0:00:02 > 0:00:03Go on, Salty!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11# Come with me, we're off to the sea
0:00:11 > 0:00:13# To where I used to play
0:00:13 > 0:00:16# Looking back, when I was a boy
0:00:16 > 0:00:18# And the fun we had each day
0:00:18 > 0:00:21# Over the cobbles and through the streets
0:00:21 > 0:00:23# Playing in the sun
0:00:23 > 0:00:26# Friends to meet with games and treats
0:00:26 > 0:00:28# Adventures just begun
0:00:28 > 0:00:32# Stories from a magical world washed in by the sea
0:00:32 > 0:00:35# Meet the rockpool creatures there
0:00:35 > 0:00:38# It's amazing what you see
0:00:38 > 0:00:42# Looking back when I was a boy
0:00:42 > 0:00:45# Shrimps and starfish, crabs and snails
0:00:45 > 0:00:47# In twinkly Rockpool Tales... #
0:00:47 > 0:00:48HE LAUGHS
0:00:48 > 0:00:51# Those lovely Rockpool Tales. # BOAT HOOTS
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Salty... Salty?
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Salty, where are you?
0:00:56 > 0:00:57I... Oh.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59HE CHUCKLES
0:00:59 > 0:01:00I've lost Salty.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04She was in her basket a minute ago and then... Pfft!
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I don't know where she is, you know?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I think because I said I didn't have an idea for a story,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12she got up and she trotted off. Yes.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Oh...! HE LAUGHS
0:01:15 > 0:01:17There you are! Where have you been?
0:01:17 > 0:01:20What have you got round your neck?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Oh, look.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Look at that!
0:01:24 > 0:01:26My old binoculars.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Yes, all right, I know.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32You see, she's brought these because she wants me to tell a story
0:01:32 > 0:01:34about these binoculars.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Yes, well, I do have a story.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41It all happened when I was a boy
0:01:41 > 0:01:44in a twinkly time long, long ago.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50I used to run down to play on the beach as often as I could,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52meeting up with my best friends
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Little Ernie and Little Sailor Sue.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01One afternoon, I'd brought my binoculars down to the beach
0:02:01 > 0:02:02to show the others.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06"If you look through them, they make faraway things look closer,"
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I explained.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13"What happens if you look through the other end?" asked Ernie.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16"Then it's the other way round," laughs Sue.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18"Things look further away."
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Well, Ernie didn't want things to be further away,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25so he looked through the binoculars
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and soon he found his favourite place.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32"The rockpools! I can see them really well."
0:02:32 > 0:02:35"Come on, then. Let's visit them," said Sue.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38So, off we dashed.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43When we got to the rockpools, we spent ages taking turns
0:02:43 > 0:02:46to look at all the little creatures that live there.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50We gazed deep down into the glittery waters
0:02:50 > 0:02:55and there a magical world appeared before our eyes.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03One morning, Sally the Starfish
0:03:03 > 0:03:08popped her head out of the still water of the rockpool.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11There, washed up in the seaweed,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13was a pair of binoculars.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Reginald the Great Wise Limpet was nearby,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19so Sally paddled over to him.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22"O, Great Wise Limpet," asked Sally,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26pointing one of her little arms at the pair of binoculars,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28"What's that?"
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Reginald yawned and then explained,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33"It's a lookamabob.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37"You look through it and it makes things look very big."
0:03:37 > 0:03:43Well, Sally decided she should look through the lookamabob,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46so she scrabbled over and peeped into it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50She was hoping to see boats bobbing about on the big wide sea.
0:03:50 > 0:03:57Instead, what she saw was a monster lolloping over towards the rockpool.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00At least, it LOOKED like a monster.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04It was big and hairy, with scrunched-up eyes
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and two long, long pointy tusks.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11She glanced at Reginald and she whispered, ("Reginald,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13("There's a monster out there
0:04:13 > 0:04:17("and it's heading straight for the rockpool.")
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Reginald opened a sleepy eye and blinked at the lolloping monster
0:04:21 > 0:04:22coming across the rocks.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26"Oh, it's not a monster," he said firmly.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29"That is a walrus.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34"Normally, though, they live a long way away, near the North Pole.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37"I've no idea what this one is doing here.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39"You'd better warn the others.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42"He seems to be heading in our direction."
0:04:42 > 0:04:44SALTY WHIMPERS
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Well, Sally didn't need to be asked twice.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49She dived down into the rockpool
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and immediately bumped into Bertram the Butterfish.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55She told him all about the walrus.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Bertram smiled.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00"I'm sure it can't bother us down here."
0:05:00 > 0:05:04But just as Bertram said those kind words, it went dark.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06SALTY YELPS Yes, I know, Salty.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You weren't expecting that, were you?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12You see, the walrus had reached the rockpool
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and decided to have a sit down.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19So it slowly lowered its big, hairy bottom
0:05:19 > 0:05:21into the warm waters below.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24That's what made everything go dark.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Bertram and Sally had to scrabble away fast,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31as the walrus's bottom came towards them.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Finally, it settled with a large sploosh
0:05:35 > 0:05:37on the sandy bed of the rockpool.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The walrus sighed a happy sigh.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Hmmm!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45He was very comfortable, but nobody else was.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Reginald was squished against his rock,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Bertram was squeezed down in a hole
0:05:50 > 0:05:54and Sally had managed to squadge between two rocks.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57She wondered what she was going to do
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and, just then, a large seashell nearby lifted slightly
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and two familiar eyes blinked out at Sally.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It was her best friend Andrew the Anemone.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09She helped him to slither out.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12"What happened?" whispered Andrew.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15"One minute I was playing in the sand,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17"the next it went all dark
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"and I was squelched into that shell!"
