0:15:06 > 0:15:08Hello, my name is Edith
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and I thought you might like to hear a bedtime story.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16If you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Tonight's story is called The Singing Mermaid
0:15:20 > 0:15:24and it's by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.
0:15:24 > 0:15:30Did you ever go to Silversands on a sunny summer's day?
0:15:30 > 0:15:36Then perhaps you saw the mermaid, who sang in the deep blue bay.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38She sang to the fish in the ocean -
0:15:38 > 0:15:41to the haddock, the hake and the ling.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45And they flashed their scales and swished their tails
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- to hear the mermaid sing. MERMAID:- # La, la, la-la la. #
0:15:49 > 0:15:54And, sometimes, the Singing Mermaid swam to the silvery shore.
0:15:54 > 0:16:01She sat and combed her golden hair and then she sang some more.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06She sang to the cockles and mussels, she sang to the birds on the wing.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13to hear the mermaid sing.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19When Sam Sly's Circus came to town, Sam took a stroll by the sea.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25He heard the mermaid singing and he rubbed his hands with glee.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29He said, "Ah! I can make you famous, I can make you rich."
0:16:29 > 0:16:34He said, "You shall swim in a pool of marble
0:16:34 > 0:16:36"and sleep on a fine feather bed.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39"You shall sing for the lords and ladies,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43"you shall sing for the Queen and the King,
0:16:43 > 0:16:49"and young and old will pay good gold to hear the mermaid sing."
0:16:49 > 0:16:53"Don't go, don't go," cried the seagulls
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and the seashells warned, "He lies!"
0:16:56 > 0:16:59But the mermaid listened to old Sam Sly
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and smiled as she waved her goodbyes.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And he took her away to the circus
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and she sang to the crowds round the ring.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13And "more, more, more," came the deafening roar,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16when they heard the mermaid sing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Now, the mermaid shared a caravan with Annie the acrobat
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and Ding and Dong, the circus dogs,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and Bella, the circus cat. BARKING AND MEOWING
0:17:27 > 0:17:30She made good friends with the jugglers
0:17:30 > 0:17:32and the man who swallowed the fire
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and the clown with the tumbledown trousers
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and the woman who walked on wire.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43But she wasn't friends with old Sam Sly.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45No, she didn't care for him.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50For he made her live in a fish tank, where there wasn't room to swim.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55And there was no pool of marble. There was no feather bed.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59And when she begged him, "Set me free,"
0:17:59 > 0:18:03he laughed and shook his head.
0:18:03 > 0:18:09All summer long, the circus toured - all autumn, winter, spring.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And many a crowd cheered long and loud
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to hear the mermaid sing.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20But the mermaid dreamed of Silversands
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and she longed for the deep blue sea.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27And her songs grew sad and again she said,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30"I beg you, set me free."
0:18:30 > 0:18:34But, again, he laughed and shook his head.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And he told her, "No such thing!
0:18:37 > 0:18:42"Here you will stay while people pay to hear the mermaid sing."
0:18:42 > 0:18:47At Silversands, a seagull was flying to his nest,
0:18:47 > 0:18:54when on the breeze he heard a song, the song which he loved the best.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00He followed the song to the caravan. Sam Sly was about to lock it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The seagull watched as he turned the key
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and slipped it inside his pocket.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11The seagull waited till Sam had gone, then he perched on the windowsill.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17And tap, tap, tap at the window, he tapped with his yellow bill.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22"Come back, come back to Silversands! It's only a mile away.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27"I can find the key and set you free, if you'll come back home to the bay."
0:19:27 > 0:19:32"Escape!" barked the dogs. "Escape!" meowed the cat.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36But the mermaid sighed, "I'd fail.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41"For how could I walk to Silversands, when I only have a tail?"
0:19:41 > 0:19:47"Like this," cried Annie the acrobat, as she stood upon her hands.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52"This is the way, the only way, to get to Silversands.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57"Right hand, left hand, tail up high. There's really nothing to it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03"If I give you lessons every night, you'll soon learn how to do it."
0:20:03 > 0:20:09Next week, while Sam was snoring, the seagull stole the key.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14He carried it off to the caravan and set the mermaid free.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18And he flew ahead to guide her, as she walked upon her hands...
0:20:18 > 0:20:20MERMAID SINGS
0:20:20 > 0:20:24..all along the moonlit road that led to Silversands.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29And the creatures on the seashore and the fish beneath the foam
0:20:29 > 0:20:35jumped and splashed and danced with joy to have their mermaid home.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And she sang to the cockles and mussels
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and she sang to the birds on the wing.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped
0:20:45 > 0:20:48to hear the mermaid sing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53And if you go down to Silversands and swim in the bay of blue,
0:20:53 > 0:20:59perhaps you'll see the mermaid and perhaps she'll sing for you.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01# La, la, la. #
0:21:01 > 0:21:04What a lucky escape the mermaid had.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I'm glad the seagull was able to set her free.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Next time you go to the seaside, remember,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12if you listen carefully,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17you might hear the mermaid singing to the fish.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19It's bedtime now, so off you go
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and get tucked up warm and cosy for the night.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Sleep tight and I'll see you again very soon.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30SNORING