Mark Bonnar - Russell's Christmas Magic CBeebies Bedtime Stories

And if you tie it in a knot, it won't come off, you see.

There we go. That's better. Hello.

I'm Mark

and I'm here in the CBeebies house to read you a bedtime story.

It's feeling very Christmassy here

and I'm wearing my favourite cosy cardie to tell you

all about Russell the sheep and how he helps Santa save Christmas.

Let's find out all about him

in a story called Russell's Christmas Magic.

And it's written and illustrated by Rob Scotton.

'Twas the night before Christmas in Frogsbottom Field.

Not a creature was stirring, except for Russell.

As he was hanging the very last lantern on the old tree,

a shooting star caught his eye.

Closer and closer it came, brighter and brighter.

And then... Whoosh!

The shooting star snuffed out the lanterns

and came down somewhere in Firefly Wood.

"Now Christmas is ruined!" Russell groaned.

And he trudged off to investigate.

He came upon a small, round man brushing snow from his belly.

"Santa!" Russell exclaimed.

"Oh, you see? You see? You shouldn't see me!" Santa said.

"The sleigh is broken and so is the Christmas Spell.

"Christmas must be cancelled!" The sleigh was beyond repair.

"First Christmas is ruined and now it's cancelled!" said Russell.

What's a Santa to do?

An idea bounced around in Russell's hat and settled on his head.

He raced to his workshop, grabbed his tool chest

and headed for a snowy mound.

Russell dug and dug until a rusty old car emerged.

"How can that help?" Santa asked and sighed.

So Russell welded this part to that.

He hammered and sawed and banged and clattered.

Finally, he turned to Santa.

"Well?" Russell asked sheepishly.

"Russell, it's...it's...it's wondrous!

"Magnificent! A thing of beauty!

"A work of genius!" Santa gushed. "Will it work?"

As Santa harnessed the reindeer to the new sleigh,

they began to disappear. "I can't see you!" said Russell.

"You see! Oh, you see! You can't see me!

"The sleigh is fixed and so is the Christmas Spell!" cried Santa.

"Christmas is uncancelled!"

"Will you come with us?" asked Santa.

"Will we be gone for long?" asked Russell.

"For the blink of an eye," he replied.

Russell felt for the sleigh and climbed aboard.

"I can see you again!" he said to Santa.

"Of course! Now you're part of the Christmas Spell!" cried Santa.

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!

"On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!"

Up, up, higher and higher they flew.

Across land, across oceans they sped.

Through the magical Northern Lights they passed.

They visited all the children of the world

and left presents for each and every one.

In the blink of an eye, they were back in Frogsbottom Field.

Santa waved his hand and presents appeared.

Santa gave Russell the very last present.

Inside was a tiny glass bauble.

Russell hung the ornament on the tree where it flickered and glowed.

Soon it shone with all the brilliance of the Northern Lights.

"It's a little bit of the Christmas Spell, just for you," said Santa.

"And now it's time, it's time to go."

"Goodbye, Russell, the sheep that saved Christmas!" cried Santa.

"And Merry Christmas to you!"

Wasn't Russell amazing? I liked Santa's new sleigh car very much.

SLEIGH BELLS JINGLE

If we listen carefully, we can still hear the reindeers!

Thank you for joining me for tonight's story.

I hope you have a wonderful night's sleep and a very merry Christmas.

Bye-bye.

Well, you look cosy.