← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Christmas with Tilly & Bo🎄🎁 Festive Kids Bedtime Story | Rewind
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Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. I'm not gonna lie, it often feels a little like Christmas with all the lovely messages that flood in and surprise us here in Sleep hq. I hope all of you get loads of listening in over the holidays and you enjoy all the ad free stories and new shows on the Koala Kids Channel. In tonight's story, then, we're getting seriously festive and jolly as we meet up with Tilly and Bo again. They're merrily preparing for Christmas. If you celebrate, how do you prepare for Christmas? Do you make cards and tags? Do you write lists of gifts you want? For Aunt Tilly and Bo, Christmas is all about the giving. So they are busy making candy and gifts and tying them up in packages with a neat bow, ready to deliver to friends and neighbours with the help of their handy Vanimals and Mellow Yellow. But as we're soon going to find out, whilst they're busy making, they're also having a cosy time together and sharing stories. So they're also getting a lot in return for their efforts. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown ups. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad free listening, unlock four bonus stories per month and much, much more, you can join Koko Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes, but now here's a quick word from our sponsors. The holidays are magical, and they're also very busy. There's shopping trips, family visits and plenty of are we there yets. And in those moments, kids often want something fun and creative to dive into. And that's where Netflix kids games come in. Not only are they great entertainment, we love that they're designed to spark imagination. And with your existing Netflix membership, kids get fully unlocked games, no extra fees, no ads and no in app purchases. From Paw Patrol Academy to Lego Duplo World, Barbie Color Creations and even the World of Peppa Pig, all of Netflix's games are created with the same spirit of imagination that we love here at Koala Moon. Every game also works without wifi. You just download them ahead of time, the same way you download their favorite Netflix shows and movies so they're ready wherever the holidays take you. It's simple, on the go, fun that keeps little minds engaged and takes a bit of pressure off those busy days. For more holiday travel ideas and to check out all of Netflix's kids entertainment, visit netflixfamily.com TravelTips we know our listeners have the most incredible imaginations. From sharing story ideas to showing us how creative they can be with characters, the new Paw Patrol Fire Rescue Toys celebrate that same spirit of creativity, helping little heroes feel proud of the stories they create. Your little storyteller can join Marshall and the team on their biggest adventures yet with the all new Fire Station HQ where they can gear up and slide down the pole and Marshall's rapid reload fire truck ready for action. Every pup has their own vehicle so kids can recreate their favourite rescues from the show or dream up their own. It's creative hands on play that inspires teamwork and confidence. The perfect way to keep their imaginations shining bright. So when the time comes for a new adventure, check out the Red Hot Paw Patrol Fire Rescue Toys available now at all major retailers. Now before we begin the story, climb into bed and stretch out like a star. Arms and legs are wide and breathe in, expanding your chest up and out. Let all your breath out and as you do so, wiggle your fingers and toes like the glowing tips of the star. Okay, breathe in again, stretching everything wiggling and breathe out and let everything come to stillness. Relax your hands, relax your feet, relax your breathing and snuggle into your comfy spot in bed. Now we are ready to head off and find out all about Tilly and Bo's Christmas by Jane Thomas. Bo pulled his bright red woolly hat a little lower and tucked his matching scarf a little higher and wiggled the zip of his coat to check it was up as far as it could possibly reach. He wiggled his toes inside their three pairs of socks and big black boots, and he braced himself outside the shop. The snow continued to drift softly from the sky, adding to the mounds that dressed and disguised bushes and shrubs and flower pots. Sure you have everything, dear? Asked Mrs. Bumbler, eyeing up the bulging bags Bo was struggling to carry. Bo nodded, a sort of nod that took over his whole body because it's very difficult to nod just your head when you're quite so bundled up. And he pushed out A thank you, Mrs. Bumbler that may or may not have been caught up in his scarf. She opened the door for him and waved him goodbye. And Merry Christmas to Aunt Tilly too, she called after him, heading back inside to the warmth of the shop. That thing you almost forgot was without doubt the most useful shop in lower starry skies, packed to the ceiling with all those odds and ends that people forget until the last moment when they're about to go home. Bo loved going in there, just to look at the shelves piled high