0:00:02 > 0:00:05CBeebies Bedtime Story.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Hello. I'm Emily.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13I love to brush the teddies' hair,
0:00:13 > 0:00:18except Henrietta's hair is longer than most bears'
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and it takes a while for me to brush.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24In fact, Henrietta's hair is almost as long as Rapunzel's,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27the girl in tonight's Bedtime Story.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33The story's called How the Library (Not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel.
0:00:33 > 0:00:39It's written by Wendy Meddour and the pictures are by Rebecca Ashdown.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44On the 16th floor of a tall tower block sat Rapunzel,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48quite idle, whilst growing her locks.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Please let down your hair",
0:00:52 > 0:00:55called the milkman from down on the bottom stair.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59"The lift is not working. The stairs are too steep.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02"My asthma is bad and my heart is too weak."
0:01:04 > 0:01:08But Rapunzel just sat. She didn't move.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10She had nowhere to go.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12She had nothing to prove.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16She just looked at the sky and she dreamed up a dream,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20whilst the milkman went off in his float to sell cream.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It was later that day, much warmer than most,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28when the postman came around to deliver the post.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Please let down your hair,"
0:01:31 > 0:01:35called the postman from down on the bottom stair.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38"You've got a brown letter. It looks like a bill.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42"Shall I leave it down here on the windowsill?"
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Rapunzel just sat. She didn't blink.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47She had nothing to say.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50She had nothing to think.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54She looked out at the birds and started to frown.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So the postman just left it and went into town.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00When the sun was full blaze, just after lunch,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04the baker came around, selling warm things to munch.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Please let down your hair",
0:02:07 > 0:02:10called the baker from down on the bottom stair.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12"I've got a bad knee, but I'm not one to moan.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16"Let me send up some bread and a hot buttered scone."
0:02:16 > 0:02:21But Rapunzel just sat. She didn't flinch.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25She wouldn't move, not even an inch.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Not a sound was uttered, not a word was said.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33So the baker went back to her shop to sell bread.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Now, Rapunzel's aunt was the caring sort,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and around about 4:00, some dinner, she brought.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Please let down your hair",
0:02:46 > 0:02:49called her aunt from down on the bottom stair.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52"I've made a fish pie for you to eat.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56"I've wrapped it in tinfoil to keep in the heat."
0:02:56 > 0:03:00But Rapunzel just sat. She didn't stir.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02A statue wasn't as still as her.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07She just watched as the rain began to fall,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10whilst her aunt dashed off to the bingo hall.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Now, this story must have a prince, of course,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and he showed up late, but not on a horse.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19With the wind in his hair and blowing his hooter,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23along came the prince on the back of a scooter.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Please let down your hair",
0:03:26 > 0:03:29called the prince from down on the bottom stair.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32He brought with him chocolates and roses red.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36He wore leather trousers and shades on his head.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41But Rapunzel just sat, as still as a wall.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46She didn't think much of her prince at all.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50She just stared and stared and stared at the rain.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52And the prince was never seen again.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58It has to be said, without lunch or dinner,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Rapunzel was starting to get a bit thinner.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06"To leave her without any milk was mean",
0:04:06 > 0:04:10said the milkman on hearing Rapunzel was lean.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14"And I should've really delivered that letter."
0:04:14 > 0:04:17The postman felt guilty and wished she were better.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20"To think", said her aunt, "that she's all alone
0:04:20 > 0:04:23"on the 16th floor, as thin as a bone.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25"Rapunzel has patience, she doesn't move.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28"She has nowhere to go, she has nothing to prove.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32"But to sit on your own all day and dream,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37"well, it's not really good for one's self-esteem."
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The milkman, the aunt and all of her friends
0:04:40 > 0:04:44decided to gather and make their amends.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49They climbed up the stairs, steady but sure.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52All the way up to the 16th floor.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And burst through the door of Rapunzel's flat,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58where she sat alone with only her cats.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02They cooked her some supper, the first in weeks.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05It brought the roses back to her cheeks.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The postman gave her the letter to read
0:05:08 > 0:05:13and what happened next, you'd hardly believe.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Rapunzel leapt up and she shouted with glee,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20"I've got a new job at the library!"
0:05:20 > 0:05:23She skipped around the room and she started to groove.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27She had somewhere to go, she had something to prove.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30She went to the cupboard and brought out a spanner,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33then she fixed the lift in a ladylike manner.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38"Thank you, dear friends", she said. "I'm all right."
0:05:38 > 0:05:42So they all took the lift and she turned out the light.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The following morning at 6:00 sharp,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50she jumped up out of bed whilst it was still dark.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54She tied up her hair in a very long plait
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and pinned it all under a bright purple hat.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02She put on a suit and a pair of smart shoes
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and ate a big breakfast whilst reading the news.
0:06:05 > 0:06:13Then she got in the lift and went down, down, down, down,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16to start her new job at the library in town.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Everyone loved her.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22She sparkled all day.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And life at the library continued this way.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30For, along with her hair and her ravishing looks,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34she loved nothing better than reading good books.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now, Rapunzel has changed,
0:06:37 > 0:06:43and it makes her wince to think that she used to just wait for a prince.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46That she used to just sit, that she didn't move,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50with nowhere to go and nothing to prove.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53For now, she reads three books every night
0:06:53 > 0:06:57under the beam of her bedside light.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00She can tell you the distance to the moon.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04She can do Scottish dancing and pay the bassoon.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10She can speak in four languages, skip and play chess.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14She can knit tiny eggcups and cross-stitch a dress.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18She knows the difference between crows and rooks,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and all because of library books.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26So don't just wait for your prince to show.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29He might turn up, but you never know.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Pop down to your library and borrow a book.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38There's so much to find out if only you look.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But don't just sit and wait and stare
0:07:41 > 0:07:45when there's more to life than growing your hair.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49I am so happy Rapunzel loves books.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54I think Henrietta the Bear loves books just as much.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57And I hope you loved that story.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02I'll see you soon for another lovely story. Night-night.