Oh, hello. I'm Floella and I'm having a nice cup of tea.
Then, I can make myself comfy on the sofa
ready to tell you tonight's bedtime story.
The story is by Janet Bingham and Rosalind Beardshaw
and it's called Night, Light, Sleep Tight.
Jack was trying to fall asleep.
He closed one eye.
Then, the other.
He put his head under his wing and took it out again.
Nothing worked!
The night was dark and Jack was scared of the dark.
"Oh, dear", he sighed.
"Night time is so dark and scary."
"I wish it was light time."
"Woo-hoo," hooted a merry voice.
Jack jumped, "Oh, who's there?" quacked Jack.
"Ooh, it's me Olivia," said a very small owl.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" said Jack.
"Ooh, not me," hooted Olivia.
"My family sleep in the light time. Do you want to play with me?"
"I will in the morning," said Jack.
"But I'm trying to go to sleep now."
"Then, I'll help you," said Olivia.
"I'll sing you to sleep."
She hooted a gentle lullaby.
SHE HOOTS
Very soon, Jack's eyes began to close.
He fell fast asleep.
When Jack woke up, it was starting to get light.
"Hello," whispered Olivia.
But she didn't sound very cheerful now.
"What's the matter?" quacked Jack.
"Ooh, I'm scared," said Olivia.
"I've never been out in the light time before."
"Everything looks different and the hot sun is coming."
"Well, there's no need to be afraid of the sun," said Jack.
The sky was turning pink and gold.
"Ooh," said Olivia, "It's pretty."
"Oh, don't look right at the sun. It might hurt your eyes."
"But it feels nice on your feathers,"
said Jack as the sun appeared.
"It's not too hot after all," said Olivia.
"Look at all the bright colours everywhere!"
"Come on," said Jack. "There's lots to see in the light time."
Jack lead the way up the path and Olivia followed.
Suddenly she cried, "Ooh, ooh, there's something stuck to my feet."
"That's your shadow shape," explained Jack.
"Look. You can make it small like an egg"
"or tall like a grown up," giggled Olivia.
"See how big we are. Let's race."
And off they ran chasing their shadows in the sunshine.
Later on, Jack went swimming.
Olivia watched him ducking and bobbing on the pond.
She dipped her toe in the water.
"Ooh, I wish I could swim," she said.
"I wish I could climb trees," laughed Jack.
Just then, a flock of geese flew overhead.
"Well, imagine," whispered Jack
"One day," sighed Olivia, "we'll be able to fly."
At last, Olivia yawned.
"Ooh, I'm ready to go to sleep now," she said.
A blackbird was singing nearby.
"Let's join in," said Jack and they hooted and quacked all the way home.
Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Quack quack. Quack. Quack quack.
Back at the nest, Olivia started to hop up to bed.
"Light, light," she murmured sleepily.
"Light, light," replied Jack.
"Sleep tight."
That evening, Jack stayed awake and watched the sunset.
Olivia came out of her nest. She scooted down through the branches.
"Woo-hoo," she hooted.
But Jack looked worried.
"What's the matter?" asked Olivia.
"I'm still a little scared," said Jack.
"The sun has gone and it's getting cold and dark."
"Ooh, there's no need to be afraid of the dark," said Olivia.
"Come and see the moon."
Olivia stayed with Jack as the moon came up.
They watched it brighten.
The stars began to sparkle.
Fireflies danced over the moonlit water.
"Ooh, I didn't know that night time was so full of lights," said Jack.
"Ooh, look at the shapes in the stars," said Olivia.
"There's a duck."
"And there's an owl," laughed Jack.
After a while, Jack started to yawn.
"I'm ready to go to sleep now," he said.
Jack snuggled down in his nest.
"Thank you for showing me the moon," he said.
"I'm not frightened of night time any more."
"And I'm not frightened of light time," hooted Olivia.
"Thank you for being my friend."
"Night, light," said Jack with a sleepy smile.
"Night, light," laughed Olivia. "Sleep tight."
That story was called Night, Light, Sleep Tight.
It's time for me to say that to you too.
Night, light, sleep tight.
I'll see you another time for another story.
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd