0:00:07 > 0:00:10Have you ever listened to a seashell?
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Well, it's what today's story is all about.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18It's called Can You Hear The Sea?
0:00:18 > 0:00:23And it's by Judy Cumberbatch and Ken Wilson-Max.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30On Saturday, Sarah's grandpa went to the big town.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Before he left, he gave Sarah a shell.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Pink and orange and green,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41the loveliest shell she had ever seen.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46"It's a magic shell," said Grandpa.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50"If you listen carefully, you'll hear the sea."
0:00:51 > 0:00:55"Will I, really?" asked Sarah.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58"Oh, yes," said Grandpa.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03"Don't go believing all that nonsense,"
0:01:03 > 0:01:06said Grandma, as she plaited Sarah's hair.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10But Sarah didn't listen.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Grandpa knew about everything.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18He could tell the time by the sun,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21knew when the rains would come
0:01:21 > 0:01:26and never, never, EVER told a lie.
0:01:27 > 0:01:33On Sunday, Sarah put the shell to her ear
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and listened on the way to church.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38But all she heard was...
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Reverend William Johnson praying,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Kofi playing the drums and singing
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and Grandma humming.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49AFRICAN MUSIC
0:01:49 > 0:01:54On Monday, Sarah listened to her shell by the river,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58as she and Grandma did the washing.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01But what she heard was...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03water splashing,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08Grandma beating out the sheets and thumping
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and the clothes flip-flapping.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16On Tuesday, it was market day.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19CROWDS CHATTER Sarah listened to her shell
0:02:19 > 0:02:22as she walked between the stalls.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But what she heard was...
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Mr Victor's sewing machine click-clacking,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Mrs Nansi's tongue yak-yakking
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and the market mammies haggling all day long.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43On Wednesday, Sarah listened to the shell
0:02:43 > 0:02:46as she walked with Grandma to the farm.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49But what she heard was...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52monkeys chattering,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55banana trees swish-swishing,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59mangoes plopping
0:02:59 > 0:03:01but not the sound of the sea.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08"Perhaps Grandpa got it wrong," she said sadly.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15On Thursday, Grandma turned the whole house upside down
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and Sarah was busy all day long
0:03:18 > 0:03:22with the sweeping and the cleaning.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26When Sarah listened to the shell in the evening,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28all she heard was...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31pepper stew sput-sputtering...
0:03:31 > 0:03:32LOUD SNORING
0:03:32 > 0:03:36..and Grandma snoring.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43On Friday, Sarah went to meet Grandpa.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The tro tro taxis tooted,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48water sellers shouted,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50buses hooted
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and Grandpa came.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57"That's some silly shell," she told him.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59"I've listened and listened
0:03:59 > 0:04:02"and heard everything but the sea."
0:04:04 > 0:04:11On Saturday, Grandpa and Sarah sat under the mango tree.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Sarah held the shell to her ear.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19"Tell me what you hear," Grandpa said.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Sarah listened.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26"Boys playing football," she said.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29"Listen," said Grandpa.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30BABY CRIES
0:04:30 > 0:04:35"Next door neighbour's baby screaming," cried Sarah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37"I can't hear the sea!"
0:04:38 > 0:04:42"Quiet," said Grandpa.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44"Now close your eyes
0:04:44 > 0:04:49"and this time, listen to what the shell tells."
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Sarah put the shell to her ear,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58closed her eyes and listened.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04At first, all she could hear was Grandpa's breathing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Then, louder and louder, as she listened,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11came the sound of water crashing,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14waves pounding,
0:05:14 > 0:05:15pebbles rattling,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17surf hissing
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and the sea's huge roar
0:05:20 > 0:05:23on the wide seashore.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28"I can hear it!" Sarah said.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31"I can hear the sea."
0:05:31 > 0:05:37"Didn't I tell you?" said Grandpa, smiling.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42And that story was called Can You Hear The Sea?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Perhaps next time you're at the beach,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50you can find a seashell to listen to too.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53WAVES CRASH
0:05:58 > 0:06:00SNORING