Slinky Malinki Catflaps and Hairy Maclary of Donaldson's Dairy CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Hello, I'm Michael.

Do you have a favourite animal?

You do?

Well I can't decide whether I like dogs or cats best.

What do you think?

And I can't decide whether to tell you my favourite dog story

or my favourite cat story.

So why don't I tell you them both?

The first is about a cat called Slinky Malinki Catflaps.

The house was asleep. It was silent and still.

With flickering shadows on ceiling and sill.

Slinky Malinki was cosy and snug,

curled in a ball on the raggedy rug.

He opened an eye, inspected his toes,

and washed from his tail to the tip of his nose.

He wiped round an ear with a delicate paw

and stretched as he silently slipped through the door.

Whiskers all twitching and eyes shining bright,

he squeezed through his cat flap and into the night.

He prowled round the garden and smelled every smell,

from the rambling rose,

to the snail in its shell.

Then, with a curious questioning call,

he sprang to the top of the tumbled down wall.

"Prrrrow?!" he called.

Out of a bush, at the end of the wall came two creeping shadows,

one big and one small.

Slipping and slithering, scrambling down,

were Greywacke Jones and Butterball Brown.

Next to the hole by the tunnel house door,

furtively lurking were two shadows more.

Up through the leaves of the five-fingered tree,

climbed Pimpernel Pugh and Mushroom Magee.

Down on the grass, by the cucumber frame,

mysterious figures were playing a game.

They tumbled and chased with a scuffle and cuff.

The Poppadum kittens and Grizzly McDuff.

From nooks and from crannies, from mischief and game,

from every corner and crevice they came.

They sat in the moonlight's silvery glow.

Hobnobbing happily, ten in a row.

But! Out of the hedge by the rickety seat,

disturbing the birds in their feathery sleep,

something was sneaking on pussy-foot paw,

the cranky and crotchety

SCARFACE CLAW!

Then, all at once came the ear-splitting sound

of a caterwaul symphony echoing round.

"Prr-oow-oh!"

"Yee-ooow!"

"Brr-eeow-ee-yow!"

"Sss-pit-a-pit!"

"Fsss-pit-a-pit!"

"Waow-yee-aow!"

It woke all the neighbours...

From window and door came bellowing shouts and a furious roar.

"Ssssh!" they all said,

"What a rackety bunch. Stop that commotion and go home, at once!"

With a grumbling growl and a scuttle of paw,

off and away galloped Scarface Claw.

And down from the wall with a hiss and a spit

went Slinky Malinki, lickity split.

The others all followed until there were nine,

trotting behind in a tail-waving line.

Whiskers all twitching and eyes shining bright,

they squeezed through the cat flap and out of the night.

The house was asleep,

it was silent and still,

with flickering shadows on ceiling and sill.

Slinky Malinki was cosy and snug,

with all his friends on the raggedy rug.

They sat in the firelight's welcoming glow,

hobnobbing happily,

ten in a row.

Ha! And that story was called Slinky Malinki Catflaps.

Now that Slinky Malinki and his friends are sat in front of the fire,

why don't I tell you about my favourite dog?

He's called Hairy Maclary

and he's from Donaldson's Dairy.

Out of the gate and off for a walk,

went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.

And Hercules Morse, as big as a horse

with Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.

Bottomly Potts, covered in spots.

Hercules Morse, as big as a horse,

and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.

Muffin McLay, like a bundle of hay,

Bottomly Potts, covered in spots,

Hercules Morse, as big as a horse

and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.

Bitzer Maloney, all skinny and bony,

Muffin McLay, like a bundle of hay,

Bottomly Potts, covered in spots,

Hercules Morse, as big as a horse

and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy

Schnitzel von Krumm

with a very low tum,

Bitzer Maloney all skinny and bony,

Muffin McLay like a bundle of hay,

Bottomly Potts covered in spots,

Hercules Morse as big as a horse

and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy.

With tails in the air they trotted on down

past the shops and the park to the far end of town.

They sniffed at the smells and they snooped at each door,

when suddenly

out of the shadows they saw...

..SCARFACE CLAW!

The toughest Tom in town.

"EEEEEOWWWFFTZ!" said Scarface Claw.

Off with a yowl, a wail and a howl,

a scatter of paws and a clatter of claws,

went Schnitzel von Krumm with a very low tum,

Bitzer Maloney, all skinny and bony,

Muffin McLay, like a bundle of hay,

Bottomly Potts, covered in spots,

Hercules Morse, as big as a horse

and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy,

straight back home to bed.

Ha! And that story was called Hairy Maclary of Donaldson's Dairy.

Wow, that Scarface Claw gets everywhere, doesn't he?

At least Hairy Maclary is back home, tucked up in bed.

And that's where you need to be now, too.

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

Now, I still can't decide whether maybe...

I like the dogs, or the cats. Maybe it's the cat, come here, you.

Come here. I'll give you a little tickle under there.

Ticky-ticky, meow!

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