0:30:07 > 0:30:13Hello. I'm Edith. Have you ever heard about the Loch Ness Monster?
0:30:13 > 0:30:15It's a mysterious creature
0:30:15 > 0:30:19that some people believe lives at the bottom of Loch Ness, which is
0:30:19 > 0:30:23a lake in the Highlands of Scotland.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Finlay, in tonight's bedtime story, definitely believes in
0:30:27 > 0:30:32the Loch Ness Monster and he really wants to see it with his own eyes.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Shall we find out how he gets on?
0:30:35 > 0:30:37OK.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41The story is called "No Such Thing As Nessie!"
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and it's by Chani McBain and Kirsteen Harris-Jones.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Finlay loved dinosaurs.
0:30:50 > 0:30:56He loved triceratops and Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00But his favourite dinosaur was the Loch Ness Monster.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Finlay's gran had once seen Nessie,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09a big head had popped out from the water of Loch Ness and
0:31:09 > 0:31:14watched his gran eating her lunch back when she was a little girl.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Finlay's gran hadn't been surprised
0:31:17 > 0:31:22because she'd always believed in the Loch Ness Monster.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24She'd thrown Nessie some shortbread.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29Nessie had chomped it all up and then, splash!
0:31:30 > 0:31:32She was gone.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Now, Finlay was going on holiday to Gran's house
0:31:35 > 0:31:39and he was planning his very own Nessie hunt.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Mum drove them along the twisty roads towards Loch Ness.
0:31:43 > 0:31:50Finlay saw a dark shape over the hill. It had two humps just like...
0:31:50 > 0:31:52"Mum, Nessie!"
0:31:52 > 0:31:55He yelled. Screech!
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Mum slammed her foot on the brake.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02"Finlay, don't shout like that, it's dangerous!"
0:32:02 > 0:32:06"But, Mum, there's Nessie!" Finlay pointed.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12"Loch Ness Tractor Repairs."
0:32:12 > 0:32:13Mum read the sign.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17"There's no such thing as Nessie, silly,"
0:32:17 > 0:32:20said Finlay's big sister Sarah.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25"Don't worry, Finlay, I'm sure Gran will help with your Nessie hunt,"
0:32:25 > 0:32:27said Mum.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29When Finlay arrived at Gran's house,
0:32:29 > 0:32:34she agreed they could start looking for Nessie right away.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Finlay packed his Nessie hunting kit, which had his camera,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42pencils, a notepad and a net in it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47And he wrapped up some of Gran's shortbread too, just in case.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51They all went for a walk along a pebbly beach.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Finlay skipped a stone across the loch.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Ssssss...
0:32:58 > 0:33:00"What's that noise, Gran?"
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Sssss...
0:33:04 > 0:33:09It was coming from a big pile of rocks down the beach.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14Sticking out from behind the biggest rock was a strange shape.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17It looked a bit like a tail.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23"Gran, Nessie!" Finlay shouted and he ran towards the tail.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26But this Nessie was rather floppy.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Ssss...
0:33:27 > 0:33:30"Sorry, Finlay," said Gran,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34"it looks like someone's forgotten their blow-up Nessie.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37"It must have a hole somewhere."
0:33:37 > 0:33:43"There's no such thing as Nessie," said Sarah, sticking her tongue out.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48The next day, Gran took Finlay and Sarah on a boat trip.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Finlay stood right at the front, holding on tight to the rail.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56All the passengers were distracted by an osprey swooping down,
0:33:56 > 0:34:01hitting the water with a big splash and flapping off with a fish.
0:34:01 > 0:34:08Rising a little bit further away was a grey shape with a long, grey neck.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11"Everyone, it's Nessie!" shouted Finlay.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14They all rushed to see.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19The long, grey neck slowly lifted out of the water.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Its body was dark and shiny and...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25square?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28"Sorry, folks," shouted the boat skipper,
0:34:28 > 0:34:33"that's one of the research submarines doing her rounds."
0:34:33 > 0:34:36"Ugh," the tourists groaned.
0:34:36 > 0:34:42"Told you, there's no such thing as Nessie," Sarah said again.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The skipper gave Finlay's shoulder a squeeze.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48"Better luck next time, eh, son?"
0:34:48 > 0:34:50The next day, Finlay, Sarah
0:34:50 > 0:34:53and Gran were exploring the woods near the loch.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56They heard leaves rustling.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00"Well, I don't think that's Nessie," his gran smiled,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03let's find out what it is.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07They tiptoed through the trees towards the edge of the loch
0:35:07 > 0:35:11and they keeked out from behind a tree.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14A beautiful stag was having a drink.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19As they watched the stag, Finlay noticed a long,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21dark shape on the water
0:35:21 > 0:35:26getting larger and closer. It was huge.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30He started to feel a bit nervous.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34What if Nessie wasn't friendly after all?
0:35:34 > 0:35:38"G-g-g-g-g-ran? N-n-n-n-nessie!"
0:35:38 > 0:35:39He stuttered.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44A red crane rolled out from the trees, casting its long
0:35:44 > 0:35:50shadow across the water. The stag leapt away back into the woods.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52"There's no such thing as..."
0:35:52 > 0:35:53"Shh now, Sarah,"
0:35:53 > 0:36:00said Gran. She gave Findley's hand a squeeze. Finlay sighed.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03"Can we go home now, Gran?"
0:36:03 > 0:36:08On the last day of their holiday, Sarah went shopping with Mum
0:36:08 > 0:36:11while Finlay and Gran visited Urquhart Castle
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and then headed off for a picnic.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19Finlay put his hands deep in his pockets and walked around,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21kicking the grass.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23"What's wrong, Finlay?"
0:36:23 > 0:36:24His gran asked.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28"There's no such thing as Nessie."
0:36:28 > 0:36:30His gran looked at him.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33"Och, Finlay, I bet she's just shy."
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Finlay picked up a big chunk of shortbread
0:36:37 > 0:36:43and chucked it as hard as he could into the loch behind him.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45It made a big plop.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52"Nessie doesn't exist!" he yelled.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57Crunch, crunch, crunch.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01"Finlay, Nessie!" Gran shouted.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04He whirled round, a big head
0:37:04 > 0:37:08and a long thick neck rose out from the bubbling loch.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12She had little black eyes and a wide face and she was chewing.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Finlay stared at the Loch Ness Monster.
0:37:16 > 0:37:17Nessie stared back.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Quick! His camera, he had to get his camera!
0:37:21 > 0:37:25He turned round, grabbed his bag, turned back,
0:37:25 > 0:37:26but Nessie was gone.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Finlay started to laugh and Gran joined in.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36"I don't care that I don't have a picture!" Finlay exclaimed.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40"I saw Nessie, Gran, I saw the Loch Ness Monster."
0:37:40 > 0:37:44His gran laughed so hard, she could hardly talk.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48"And she still likes my shortbread!"
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Crunch, crunch, crunch.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59That story was called "No Such Thing As Nessie!"
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Finlay got his wish. He actually spotted Nessie.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08She couldn't resist a tasty piece of Scottish shortbread.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11I wonder if anyone will believe Finlay
0:38:11 > 0:38:13when he tells them what he saw.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Now, I think you'd better get yourself tucked up in bed
0:38:17 > 0:38:19and I hope you have sweet dreams.
0:38:19 > 0:38:25I'll be back again very soon with another bedtime story. Night-night.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28SNORING