0:06:20 > 0:06:23"A walrus is sitting in our rockpool," said Sally,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27"And he's filled it completely!"
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Andrew gazed up at the walrus.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34It looked like an enormous, hairy mountain.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37"Let's tell Bertram," said Andrew.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38"He'll be able to help."
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Sally shook her head.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43"He's stuck in a hole. Everyone's stuck," she sighed.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47"Then WE'LL have to do something," he said bravely.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49"We'll be mountaineers
0:06:49 > 0:06:51"and climb up the walrus.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55"Then we can ask him to leave our rockpool."
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It sounded a little scary,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00but Sally always liked an adventure,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02so she nodded bravely.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06"Let's do it," she said.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, Andrew and Sally
0:07:08 > 0:07:11started to climb the walrus.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15It was hard work making their way through the rough,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17prickly hairs, but soon,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19with a mighty effort,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22they plooped through the surface of the water
0:07:22 > 0:07:24and out into the fresh air.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29Up above them, they saw the long, hairy curve of the walrus's back.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34"We need to climb onto his head," whispered Andrew.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39So the two little friends slithered up the hairy back of the walrus,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42until, with a mighty pussshhh...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44they managed to reach the very top.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48They were standing on the walrus's head!
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Andrew gazed proudly out at the big, wide sea.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57"You can see for miles up here," he said.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58"Look!
0:07:58 > 0:08:02"There are lots of walruses out there!
0:08:02 > 0:08:06"So why is this one sitting in our rockpool?" said a breathless Sally.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08"Let's find out," smiled Andrew.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11And together the two mountaineers
0:08:11 > 0:08:13made their way over the walrus's head,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15down...down...
0:08:15 > 0:08:17between his scrunched up eyes
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and settled on the end of his
0:08:20 > 0:08:22whiskery nose.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23"Huh!"
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The walrus blinked when he saw them.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28"Huh."
0:08:28 > 0:08:31He wasn't expecting creatures on the end of his nose!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Sally coughed.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35"Huch, huch...!"
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Mr Walrus," she said. "You are sitting in our rockpool
0:08:39 > 0:08:42"and there's no room for any of the little creatures
0:08:42 > 0:08:44"who live down there."
0:08:44 > 0:08:46The walrus blinked again.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48"Er...urh...sorry,"
0:08:48 > 0:08:51he said in a gruff, walrussy voice.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57"I was tired and wanted somewhere comfortable to sit down.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02"I'm expecting to meet with my friends very soon."
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Andrew wiggled his way to the tip of the walrus's nose
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and pointed out to the big wide sea.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12"They're out there! You see?"
0:09:12 > 0:09:15But the walrus shook his head sadly,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19which almost made Sally and Andrew lose their balance!
0:09:19 > 0:09:23"I'm a very short-sighted walrus," he sighed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27"Which means I can't see things far away,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31"so I have no idea where they are."
0:09:31 > 0:09:33He peered out to sea.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And then Sally thought for a moment
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and gazed down at the lookamabob
0:09:40 > 0:09:43still lying in the seaweed.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46"I think I can help you," she said.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48SALTY WHIMPERS
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So, guided by Sally, the short-sighted walrus
0:09:52 > 0:09:58gently lent down and picked up the binoculars in his flippers.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Sally and Andrew jumped down onto the rocks
0:10:01 > 0:10:05while walrus lifted the binoculars up...
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and peered out to sea.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10"Oh...!"
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And there were his friends.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14They were waving and calling.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17They had followed him all the way from the North Pole
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and now they wanted him to come home.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25"I must have got very lost!" he laughed.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30"Well, you can keep the lookamabob, if you like," smiled Sally.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"Then you'll be able to see your way home."
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Sally and Andrew helped the walrus put the binoculars
0:10:38 > 0:10:39round his great neck
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and then he got out from the rockpool
0:10:42 > 0:10:44with a gloooop-a-whulp...
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and he slowly waddled away towards his happy friends.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54"Thank you!" he called back to Sally and Andrew.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Our two friends, they waved him off before diving
0:10:59 > 0:11:03back down into the warm water of their rockpool.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08They were greeted by cheering rockpoolers everywhere,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11emerging from their holes and blinking in the light.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14They were heroes!
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And Sally and Andrew told the story of the short-sighted walrus
0:11:18 > 0:11:21again and again and again.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Well, when Sue and I looked up from the rockpool,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Ernie was peering back towards the beach.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33"What you looking at, Ernie?" I asked.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35"My dad," he said.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38"I think he's waving to us, but I can't tell what he wants."
0:11:38 > 0:11:41"Well, try these," I said.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And I handed Ernie the binoculars.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Well, he looked through them, shook his head...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50"No, I almost can't see him at all - he's like a little dot!"
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Sue laughed.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56"Ernie, you're looking through the wrong end again!"
0:11:56 > 0:11:59So, he turned them the right way round
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and he could see very clearly, indeed.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03"Yes, it is - it's Dad!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06"And your mum's there, Sue, and...
0:12:06 > 0:12:09"Ooh! She's brought cake!
0:12:09 > 0:12:10"Hurray!"
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Anyway, we made our way
0:12:14 > 0:12:18across the rocks and then raced across the sand
0:12:18 > 0:12:20to be the first to get some cake.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And guess who won. SALTY YELPS
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Yes, it was Ernie.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And then we played and played
0:12:29 > 0:12:31until it was time for us to go home.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35And the tide came in and covered the rockpool,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37like a great seaweedy blanket.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52You know, Salty,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56all that talk about cake got me thinking.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00And I think it's time to visit The Mermaid Cafe
0:13:00 > 0:13:04for a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Yes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08So why don't you join us
0:13:08 > 0:13:11for some more Rockpool Tales next time?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Goodbye. Come on, Salty.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Cake is calling me!