Frank Skinner - Billy's Bucket CBeebies Bedtime Stories

CBeebies Bedtime Story.

Hello, my name is Frank.

What's the best present you've ever received?

Maybe it was a toy or a teddy.

Or how about a bucket? No?

Tonight's story is about Billy and all he wanted

for his birthday was a bucket.

Would you like to hear all about him?

The story is called Billy's Bucket and it's by

Kes Gray and Garry Parsons.

"Can I have a bucket for my birthday?" asked Billy.

Billy's dad looked up from his newspaper.

"A bucket? You don't want a bucket for your birthday.

"Nobody has buckets for their birthday!"

"Why don't they?" asked Billy.

"Because, Billy,"

explained his mum, "buckets are, well, buckets are far too buckety

"to be a birthday present."

But Billy wouldn't be persuaded.

"PLEASE can I have a bucket?" he asked.

"Have a bike," said his dad.

"Or some new trainers," said his mum.

"Or a computer game!"

"I want a bucket," said Billy.

"All right," sighed Billy's dad,

"you can have a bucket for your birthday."

"Yippee!" shouted Billy.

The next day Billy and his mum and dad went to Buckets 'R' Us.

There were buckets of buckets at Buckets 'R' Us.

Rubber buckets, plastic buckets, metal buckets, garden buckets,

farm buckets, builder's buckets, seaside buckets

and even football buckets.

Billy's mum and dad followed Billy up and down every single aisle.

"What sort of bucket are you looking for?" they asked.

"I dunno," said Billy, "but I'll know it when I see it."

Billy looked long and hard at every single bucket on every single shelf.

"There it is!" he shouted excitedly. "That's the one I want,

"right up there! 19 shelves up, 78 along from the left."

Billy's mum and dad got someone to help them.

"They all look the same to me," said the shop assistant.

"No, that one's special." said Billy excitedly.

When Billy got home, he ran straight into the kitchen

and filled his bucket with water.

"Wow," said Billy, peering inside his bucket, "I can see a rock pool

"with crabs and seaweed and little shrimpy things."

"Of course you can, Billy," smiled his dad.

"Wowee!" said Billy, "I just saw a shark!"

"Well, of course you did, Billy," laughed his mum.

"Guess what I've seen now," said Billy,

sitting down for his birthday tea.

"I've seen a stingray and some clownfish

"and a huge shoal of barracuda, and I think I've seen a mermaid

"but it might've been a big herring."

"Of course you have, Billy," laughed his dad.

Billy carried his bucket to the lounge.

"What's in your bucket at the moment, Billy?" chuckled his dad.

"Two submarines and a pilchard," said Billy.

"What's in your bucket now, Billy?" giggled his mum.

"Seven sea lions and a walrus," said Billy.

"Of course there are, Billy," laughed his mum and dad.

Billy was still staring into his bucket at bedtime.

Billy's dad nudged his wife and winked.

"Billy, is it all right

"if we borrow your bucket to mix up some wallpaper paste tomorrow?"

Billy looked up from his bucket and frowned. "No, it isn't.

"There are dolphins in my bucket at the moment.

"You must never borrow my bucket."

Billy's mum waited a few moments and winked at her husband.

"Billy, is it all right if we borrow your bucket to water

"the roses tomorrow?"

Billy looked up from his bucket and shook his head.

"There are two scuba divers in my bucket at the moment.

"You must never, ever borrow my bucket."

Billy's dad chuckled to himself and waited a few more moments.

"Billy, is it all right

"if I borrow your bucket to clean the car tomorrow?"

Billy looked up from his bucket and sighed.

"No, it isn't all right.

"There's a coral reef in my bucket at the moment.

"You must never, ever, ever borrow my bucket."

"What an imagination," laughed Billy's mum and dad. "Time for bed."

Billy put his bucket away and went upstairs.

"Thanks for a lovely birthday," he said,

"and the best present in the world."

When Billy woke up the next morning, he got dressed quickly

and ran downstairs to play with his bucket.

-BILLY GASPS

-But it wasn't there.

Oh, dear. Billy's dad had used the bucket to clean his lovely car

and there just happened to be quite a big whale in it.

WHALE SINGS

"I told you not to borrow my bucket," said Billy.

It took Billy's mum and dad six hours, three fire engines,

four cranes and a shoehorn to get the whale back into the bucket.

They never borrowed Billy's bucket again.

That was a funny story, wasn't it? Billy was right,

a bucket can be a very special birthday present.

But that's enough adventure for today.

It's time for you to go to bed.

I'll be back with another bedtime story very soon.

Night-night.

MOON SNORES