Cerrie Burnell - Can You Hear the Sea? CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Have you ever listened to a seashell?

Well, it's what today's story is all about.

It's called Can You Hear The Sea?

And it's by Judy Cumberbatch and Ken Wilson-Max.

On Saturday, Sarah's grandpa went to the big town.

Before he left, he gave Sarah a shell.

Pink and orange and green,

the loveliest shell she had ever seen.

"It's a magic shell," said Grandpa.

"If you listen carefully, you'll hear the sea."

"Will I, really?" asked Sarah.

"Oh, yes," said Grandpa.

"Don't go believing all that nonsense,"

said Grandma, as she plaited Sarah's hair.

But Sarah didn't listen.

Grandpa knew about everything.

He could tell the time by the sun,

knew when the rains would come

and never, never, EVER told a lie.

On Sunday, Sarah put the shell to her ear

and listened on the way to church.

But all she heard was...

Reverend William Johnson praying,

Kofi playing the drums and singing

and Grandma humming.

AFRICAN MUSIC

On Monday, Sarah listened to her shell by the river,

as she and Grandma did the washing.

But what she heard was...

water splashing,

Grandma beating out the sheets and thumping

and the clothes flip-flapping.

On Tuesday, it was market day.

CROWDS CHATTER Sarah listened to her shell

as she walked between the stalls.

But what she heard was...

Mr Victor's sewing machine click-clacking,

Mrs Nansi's tongue yak-yakking

and the market mammies haggling all day long.

On Wednesday, Sarah listened to the shell

as she walked with Grandma to the farm.

But what she heard was...

monkeys chattering,

banana trees swish-swishing,

mangoes plopping

but not the sound of the sea.

"Perhaps Grandpa got it wrong," she said sadly.

On Thursday, Grandma turned the whole house upside down

and Sarah was busy all day long

with the sweeping and the cleaning.

When Sarah listened to the shell in the evening,

all she heard was...

pepper stew sput-sputtering...

LOUD SNORING

..and Grandma snoring.

On Friday, Sarah went to meet Grandpa.

The tro tro taxis tooted,

water sellers shouted,

buses hooted

and Grandpa came.

"That's some silly shell," she told him.

"I've listened and listened

"and heard everything but the sea."

On Saturday, Grandpa and Sarah sat under the mango tree.

Sarah held the shell to her ear.

"Tell me what you hear," Grandpa said.

Sarah listened.

"Boys playing football," she said.

"Listen," said Grandpa.

BABY CRIES

"Next door neighbour's baby screaming," cried Sarah.

"I can't hear the sea!"

"Quiet," said Grandpa.

"Now close your eyes

"and this time, listen to what the shell tells."

Sarah put the shell to her ear,

closed her eyes and listened.

At first, all she could hear was Grandpa's breathing.

Then, louder and louder, as she listened,

came the sound of water crashing,

waves pounding,

pebbles rattling,

surf hissing

and the sea's huge roar

on the wide seashore.

"I can hear it!" Sarah said.

"I can hear the sea."

"Didn't I tell you?" said Grandpa, smiling.

And that story was called Can You Hear The Sea?

Perhaps next time you're at the beach,

you can find a seashell to listen to too.

WAVES CRASH

SNORING