0:38:51"as soon as you get there."
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Mum had brought some crayons for Alfie to give Bernard
0:38:53 > 0:38:55for his birthday present.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58While she was wrapping them up, Alfie went upstairs.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01He looked under his pillow and found his old bit of blanket
0:39:01 > 0:39:03which he kept in bed with him at night.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07He brought it downstairs and sat down to wait for Mum.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09"You won't want your old blanket at the party,"
0:39:09 > 0:39:12said Mum, when it was time to go.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14But Alfie wouldn't leave his blanket behind.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17He held it tightly with one hand
0:39:17 > 0:39:21and Bernard's present with the other, all the way to Bernard's house.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24When they got there, Bernard's mum opened the door.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26"Hello, Alfie," she said.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30"Let's go into the garden and find Bernard and the others."
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Mum gave Alfie a kiss and said goodbye
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and went off to the park with Annie-Rose.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37"Would you like to put your blanket down here with the coats?"
0:39:37 > 0:39:40asked Bernard's mum. But Alfie didn't want to put his blanket down.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44He still held on to it very tightly.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Bernard was in the garden with Min and Sam and Daniel
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and some other children from the nursery school.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55"Happy birthday!" Alfie remembered to say, and he gave Bernard his present.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Bernard pulled off the paper.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01"Crayons, how lovely!" said Bernard's mum.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04"Say thank you, Bernard." "Thank you," said Bernard.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06But do you know what he did then?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09He threw the crayons up in the air!
0:40:09 > 0:40:11They landed all over the grass.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15"That was a silly thing to do," said Bernard's mum,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17as she picked up the crayons and put them away.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Then Bernard's mum brought out some bubble stuff
0:40:20 > 0:40:22and blew lots of bubbles into the air.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24They floated all over the garden
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and the children jumped about trying to pop them.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29Alfie couldn't pop many bubbles
0:40:29 > 0:40:32because he was holding on to his blanket, but Bernard
0:40:32 > 0:40:36jumped about and pushed and popped more bubbles than anyone else.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41"Don't push people, Bernard," said Bernard's mum sternly.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45One huge bubble landed lightly on Min's sleeve.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49It stayed there quivering and shiny.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Min smiled. She stood very still.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Then Bernard came up behind her and popped the big bubble.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Min began to cry.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Bernard's mum was cross with Bernard and told him to say he was sorry.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06"Never mind, we're going to have tea now, dear," she told Min.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08"Who would you like to sit next to?"
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Min wanted to sit next to Alfie.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15She stopped crying and pulled her chair right up close to his.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19For tea, there were sandwiches and little sausages on sticks,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22crisps and jellies and a big iced cake with candles
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and "Happy Birthday, Bernard!" written on it.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Bernard took a huge breath and blew out all the candles at once.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36Everyone clapped and sang Happy Birthday To You.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Then Bernard blew into his lemonade through his straw
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and made rude, bubbling noises.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47He blew into his jelly, too, until his mum took it away from him.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Alfie liked the tea,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53but holding on to his blanket made eating rather difficult.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56He got all mixed up with the jelly and crisps
0:41:56 > 0:41:57and covered in sticky crumbs.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03After tea, Bernard's mum said they were all going to play a game,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06but Bernard ran off and fetched his very best present.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08It was a tiger mask.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Bernard went behind the bush
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and came out wearing the mask making terrible growling noises.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16GRRR!
0:42:18 > 0:42:22He went crawling round the garden sounding very fierce and frightening.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Min began to cry again.
0:42:25 > 0:42:26She clung onto Alfie.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29"Get up at once, Bernard!" said Bernard's mum.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31"It's not that kind of game.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35"Now, let's all stand in a circle, everyone, and join hands."
0:42:35 > 0:42:39Bernard stopped growling but he wouldn't take off his tiger mask.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Instead, he grabbed Alfie's hand to pull him into the circle.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Bernard's mum tried to take Min's hand
0:42:46 > 0:42:48and bring her into the circle, too,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50but Min wouldn't hold anyone's hand but Alfie's.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54She went on crying. She cried and cried.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58Then Alfie made a brave decision.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01He ran and put down his blanket very carefully in a safe place
0:43:01 > 0:43:03underneath the table.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Now he could hold Min's hand, too, as well as Bernard's.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Min stopped crying. She wasn't frightened
0:43:12 > 0:43:15of Bernard in his tiger mask now she was holding Alfie's hand.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17She joined in the game
0:43:17 > 0:43:19and they all danced around together singing
0:43:19 > 0:43:21"Ring a ring o' roses,
0:43:21 > 0:43:22"A pocket full of posies,
0:43:22 > 0:43:23"Atishoo, atishoo,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25"We all fall down."
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Afterwards, Alfie and Min joined in some more games
0:43:30 > 0:43:34and ate ice cream and popcorn and bounced balloons with the others.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38Alfie had such a good time that his blanket stayed under the table
0:43:38 > 0:43:41until Mum and Annie-Rose came to collect him.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45"What a helpful guest you've been, Alfie," said Bernard's mum,
0:43:45 > 0:43:47when Alfie thanked her and said goodbye.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51"Min wouldn't have enjoyed the party a bit without you.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54"I do wish Bernard would learn to be helpful sometimes.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56"Perhaps he will one day."
0:43:56 > 0:43:59On the way home, Alfie carried his blanket in one hand
0:43:59 > 0:44:02and a balloon and a packet of sweets in the other.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05His blanket had got a bit messy at the party.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07It had been rather in the way, too.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Next time, he thought he might leave it safely at home after all.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17And that story was called Alfie Gives A Hand.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Alfie was a good friend to Min, wasn't he?
0:44:19 > 0:44:22I hope you have good friend like Alfie.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26Now, it's time for you to go to sleep, so night-night. Sleep tight.