Pearl Mackie - Interstellar Cinderella CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello, I'm Pearl. I'm just about to fix my spaceship.

I love travelling through space and seeing all the planets!

Our story tonight is about a girl just like me.

It's called Interstellar Cinderella and it's

written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Meg Hunt.

Once upon a planetoid, amid her tools and sprockets,

a girl named Cinderella dreamed of fixing fancy rockets.

She fixed the robot dishwashers and zoom brooms in her care

but late each night she snuck away to study ship repair.

One day, her wicked stepsisters came dashing in, excited.

"The Prince's Royal Space Parade! Our family's invited!"

"I wish that you could come, my dear.

"Alas, no room, although why don't you fix that broken ship

"and fly it to the show?"

"My tool box!" Cinderella cried. "We're stranded here, I guess."

But Murgatroyd, the mouse, sent out a cosmic SOS.

"I'm here! Your Fairy Godrobot! I'll make you brand-new tools.

"You'll need a spacesuit, too, of course - atomic blue with jewels.

"This Power Gem will speed your ship across the starry sky.

"It only lasts till midnight. After that, your ship won't fly."

"Oh, thank you," Cinderella said.

She quickly fixed the rocket then tucked the sonic socket wrench

inside her spacesuit pocket.

She zoomed past stars and nebulae and parked beside a moon.

The Space Parade was glorious! Each starship made her swoon.

At last, the Royal Ship approached! Her heart was filled with yearning.

The ship of Cinderella's dreams! But heavens! What was burning?

The Prince's spaceship jerked and hissed and spewed a cloud of grit.

The Prince hopped out. "Oh, blast! What now? My chief mechanic quit!"

But Interstellar Cinderella knew just what to do.

She zip-zapped with her socket wrench. The ship was good as new!

The Prince invited her aboard. Last stop - Galactic Hall.

He said, "I hope you'll join me for the Gravity-Free Ball."

They talked for hours of rocket ships. The time went whizzing by.

Then Cinderella saw the clock and said, "I have to fly."

CLOCK CHIMES

"But wait!" the Prince called after her. "Please tell me how to find..."

The girl was gone. But she had left her socket wrench behind.

The Prince sent a transmission to the farthest edge of space.

"I'll search the cosmos for her. How I wish I'd seen her face!"

"The Prince's ship!" Grisilla screeched.

Her sister squealed in fear.

"The Prince won't marry one of us if Cinderella's here!"

Their mother said, "Don't worry. He won't find her in this house.

"I've trapped her in the attic with that useless robot mouse!"

The Prince's cargo door revealed a broken craft within.

"The girl I seek can fix a ship, so who'd like to begin?"

He gave the sonic socket wrench to one then to the other.

Alas, they couldn't fix the ship, and neither could their mother.

Cinderella struggled, but the space rope held her tight.

Till Murgatroyd's robotic teeth cut through it with one bite.

"The ship! It's leaving! Wait, what's this?"

She made a fast repair then strapped the rusty jet pack on

and blasted through the air. She landed right beside the Prince.

"That wrench is mine!" she cried. She quickly fixed the ailing ship.

The Prince said, "Be my bride!"

She thought this over carefully. Her family watched in panic.

"Mm, I'm far too young for marriage, but I'll be your chief mechanic."

Amid her fleet of sparkling ships and friends both old and new,

a joyful Cinderella cried, "My stars!

"Dreams do come true."

Ah! I love that story!

I think I'd make a pretty good chief mechanic, too. What about you?

It's time to go to bed now and dream of journeys through space and time.

Just close your eyes and count the stars.

I'll be back soon for another Bedtime Story but,

until then, night-night.