Pete Dalton - Itchy Itch Itch CBeebies Bedtime Stories

How's that? Up a bit?

There?

Ah, good. Glad to help, Mr Giraffe.

Hello. I'm Pete. I've just been helping Giraffe here.

He had an itchy neck, and I've just scratched it for him.

Tonight's bedtime story is about another animal

who needs a friend to give him a scratch.

Would you like to hear it?

Great.

The story is called Itchy Itch Itch,

and it's by Mara Bergman, with pictures by Emily Bolam.

In a land where it's hot, and where coconuts grow,

all the animals were grazing, except Buffalo.

Buffalo had an itchy itch itch,

which he couldn't quite reach to scratchy scritch scritch.

Buffalo said, "Whatever shall I do?"

Buffalo thought, until Buffalo knew.

Elephant was big and strong,

with ears that flapped

and a trunk that was long.

Buffalo said, "Would you kindly scratch my back?

"I have an itchy itch, and I can't reach it to scratch."

"Absolutely," Elephant said.

And she scratched and scratched and scratched...

but Buffalo's fur was too shaggy and thick,

and Buffalo STILL had that itchy itch itch.

Buffalo said, "Whatever shall I do?"

Buffalo thought, until Buffalo knew.

Monkey was small, but Monkey was strong,

and Monkey had arms that were really quite long.

Buffalo said, "Would you kindly scratch my back?

"I have an itchy itch, and I can't reach it to scratch."

"It would be my pleasure," Monkey said.

And he scratched and scratched and scratched...

but Buffalo's fur was too shaggy and thick,

and Buffalo STILL had that itchy itch itch.

Buffalo said, "Whatever shall I do?"

Buffalo thought, but he hadn't a clue.

Bird wasn't big, and Bird wasn't strong.

And she didn't have arms that were bendy and long.

But her beady eyes were bright,

and her hungry beak snapped

at the itchy itch itches on Buffalo's back.

"Oh, Buffalo," Bird sang.

"Don't you see that you and I were meant to be?

"Though your fur may be shaggy and thick,

"I can get rid of your itchy itch itch."

And she pecked and picked,

and picked and pecked,

till not a single itchy itch itch was left.

"Oh, Bird," said Buffalo.

"Won't you stay with me?

"Together we can live happily."

Bird replied, "Why, certainly.

"To spend my days on your back would suit me perfectly."

In a land where it's hot,

and where coconuts grow,

all the animals were grazing -

even Buffalo.

Now, Buffalo never has an itchy itch itch

that Bird can't reach to scratchy scritch scritch.

And Bird never has a rumbly tum -

because Buffalo's itchy itch itches

are so yummy yum yum.

And they lived together, happily, forever.

Scritch!

That great story was called Itchy Itch Itch.

If you ever see a picture of a buffalo,

look closely, and you might find that he's got a little bird friend

perched on his back, to help him with his itchy itch itches.

It's your bedtime now, so I'll say goodnight.

See you again soon for another bedtime story. Night-night.