Katie Morag and the Mysteries Katie Morag

# Katie Morag

# Ride away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay

# Katie Morag

# Far away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay. #

My name is Katie Morag McColl

and I live on the island of Struay.

I suppose it's quite wee

but it's ginormous to me

and everyone looks out for me when I'm out and about

having my adventures.

This is where I live.

This is my family - my mum and dad run the shop and post office.

This is the bedroom I share with my brother, Liam.

My mum says it's an absolute midden.

This is the croft where Grannie Island lives

with her animals and hens.

This is the Redburn Bridge where I play Pooh Sticks.

And I think it's the best place in the whole entire world

and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

# Katie Morag. #

One of the best things about living on an island like Struay

is that you know everybody and everybody knows you.

Most of the time, anyway.

Who on earth could that be?

This was a mystery all right and I was going to solve it.

Do try and keep up!

Morning.

Neilly!

Didn't recognise you there.

It's a bit chilly outside.

How can I help you?

Er...I'd like to buy...

string.

-String?

-String.

Hi.

-There you go.

-Thank you.

Lovely, lovely.

Would you happen to have any...

any potatoes?

How many would you like?

Just the one.

Lovely.

Lovely tattie, eh?

Anything else?

You wouldn't happen to have a thing called...

gentlemen's aftershave?

Aftershave?

You know, yon stuff that makes you...

-HE SNIFFS

-Smell nice.

Any particular type?

Oh, no, just something fresh.

Maybe with a wee hint of mystery in it, though, eh?

Ha-ha-ha!

How much?

Er, 6.99.

Just keep the change. Thank you.

That was mystery number two

because in all my seven years,

three months and 14 days on the island of Struay,

never once has Neilly Beag told anyone they could keep the change.

Mystery number three was an unexpected visit from Grandma Mainland.

Grandma Mainland!

Ha-ha!

What are you doing here?

She never visits unexpectedly

-but that's the kind of mystery

-I

-like.

What a lovely surprise! Oh, how ARE you?

Are you sleeping in MY room again?

If you like.

Can you braid my hair like you did last time?

Oh, I'd love to but not right now, though.

There's a few bits and pieces that I need to take care of.

What's the book?

Whatever the bits and pieces were,

by the time she got home I was already in bed.

Where have you been?! I've been waiting ages!

Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart.

It all took a lot longer than I expected.

What about my hair?!

We'll do it tomorrow.

That's a promise.

Nighty, nighty!

Pyjama, pyjama.

We can make some seashell bracelets too, if you like.

And some pirate hats made out of rhubarb leaves.

Grandma Mainland?

Grandma Mainland?!

SHE SNORES

'But she was already fast asleep.'

SHE SIGHS

'Now, some grannies always get up bright and early.

'Grannie Island, for example.

'She always says, "Lose an hour in the morning

'"and you'll be all day hunting for it."'

Morning, Grandma Mainland!

'But Grandma Mainland is not one of those grannies.

'She never gets up before she HAS to.

'In fact, sometimes she doesn't even get up THEN!

'So where on EARTH could she be

'at THIS time in the morning?'

Gone for a walk?!

Grandma Mainland never goes for walks.

Well, she did this morning.

But her shoes are in my room.

She borrowed a pair of wellies.

Wellies?! Grandma Mainland never wears wellies!

Going for a walk, putting on wellies.

There were so many mysteries, I could hardly keep count.

Hello, Katie Morag. What are you up to?

Oh, just looking for Grandma Mainland.

I just saw her a few minutes ago.

She was out past the High Farm.

What was she doing there?!

Oh, I didn't ask, I just waved and went on my way.

Was she all right?

Yes, she looked fine.

In fact, I believe she was whistling.

Anyway, best get on!

You probably guess what's coming next.

That's right. Grandma Mainland never whistled.

In fact, if you'd asked me,

I would have bet a whole week's pocket money

she didn't even know how.

Think you can give up on me, do you?

Just because you're old and grey...

Well, I'm twice as old

and every bit as grey as you are,

so you can save all that nonsense for...

Something funny's going on!

Ah! You gave me the fright of my life.

I don't mean "funny ha-ha", I mean "funny strange."

Right. We best get inside.

That woman never wore Wellingtons in her life.

I know, and then Nurse met her past the High Farm

and would you believe she was whistling?

-Whistling?!

-Mm-hm.

Yes, and that's not all.

Neilly Beag came in the other day

and asked my dad to keep the change.

The change from what?

One tattie, a ball of string

and a...what do you call it? Gentlemen's aftershave.

Aftershave?!

Yes.

Fresh, with a hint of mystery.

Oh! There's something not right here.

I know, that's what I'm trying to tell you here!

Right, come on with me!

What about my porridge, eh?

You can eat it on the way, come on.

We tried the High Farm,

the Seabird Cliffs, the Blue Eye Lighthouse,

we even tried the Boggy Loch.

But there was still no sign of Grandma Mainland.

I began to think we'd never find her.

But I'd forgotten just how clever Grannie Island is.

..Cos we're going to solve this mystery

if it's the last thing...

SHE SNIFFS

What is it?!

Can you not smell it?

Not sure.

Fresh...

with a hint of mystery.

'All I could smell was Grannie Island's old tractor.

'But when she gets THAT look in her eye,

'you're best not to argue.'

We're going in the right direction now.

That's it.

-Anything?

-Nope.

Are you sure?

Oh, my goodness!

What is it?

Katie Morag...?

Oh! Well, wrap me in a clootie and call me a dumpling!

Does that mean they'll have to get married?

'Me and Grannie Island had a long talk about who we should tell.

'But we decided not to tell anyone.

'Grannie Island said Grandma Mainland would do it herself

'when the time was right.'

I thought wellies suited her.

Did you think wellies suited her?

I think they kept her feet dry.

Sit...

Mm, something smells good!

Clootie dumpling.

Katie Morag's idea.

What have you been up to all day?

This and that. What about you?

Mm...the same.

This and that.

It turns out Grandma Mainland wasn't a terribly good whistler.

But maybe with all the practice she was getting,

it wouldn't be long till she was the best whistler on Struay.

There!

Like a Tyrolean mountain girl.

What's a Tyrol? Tryol?

Tyrolean!

The place in Austria.

Big, snowy mountains.

As big as ours?

Bigger!

As snowy as ours?

Snowier.

Any more questions?

Just one.

Are you going to marry Neilly Beag?

I think we'll take these out.

You don't want to be lying in bed with the pigtails in.

Ay! Aw!

She didn't say she was, but then she didn't say she wasn't, either.

In fact, she didn't say much of anything at all

but she did ask me not to mention it to anyone

because there really wasn't anything worth mentioning.

Which is just the kind of confusing thing grown-ups say.

I decided to ask Teddy if he understood it

but I couldn't find him anywhere.

And then I did.

I couldn't ask Teddy,

so I'd have to figure it out all by myself.

But it wasn't going to be easy.

Understanding grown-ups never is.

Sometimes I think they're the biggest mystery of all.

(Good night, Grannie Island.)

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd