The Dancing Jellyfish Old Jack's Boat

Hello, there.

How are you today?

Salty and I have a tale or two to tell you about this beach

and the rockpools,

and all the magical things that have happened here.

# Come with me, we're off to the sea

# To where I used to play

# Looking back when I was a boy and the fun we had each day

# Over the cobbles and through the streets

# Playing in the sun

# Friends to meet with games and treats

# Adventures just begun

# Stories from a magical world Washed in by the sea

# Meet the rockpool creatures there It's amazing what you see

# Looking back when I was a boy

# Shrimps and starfish Crabs and snails

# In twinkly Rockpool Tales... #

Ha-ha!

# Those lovely Rockpool Tales. #

Oh, hello.

I'm just dusting off the old record player

so that Salty and I can have a bit of a singsong.

It's lovely, isn't it? Eh?

It is a bit crackly, but, anyway...

here we go.

MUSIC PLAYS

Yeah, go on, Salty, you sing along if you want.

Do you know what?

This reminds me of a time, years ago,

when we had this record player on the beach.

Yes.

It all happened when I was a boy,

in a twinkly time, long, long ago.

I used to run down to the beach as often as I could,

meeting up with my best friends, Little Ernie

and Little Sailor Sue.

# I'm looking on the bright side... #

You're going to do left foot forward, right foot...

One day, Little Ernie was trying to teach Little Sailor Sue

and me a dance routine.

Sue picked up the steps quite quickly, but I kept getting muddled.

I don't get it.

It's easy - look.

I tried and tried, but my feet didn't seem to do

what I wanted them to.

So I suggested that we play by the rockpools instead.

So off we ran and, as we settled down and gazed deep

into the glittery waters,

a magical world appeared before our eyes.

On this particular day in the rockpool,

everyone was very excited because there was going to be a dance party.

And you can't have a dance party without music.

So Sheena the Shrimp had set up her musical rock.

Andrew the Anemone was jigging about in the seaweed,

practising his moves.

"I'm very excited about the dance. Are you?"

he asked his friend, Sally the Starfish.

But before Sally could answer

they had a bit of a shock because

out of the thick, seaweedy fronds

floated an extremely enchanting creature.

"Hello. I'm Luna, and I am a jellyfish,"

she said in a silky voice.

SALTY WHINES

Yes. It's all right, Salty.

Don't worry.

Yes, I'll explain.

Salty wants you to know that jellyfish are beautiful creatures,

but they can sometimes sting.

So if you meet one on your seashore adventures,

it is best not to touch it.

Right? Yeah.

"Jellyfish?" cried Sheena. "Don't they sting?"

And, lickety-split quick, they all hid.

"Come back, everybody.

"I promise I won't sting you," said Luna.

So they crept back out.

A little shy at first, but very keen

to meet this interesting visitor.

Luna the Jellyfish looked like

a magical, floaty umbrella.

"Hello, there. Nice to meet you.

"I must have been washed into your rockpool on the last tide.

"I'll have to wait here until the next tide comes in.

"I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no, we don't mind," said Belinda the Blenny.

"We are going to have a dance party.

"You can join us if you like," said Sheena.

"I'd love to," said Luna,

gliding this way and that.

"I am a dance teacher, you know.

"My style is very modern and free.

"I like to feel the pulse and the flow,

"everywhere I go."

"You're a lovely mover," said Bertrum the Butterfish.

"Can you teach us to dance the way you do?"

"There's no need to dance my way," said Luna.

"We all have our own way of dancing,

"and that's just as it should be.

"I'll show you what I mean."

Well, the friends spread out on the rockpool's sandy floor.

Buster the Crab made sure

he had enough room to wave his claws about.

"Now, relax, everybody.

"Loosen up.

"Feel the energy flow all around you," said Luna.

"Stretch out those arms

"and be the star that you are,"

she told Sally the Starfish.

"Wiggle your nose and wiggle your tail,

"And wiggle in the middle," she told Belinda.

"I like to sway," said Bertrum, grinning.

"Sway, sway, if that's your way," Luna told him.

And, then, she floated over to Sidney the Snail,

who was finding it a bit tricky

to move beneath his shell.

"Pretend your shell's as light as a feather," she told him.

Well, Sidney relaxed.

And suddenly, his shell,

it was spinning with ease!

"Wowee! Look at me," he giggled.

Soon, all of the creatures

were having fun dancing.

"You may all rest now," said Luna.

"Thank you," said Belinda.

"Oh, I loved that."

And all the other rockpoolers agreed.

"It's nearly time for our dance party," said Sheena.

"Come with me, Luna, and I'll find you something

"sparkly and shiny to wear."

Well, all the creatures were ready for the dance,

looking very shiny and sparkly in their party outfits.

Andrew was wearing his best sparkly glasses, and a tie to match.

They had all dressed up - all except Luna, that is.

"Didn't you want to wear something shiny, Luna?" Belinda asked.

"Oh, there is no need.

"I can make myself shiny later," she replied, grinning.

"Right. Right, it's time to start," said Sheena, eagerly.

"I'll get the music going."

Some boppy, hobby, shake it, shake it dance music

came bursting out of the musical rock.

"Let's dance!" she cried.

And you never did see

such a mixture of moving tentacles,

fins, tails and shells.

"This is almost perfect!" cried Sheena.

"I just wish we had some pretty party lights."

"I can help," said Luna,

drifting and wafting about in her elegant way.

And then, something amazing happened.

she suddenly started to glow

like a fabulous, floating moon.

And she lit up everything around her.

"I am bioluminescent, you know," she said.

Now, bioluminescent, it's a big word,

but it just means that she can light up and glow.

"See?" said Luna.

"I am very useful to have around

"when you need party lights."

Ha! And everyone laughed.

The rockpoolers loved the way

that Luna could glow.

"I like to pulse, I like to flow,

"but most of all, I like to glow,"

said Luna over the dance music.

And the rockpool creatures danced and danced together

in their shiny outfits

with their elegant friend.

One more time!

When we looked up from the rockpool,

Ernie started to do his fancy soft-shoe shuffle again.

Sue whispered to me...

Don't worry, Jack. You don't have to do Ernie's dance routine.

You can just do your own - that's far better.

Yeah, and I liked that idea.

And before long, we were all dancing freestyle...

Hoo-hoo!

I'm like a jellyfish.

..until the tide started to come in and cover the rockpool,

like a great seaweedy blanket.

Come on, Salty. It's time to sing again, freestyle.

I'll hum, and you bark.

Ready? Here we go.

You got it?

# Somewhere

# beyond the sea

# Somewhere waiting for me... #

Come on, wave your paws about.

So come and join us

for some more Rockpool Tales next time.

Goodbye.

# And never again I'll go sailing

# No more sailing

# So long, sailing

# Bye-bye, sailing... #