Nadiya Hussain - Tell Me What It's Like To Be Big CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello, my name's Nadiya.

I'm quite small and often wonder what it would be like to be tall.

Willa, in tonight's Bedtime Story, is thinking about just that, too.

The story is called Tell Me What It's Like To Be Big

and it's by Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori.

Morning peeped through the window. Willa was first to wake up.

She put on her jumpsuit this way and that way until it was right.

Then Willa put on her chicken slippers

and went downstairs to have breakfast. No-one else was around.

She tried to reach the bread and honey and the oats

and the milk and the apples.

She tried this way and that way but Willa couldn't reach.

Back she went upstairs.

"Willoughby?" she called, "are you awake?"

"I am now!" "I'm hungry," said Willa.

"Then go and get something to eat!"

"I can't reach," said Willa, "will you come and reach for me?"

SHE SIGHS Willoughby sighed.

"OK, pass me my slippers."

Paw in paw, Willoughby and Willa went downstairs.

"You can reach because you are big," said Willa.

"That's right," said Willoughby, "and one day, you'll be big, too."

"Will I?" said Willa. Then they both settled down to eat breakfast.

"How big will I be?" asked Willa. "Oh, very big!" said Willoughby.

"Will I be bigger than you?" "No," said Willoughby. "Why?" asked Willa.

"Because I got started first and I'll go on getting bigger, too."

"That means you can wash the dishes," said Willa.

"Sort of," said Willoughby.

"Tell me what it's like to be big," said Willa.

"You can do lots of things," said Willoughby. "What things?"

"You'll be able to reach the lamp by yourself when you're big."

"Will I?" said Willa. "Oh, yes.

"And when you're really big, nearly as big as I'll be,

"you might be able to reach the moon in a rocket!"

"What else will I do when I'm big?" asked Willa.

"You'll be able to stand in the shower, like me,

"and turn it on by yourself." "Will I?" said Willa.

"You'll be able to reach for a towel

"and get dried by yourself," said Willoughby. "Will I?" said Willa.

"And you'll be able to brush your own teeth without any help."

"And will Spotty Ted brush his?" asked Willa.

"He hasn't got any teeth!" said Willoughby.

"And will I have to make my own bed?" asked Willa.

"will I have to tidy my own toys?"

"You won't have any toys," said Willoughby,

"you'll be too big for toys."

"Willoughby?"

"What is it?" said Willoughby.

"I don't ever want to be big."

"Why not?" said Willoughby.

"I always want my toys," said Willa.

"I always want mine, too, but we won't mind, you see.

"We'll have grown-up things instead."

"But then I might have to do grown-up things!" said Willa.

"Like what?" asked Willoughby.

"Like go out of the door all by myself, like walk

"down the road all by myself, like be in the world all by myself.

"There might be nobody there!"

"Spotty Ted will be there.

"You can keep him for ever, if you like."

"But I might not fit into my chicken slippers any more!" said Willa.

"Then you could have some rooster slippers, like mine,

"or some pom-pom slippers, like Mum's," said Willoughby.

"I know! Let's go and see if Mum's awake."

She wasn't, but they climbed in beside her anyway.

"Oh! This is very early morning," she yawned, looking at the clock.

"Why don't we just snuggle up for a while?"

"Mum," said Willa, "were you ever small?"

"I was," said Mum, "smaller even than you!"

"And was I small, too?" asked Willoughby.

"To me, you still are."

"Tell us, Mum," said Willoughby,

"tell us what you did when you were small."

"Well, if I woke up too early in the morning, I went back to sleep,"

said Mum, "why don't we do that?" And they did.

I hope you enjoyed that story about Willa and Willoughby.

There seems to be a lot of things you can do when you're big.

To help you grow big, you'll need lots and lots of sleep,

so off you go to bed.

I'll say goodnight. Sleep tight! I'll see you again soon.