with string and envelopes and batteries and brushes and all those little bits and pieces that aren't necessarily particularly exciting but are absolutely essential in life. Beau slid and slipped his way along the snow covered pavement, feeling very important with all his bulging bags. He had his presence in them too, the cushion he had made for the sloth who lived on Mellow Yellow's roof, ready to be a windscreen wiper whenever the weather required, and the tiniest nightcap for the mouse who lived between the books of fairy tales and who, when woken by the smell of cheese wafting beneath his nose, would snip and cut and chew his way through anything. He had almost bought fairy lights but didn't want to offend the fireflies who lived in and lit up the van, so he was very pleased when he'd found some clear, narrow, bendable tubes that he could pour the fireflies into and have them light up Mellow Yellow in the shapes of stars and and angels and bells. Bo had also passed hour after hour unpicking his red Christmas jumper from last year that was now too small for him, taking the wool to follow a terribly complicated pattern that Aunt Tilly had shared with him and creating a beautiful bow to attach to Mellow Yellow's bonnet. This too was in one of his bulging bags. Bo passed houses and homes all dressed up and ready for Christmas, with doors showing off gorgeous wreaths made from holly and berries and firs and pinecones found in nearby sleepy forest and past gardens draped in snow, and saw footprints of animals scurrying back to their burrows to hide away from the cold white world. As he arrived at Aunt Tilly's he could almost see the trails of cinnamon scent in the air reaching out to draw him into the kitchen of the cottage that still had pink roses round the door even now in the depths of winter. As he unpacked the bags and Aunt Tilly bustled around him, he remembered to tell her that Mrs. Bumbler had said to say Merry Christmas, and Aunt Tilly smiled and said how kind that was and how silly it was that she had nearly forgotten to add Mrs. Bumbler of that thing you almost forgot to her Christmas candy list. Bo was about to ask about the list, but Tilly was ahead of him and waved her hands towards the piles of homemade candies that covered almost every surface in the cosy kitchen. There were candies of red and gold made to look like presents, and candies of bright green with silver sparkles made to look like decorated trees, and chocolate balls with glorious red splashes that made them look just like fat little robins and gingerbread men dressed to look like Father Christmas. Did you get the string? She asked Bo, who nodded and dug around in one of the bags, presenting her with a huge ball that made Aunt Tilly clap her hands. She dived into the fridge and reached in for a cube of cheese, heading outside with a quick golly, it's cold. As the wind blew snow around her and disappeared into mellow yellow. She came back shortly after, sheltering the mouse in her hands and placing him gently on the table. He settled down against a mound of marshmallows, making sure he was quite comfortable and ready for his afternoon of snipping through string. Under Tilly's direction, Bo went around the piles of Christmas candy and carefully placed one of each into golden boxes, and Tilly sat with the mouse as he cut the lengths of string, the absolute perfect length for tying around the boxes and finishing them with a little bow and a sprig of mistletoe. And in that gentle way the hours drifted by, with Bo occasionally slipping himself a candy, Untily pretending not to notice, and it all came together with the cinnamon and the spices that danced in the air to make Bo feel more Christmassy than ever. And Tilly told stories of her many Christmases in far off lands, when she'd spent the day on a gorgeously hot Australian beach with everyone wearing red and white hats as they ran into the sea, and another day when she had been in Greenland and raced around the countryside with a team of huskies pulling her sled, and another one in the Caribbean where a palm tree had become a Christmas tree and yet another one had, high up in the Himalayas, where it had been so cold the door to her house had frozen shut for three whole days and she had almost, almost, she noted with a wink, been forced to follow in the style of Father Christmas and climb out via the chimney. She told him of the time when she had been a little girl and her father had taken her to a huge country house to spend the Christmas holidays, and that she had looked out at the trees far away at the end of the garden and seen mistletoe for the very first time and felt terribly sad when it couldn't all come into the house to be kissed underneath. And then she told beautiful the story her father had told her all those years ago. This is the tale of a mistletoe plant that lived at the top of a tree. Each year he waited for Christmas to come and all of the things he would see. Oh, who will Kiss under me this year who will be bold, take a chance who will steal a kiss this year Then dare to ask for a dance? The mistletoe sang this song to himself and smiled to think of the scenes he knew People were waiting for him