0:00:06 > 0:00:10And if you tie it in a knot, it won't come off, you see.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13There we go. That's better. Hello.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16I'm Mark
0:00:16 > 0:00:20and I'm here in the CBeebies house to read you a bedtime story.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It's feeling very Christmassy here
0:00:22 > 0:00:26and I'm wearing my favourite cosy cardie to tell you
0:00:26 > 0:00:31all about Russell the sheep and how he helps Santa save Christmas.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Let's find out all about him
0:00:33 > 0:00:37in a story called Russell's Christmas Magic.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And it's written and illustrated by Rob Scotton.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47'Twas the night before Christmas in Frogsbottom Field.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Not a creature was stirring, except for Russell.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57As he was hanging the very last lantern on the old tree,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00a shooting star caught his eye.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05Closer and closer it came, brighter and brighter.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And then... Whoosh!
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The shooting star snuffed out the lanterns
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and came down somewhere in Firefly Wood.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21"Now Christmas is ruined!" Russell groaned.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23And he trudged off to investigate.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31He came upon a small, round man brushing snow from his belly.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34"Santa!" Russell exclaimed.
0:01:34 > 0:01:40"Oh, you see? You see? You shouldn't see me!" Santa said.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44"The sleigh is broken and so is the Christmas Spell.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50"Christmas must be cancelled!" The sleigh was beyond repair.
0:01:50 > 0:01:56"First Christmas is ruined and now it's cancelled!" said Russell.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58What's a Santa to do?
0:01:59 > 0:02:04An idea bounced around in Russell's hat and settled on his head.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08He raced to his workshop, grabbed his tool chest
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and headed for a snowy mound.
0:02:11 > 0:02:19Russell dug and dug until a rusty old car emerged.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24"How can that help?" Santa asked and sighed.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30So Russell welded this part to that.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34He hammered and sawed and banged and clattered.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Finally, he turned to Santa.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42"Well?" Russell asked sheepishly.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46"Russell, it's...it's...it's wondrous!
0:02:50 > 0:02:53"Magnificent! A thing of beauty!
0:02:53 > 0:02:59"A work of genius!" Santa gushed. "Will it work?"
0:02:59 > 0:03:02As Santa harnessed the reindeer to the new sleigh,
0:03:02 > 0:03:08they began to disappear. "I can't see you!" said Russell.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13"You see! Oh, you see! You can't see me!
0:03:13 > 0:03:18"The sleigh is fixed and so is the Christmas Spell!" cried Santa.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22"Christmas is uncancelled!"
0:03:22 > 0:03:25"Will you come with us?" asked Santa.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29"Will we be gone for long?" asked Russell.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32"For the blink of an eye," he replied.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Russell felt for the sleigh and climbed aboard.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41"I can see you again!" he said to Santa.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46"Of course! Now you're part of the Christmas Spell!" cried Santa.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
0:03:51 > 0:03:55"On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!"
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Up, up, higher and higher they flew.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Across land, across oceans they sped.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Through the magical Northern Lights they passed.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11They visited all the children of the world
0:04:11 > 0:04:15and left presents for each and every one.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20In the blink of an eye, they were back in Frogsbottom Field.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Santa waved his hand and presents appeared.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Santa gave Russell the very last present.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Inside was a tiny glass bauble.
0:04:34 > 0:04:41Russell hung the ornament on the tree where it flickered and glowed.
0:04:41 > 0:04:47Soon it shone with all the brilliance of the Northern Lights.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52"It's a little bit of the Christmas Spell, just for you," said Santa.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58"And now it's time, it's time to go."
0:04:59 > 0:05:04"Goodbye, Russell, the sheep that saved Christmas!" cried Santa.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08"And Merry Christmas to you!"
0:05:12 > 0:05:18Wasn't Russell amazing? I liked Santa's new sleigh car very much.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20SLEIGH BELLS JINGLE
0:05:20 > 0:05:26If we listen carefully, we can still hear the reindeers!
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Thank you for joining me for tonight's story.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37I hope you have a wonderful night's sleep and a very merry Christmas.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Bye-bye.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Well, you look cosy.