The Opposite CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Hello. I'm Michael. Handrew and me are playing a game.

I say something, and Handrew does the opposite. You watch.

Up!

That's right, Handrew! Down is the opposite of up.

Here's another one.

Straight!

That's right, too! Curvy is the opposite of straight.

Well, in tonight's bedtime story, Nate meets an Opposite,

who seems determined to get him into trouble.

The story is called The Opposite.

When Nate woke up one morning,

the Opposite was standing on his ceiling staring down at him.

"You can't stand on the ceiling!" said Nate. "Get down!"

But the opposite happened, and it stayed where it was.

"Dad!" cried Nate. "There's an Opposite on my ceiling!"

"Where?" said Nate's dad, poking his head round the door.

"There!" said Nate, pointing upwards.

But the opposite had already happened,

and it wasn't there any more.

"Come on, Nate," said Nate's dad,

"you don't usually make up stories to stay in bed."

Nate came downstairs to start his breakfast.

His mum poured out a bowlful of cornflakes.

"You can do the milk yourself." she said. Nate always did this,

it was one of the things he was best at.

Nate took the milk in both hands and gently poured it over the cereal...

but then the opposite happened.

Instead of the milk pouring down, it poured up! Splashing all over

the ceiling, then dripping down again all over the tablecloth.

The Opposite grinned in the corner.

"Oh, Nate!" said Nate's mum. "Look what you've done!"

"It wasn't me!" cried Nate. "It was the Opposite, over there."

And Nate pointed at the corner.

But the opposite had already happened,

and it wasn't there any more.

"Come on, Nate," said Nate's mum, "you're not usually so clumsy."

Nate walked into school and got ready for the first lesson.

Nate's teacher asked the children

to paint a picture of their favourite animal.

Nate decided to paint an elephant.

He took out his paint and paper and brush and made a start.

But then the opposite happened.

Instead of the paint going on the paper it went on Nate's head!

Then on the floor, then on the walls, and then on his teacher!

The paint went everywhere except on the paper

which stayed as blank and clean as ever. The Opposite giggled

from under the teacher's desk, right by the teacher's legs.

"Oh, Nate," said Nate's teacher, "you're not usually so messy."

"It wasn't me!" cried Nate. "It was the Opposite, under there."

And Nate pointed at the teacher's desk,

but the opposite had already happened,

and it wasn't there any more.

Nate stopped, and thought for a moment.

Then he had an idea.

Slowly, he pointed at the empty space in front of him.

"I mean to say," said Nate, "that there isn't an Opposite

"standing right in front of my finger."

But then the opposite happened.

Suddenly the Opposite WAS standing right in front of Nate,

it blinked with surprise and looked a little worried.

"I mean to say," said Nate, "that the work I've done today...

"is messy, and untidy."

But then the opposite happened. The Opposite bared its teeth.

"Grr!" But it was too late.

Nate's painting was now as tidy and perfect as you please.

"And," said Nate, smiling, "I mean to say...

"that I have so enjoyed having the Opposite with me today,

"and I do hope it will stay around for ever and ever and ever!"

But then the opposite happened. With a shriek... "Eek!"

..and a hiss, the Opposite disappeared

in a puff of green and yellow smoke.

And that was that.

Very quickly Nate's teacher and the rest of Nate's class

persuaded themselves that they had never seen the Opposite

and none of it had ever happened. But Nate knew what had happened.

And now you do, too.

And if you ever meet an Opposite, you'll know how to deal with it.

The next morning, when Nate woke up,

the Opposite was standing on the ceiling, staring down at him.

"Oh good," said Nate.

"I hope this story goes on for ever and EVER...

"The end!"

And that story was called The Opposite.

You know, I think it would be really interesting to meet the Opposite.

Oh, I wish that today went on for ever and ever.

What? What's that, Handrew?

Oh, I see. Handrew's pretending to be the Opposite and telling me

that today can't go on forever because it's time to go to bed.

But I'll see you soon for another story. Good night.

Now, Handrew, I know another opposite.

If you stay there, you're near.

But if I go over here...

I'm far, but the moment I say far,

then the opposite is coming back right here! Yeah! See?