Shelley Conn - Tiddler the Story Telling Fish CBeebies Bedtime Stories

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Ooh, what can I see down there?

Just saw one move.

Hello. I'm Shelley and I'm using these binoculars

to be a fish-spotter.

No, I don't mean a bird-spotter - I mean a fish-spotter.

I want to see as many fish as Tiddler.

He's in tonight's bedtime story

and is always bumping into exciting kinds of fish.

The story is by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

and is called Tiddler.

Once there was a fish called Tiddler.

He wasn't much to look at with plain grey scales,

but Tiddler was a fish with a big imagination.

He blew small bubbles, but he told tall tales.

"Sorry I'm late - I was riding on a seahorse."

"Sorry I'm late - I was flying with a ray."

"Sorry I'm late - I was diving with a dolphin."

Tiddler told a different story every day.

At 9 o'clock on Monday, Miss Skate called the register.

"Little Johnny Dory?" "Yes, Miss Skate."

"Rabbit fish?" "Yes, Miss."

"Red fin?" "Yes, Miss."

"Tiddler..."

"Tiddler...? Tiddler's late."

"Sorry I'm late - I was swimming round a shipwreck.

"I swam into a treasure chest and someone closed the lid.

"I thrashed till a mermaid let me out."

"Oh, no, she didn't." "Oh, yes, she did."

"It's only a story," said rabbit fish and red fin.

"Just a silly story," said dragon fish and dab.

"I like his stories," said Johnny Dory.

And he told it to his granny who told it to a crab.

At 9 on Tuesday, Miss Skate called the register.

"Little Johnny Dory?" "Yes, Miss Skate."

"Spider fish?" "Yes, Miss."

"Sun fish?" "Yes, Miss."

"Tiddler? Tiddler?

"Tiddler's late."

"Sorry, I'm late, Miss. I set off really early,

"but on the way to school, I was captured by a squid.

"I struggled till a turtle rescued me."

"Oh, no, he didn't." "Oh, yes, he did."

"It's only a story," said spider fish and sun fish.

"Just a silly story," said devil fish and dace.

"I love his stories," said Johnny Dory.

And he told it to his granny who told it to a plaice.

Who told it to a starfish who told it to a seal.

Who told it to a lobster who told it to an eel.

At 9 o'clock on Wednesday, Tiddler was dawdling, dreaming up a story.

His tallest story yet.

Lost inside his story, he didn't see the fishing boat,

or the fisherman. He didn't spot...

the net.

Meanwhile at school, Miss Skate called the register.

"Little Johnny Dory?" "Yes, Miss Skate."

"Leopard fish?" "Yes, Miss."

"Leaf fish?" "Yes, Miss."

"Tiddler? Tiddler? Tiddler's late."

Ten o'clock. Eleven o'clock - still no Tiddler.

Twelve o'clock, lunchtime. Where could he be?

The fishermen were hauling in their fishing net.

This one's just a Tiddler - we'll throw it back to sea.

Tiddler was lost in the ocean

where strange lights glimmered and strange fish flew.

He swam around in circles. He shivered in the seaweed.

But then he heard a story - a story that he knew.

Tiddler rode a seahorse, Tiddler met a mermaid,

Tiddler met a turtle who saved him from a squid.

Tiddler found a shipwreck. Tiddler found a treasure chest.

Oh, no, he didn't. Oh, yes, he did.

Tiddler peeked out and saw a shoal of anchovies.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where you heard that tale?"

"We heard it from a shrimp, but we don't know where she heard it."

They took him to a shrimp who said, "I heard it from a whale.

"I heard it from a herring. I heard it from an eel.

"I heard it from a lobster. I heard it from a seal.

"I heard it from a starfish. I heard it from a plaice."

The plaice said, "Just a minute, don't I recognise your face?"

"I'm Tiddler," said Tiddler.

"I'm tracking down my story."

The plaice replied, "I heard it from my neighbour, Granny Dory."

One o'clock, two o'clock - still no Tiddler.

Nearly home time. Where could he be?

Just as the fishes were finishing their lessons,

in swam Tiddler at half-past three.

"Sorry, I'm late, but I swam into a fishing net,

"I managed to escape and I swam away and hid.

"I was lost, scared, but a story lead me home again.

"No, it didn't." "Yes, it did."

"It's another story," said leopard fish and leaf fish.

"Just a silly story," said butter fish and blue.

"It isn't just a story," said little Johnny Dory.

And he told it to a writer friend, who wrote it down, for you.

And that story was called Tiddler.

Wow, what a lot of fish Tiddler met on his adventure.

I wonder if I can spot any of them.

While I do, it's time for you to go to bed.

I'll see you soon for another story. Night-night.

OK, I'll see what I can spot.

Oh, there's Tiddler.