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 > 0:00:24# Friends to meet
0:00:24 > 0:00:28# With games and treats Adventure's just begun
0:00:28 > 0:00:30# Stories from a magical world
0:00:30 > 0:00:33# Washed in by the sea
0:00:33 > 0:00:37# Meet the rock pool creatures there It's amazing what you see
0:00:38 > 0:00:40# Looking back, when I was a boy
0:00:41 > 0:00:44# Shrimps and starfish
0:00:44 > 0:00:45# Crabs and snails
0:00:46 > 0:00:48# In twinkly rock pool tales
0:00:50 > 0:00:53# Those lovely rock pool tales. #
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Oh! Oh, hello.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Look at this. Look, have you seen that?
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Salty found a piece of driftwood washed up from the beach.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Can I have it? Thank you very much.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Yes, there was a lot down there, you know, after that storm last night,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and she's brought it back for me. Isn't she thoughtful?
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Thank you very much, Salty.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Not sure what I'm going to do with it though.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26Unless... Shall I tell you a story about a piece of driftwood?
0:01:26 > 0:01:28WOOF!
0:01:28 > 0:01:29I'll do that.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35It all happened when I was a boy,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37in a twinkly time, long, long ago.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41In those days,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I used to run down to play on the beach as often as I could,
0:01:45 > 0:01:51meeting up with my best friends, little Ernie and little Sailor Sue.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54We'd all found pieces of driftwood.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I found a couple of long pieces that looked like swords.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02"We could be pirates," I said to Sue. She laughed.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07"Ha-hargh!" she roared, grabbing her sword, and we dashed off
0:02:07 > 0:02:09to play a game of Pirate Chase.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Ernie came dashing after us, "What about me?" he shouted.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18"I'm the bestest, scariest, fighty-est pirate in the world!"
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And he waved his driftwood sword at us.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26But it was tiny, not much more than a twig!
0:02:26 > 0:02:27Ernie sighed.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31"Actually, I don't think I can be the bestest, scariest, fighty-est
0:02:31 > 0:02:34pirate in the world with this," he said.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38"Come on," said Sue, "let's find you another one.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42"There's bound to be lots of driftwood by the rockpools."
0:02:42 > 0:02:43So, we dashed off.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50When we arrived, out of breath, Ernie hunted for driftwood
0:02:50 > 0:02:55and we found ourselves looking into a lovely rock pool.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59We gazed deep down into the glittery waters...
0:02:59 > 0:03:06And there, a magical world appeared before our eyes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12One morning, after a very angry storm,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15the rock pool was looking a bit strange.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17There were pieces of driftwood, mud, seaweed
0:03:17 > 0:03:21and broken shells all tangled up together.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27What was even stranger was the water in the rock pool was going very,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30very slowly down.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34It was as if the rock pool had sprung a leak.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Meanwhile, Sally the starfish and Andrew the anemone were
0:03:38 > 0:03:42exploring their strange, new, messy world.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Sally looked around her in wonder.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49"There are bits of mud floating in the water and look
0:03:49 > 0:03:51"at all the broken sticks."
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Andrew bounced along behind her.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58"The storm must have washed them in from the big world outside," he said.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Look, said Sally suddenly.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05They had reached a deep, dark corner of the rock pool
0:04:05 > 0:04:08that the rockpoolers called The Big Plug.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13This was because there was a large ancient stone jammed tight into a
0:04:13 > 0:04:18hole and the hole opened up into a long tunnel that led to the sea.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24If the stone was moved, it would be like taking a plug out of a bath.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29All the water in the rock pool would, whoosh, drain away.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34That was why Sally was worried. The ancient stone had moved.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40"It must have been the swishing and swooshing in the storm," she said.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42WOOF! Yes, yes, Salty, yes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The rock pool really had sprung a leak.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50"We need to tell somebody," said Andrew. "If the water drains
0:04:50 > 0:04:52from the rock pool, we won't have a home."
0:04:52 > 0:04:55There was only one person to see in a crisis,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Reginald, the great wise limpet.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02But before they could dash off, they heard a strange voice.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03"Hello!"
0:05:03 > 0:05:07It was from a very long and odd-looking fish.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11"I'm Morris, I'm a Tompot Blenny. I think I've been washed
0:05:11 > 0:05:15"into your rock pool. It's a nice example of a rock pool.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20"I expect there are lots of interesting things to study here."
0:05:20 > 0:05:23He was a very chatty fish.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Although she was in a rush, Sally introduced herself and Andrew.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31"Oh, pleased to meet you," said Morris.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35"I'm not from around these parts. I'm not even an East Coast fish.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37"The West coast is where I live, mainly.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40"I'm also an occasional visitor to Portugal."
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Sally didn't know what an East Coast or West Coast, or a Portugal, was.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50"Oh, well, that's all very interesting," said Sally,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54"But I'm off to see Reginald. There's a big problem to sort out."
0:05:54 > 0:05:59"Oh, can I help?" said Morris, "We Tompot Blennies are very helpful.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04"We know all sorts of things, I think it's because we're inquisitive."
0:06:04 > 0:06:06He really was very chatty, Salty.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10"Well," said Sally, interrupting him, "Perhaps you could
0:06:10 > 0:06:13"go and ask Bertram the Butterfish to join us?"
0:06:13 > 0:06:18"We might need his help too. He lives in the Rocky Ridge, over there."
0:06:18 > 0:06:21So, Morris dashed off to look for Bertram,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and Sally and Andrew swam up through all the drifting wood to the
0:06:25 > 0:06:28surface of the rock pool.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32When they got there, a sad sight greeted them.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37The water in the rock pool was draining away fast
0:06:37 > 0:06:41and Reginald was way above them, stuck to his rock.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44They called to him, "Reginald!"
0:06:44 > 0:06:46But he couldn't hear them.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48They were too far away.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52"What are we going to do?" said Sally.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56"We'll have to hope Bertram can help us," said Andrew.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Now, Bertram had been tidying up his little home after the storm.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05He'd made a rather spiffy door for its entrance out of driftwood.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It fitted perfectly.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10"Lovely," smiled Bertram.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But, at that moment, bash!
0:07:12 > 0:07:17The door went flying off its hinges and the huge face of Morris appeared.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"Hello, I'm Morris. I'm a Tompot Blenny.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24What a lovely tiny home. I'm interested in the way creatures
0:07:24 > 0:07:28"set up their homes. I'm a very inquisitive fish."
0:07:28 > 0:07:34Bertram looked at the large piece of driftwood lying on his floor.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36"My door," he said.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40"Looks like it was once part of a barrel," said Bertram's visitor.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44"They have a lot of barrels in Portugal, you know."
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Bertram had no idea what Portugal was,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50or what Morris was going on about.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Just then, Sally arrived. She popped her little head through the hole.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57"Bertram," she cried, "come quickly."
0:07:57 > 0:08:00"It's The Big Plug, it's come out.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05"What?!" cried Bertram, his hat rising above his head.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08He turned to Morris, "Why didn't you say?"
0:08:08 > 0:08:12But before Morris could explain that he was about to,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16but he was a very chatty fish, Bertram whizzed past him
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and the little rockpoolers all dashed over to The Big Plug.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26When they arrived, Bertram pushed his nose against the rock to try
0:08:26 > 0:08:31and roll it over the hole, but it was stuck fast.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34"Argh! Help me!" he spluttered.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Sally and Andrew helped to push as hard as they could,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43but that stone would not budge.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Not a bit.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51"It's too heavy. We'll never get The Big Plug back in," wailed Sally.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Then they heard a familiar voice - it was Morris.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58"You need a lever," he said.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Bertram stopped pushing and said, crossly, "The last thing we need
0:09:04 > 0:09:09"at the moment is a chatty fish and you are a very chatty fish."
0:09:10 > 0:09:13"What's a lever?" asked Sally.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Morris carried on, chattily.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19"It's a long piece of wood or metal, or maybe some other material,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21"but it needs to be strong."
0:09:21 > 0:09:25"But what do you do with it?" asked Andrew, a little impatiently.
0:09:25 > 0:09:31"Oh," said Morris, "you put it under a heavy object and push down on it.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33"Levers can help you move things."
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Well, that was the only idea they had and the water in the rock pool
0:09:38 > 0:09:40was disappearing fast,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44so the rockpoolers and Morris worked together.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47They found a long, strong piece of driftwood
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and jammed it under the rock,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53then they all pushed down with a mighty heave.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And slowly,
0:09:57 > 0:09:58slowly,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01slowly, the rock started to move.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08And finally, with a grinding, grating, cr-blop,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13it rolled back into place, plugging up the hole.
0:10:13 > 0:10:19"Oh, we've done it!" cried Sally. "The lever worked," laughed Andrew.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25Even Bertram had to admit that Morris knew what he was talking about.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31"Well," said Morris, "we Tompot Blennies are very inquisitive fish.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37"Because we ask lots of questions, we know the answers to lots of things."
0:10:37 > 0:10:39And he chattered and chattered
0:10:39 > 0:10:43to the little rockpoolers for the rest of the day.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47He really was a very chatty fish, Salty. He was indeed.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And, when the tide came back in,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55as it always does, it filled up the rock pool again.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Morris, the Tompot Blenny,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03said a fond farewell and he swam back to the West Coast
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and on to Portugal.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11But he promised to visit them again, as soon as possible,
0:11:11 > 0:11:12for another chat.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17When we looked up from the rock pool, Ernie was nearby.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18I called over to him,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22"Have you found any driftwood, to make a sword yet?"
0:11:23 > 0:11:25"Oh, yes, look," said Ernie, proudly.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30And he held up a dripping piece of driftwood he'd just scooped up.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34He swished it in front of him proudly, "Isn't it great?"
0:11:35 > 0:11:36"Swoosh!"
0:11:36 > 0:11:40With a snap, it fell apart in his hands
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and he was left holding a tiny twig.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48It was just like the one he had before!
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Ernie's face fell. We couldn't help laughing.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55"I don't think I'll be able to play pirates today," said Ernie.
0:11:55 > 0:12:01"Of course you can," said Sue. "Here, you can borrow mine.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02"We'll take turns."
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Well, we all thought this was a great plan.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Ernie threw away his twig and off we went.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14And then we played and played,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17until the tide started to come in
0:12:17 > 0:12:21and covered the rock pool like a great seaweedy blanket.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38Well, Salty, are we going to visit the West Coast, or the East Coast,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40or even Portugal?
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Or shall we go to the Mermaid Cafe for a cup of tea
0:12:43 > 0:12:45and a nice bit of cake? What do you think?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48That's what we'll do then, yes.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53So, why don't you join us for some more rock pool tales next time?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Goodbye. Come on, then.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57You can have a bit of cake as well.