to arrive to kiss the girl of their dreams. And from high in the tree the mistletoe looked at a house all lit up so pretty and he smiled and grinned as he hummed to himself His Christmassy kissing time ditty. And snow started falling so thick and so fast the world was soon covered in white. The mistletoe smiled to look at the scene A magical, beautiful sight. He saw a man leave the warmth of the house. He's heading right up to the tree. With clippers in hand he climbs up to get the mistletoe that he will need. The mistletoe hums his song to himself Awaiting that glorious feeling of being cut off and taken inside and hung upside down from a ceiling. Oh, who will kiss under me this year? Who will be bold, take a chance? Who will steal a kiss this year Then dare to ask for a dance? But the man has now stopped only half the way up. Our mistletoe friend is too high. The tree that he lives in is terribly tall it goes to the top of the sky. And the mistletoe shouted as loud as he could Pick me, I'm pretty and green. Just look at my berries. They're shiny and white the loveliest you've ever seen. But no, it's too late. The gardener's gone. The mistletoes left feeling sad and he sings to himself a mournful song for the times that could have been had. Oh, who would have kissed under me this year? Who'd have been bold, grabbed a chance who would have stolen a kiss this year and dared to ask for a dance? And now it is Christmas, the big special day. The mistletoe holds back his tears. He watches the party and people inside. He can hear the laughter and cheers. A little red robin approaches the tree. The gardener's left some behind. Now I can kiss my darling, my dear, what a perfectly wonderful find. He puffs up his chest and fluffs up his feathers Awaiting a sight of his love. And when she arrives, he tells her to look at the branches so high up above. It's magic, she thinks and turns to be kissed. And the mistletoe chuckled and smiled. You silly, he said, how could you forget the love that's out here in the wild? When the animals heard, they came to the tree. Mistletoe. Thank you, they called and the mistletoe had a magical night, the most wonderful Christmas of all. Bo was so enchanted by the story that he quite forgot to pack the boxes for a while, and it was Aunt Tilly who filled the final few and tied them with string and a sprig of mistletoe before handing the mouse an extra large Christmassy dose of cheese and taking him back out to his bed in Mellow Yellow, where he was so exhausted by all his string chewing and mistletoe snipping that he fell fast asleep, curled up safe and warm in the sock between the fairy tales. In fact, by the time Tilly came back inside, Bo was all but asleep, yawning to himself as he curled up beneath the blanket on the sofa. Beau was all warm and ready to slip into a dream when Tilly gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Not yet, my dear, she said softly. We need to deliver the boxes. And she pointed through the door towards the kitchen, where the golden boxes gleamed and glittered importantly, and the mistletoe seemed almost to rustle with the excitement of it all. As if to clarify the significance of the moment, the sloth atop Mellow Yellow reached inside and leaned on the horn of the little van. Bo showed Tilly the bow he had made, and she thought it was absolutely perfect, the finishing touch for the Christmas delivery, and together they swiped the snow from Mellow Yellow's bonnet and tied it in place, safe and warm inside the van. They poured the fireflies into the tubes Beau had found and shaped them just as he had imagined, into trees and angels and bows, and the fireflies danced extra hard in their new homes to light up the little van and make her as special as possible for the Christmas candy mission. The mouse stirred for a moment as Bo slipped the blue and white striped nightcap onto his head just long enough to see what it was that Beau had offered and to snuggle against his fingertips before pulling the hat down low over his ears and disappearing back into the cosy depths of the sock. Normally, Mellow Yellow wasn't particularly fond of driving around in the snow because she found it terribly hard to be in charge of where she was going, but for the Christmas candy delivery she made an exception, and with her red bow in place, the little van felt terribly important indeed. Aunt Tilly had never failed to deliver her candles, and this wasn't going to be the year she would be let down. It was dark by the time they left the cottage and started out slowly along the lane. At each and every home they would draw to a stop and Bo would take one of the golden boxes as he jumped down into the snow and trotted as fast as he could up and down the garden path to leave the box safely by the front door. Aunt Tilly checked each one off her list as they went, and everything went well until they turned to head up the hill towards Upper Starry Skies. Mellow Yellow tried her hardest, but the road was deep in snow by now, and her wheels just spun and spun in place. Tilly tried coaxing and pleading, and Bo tried crossing his fingers and hoping, but nothing could get the little van to budge. Hope, bother, Said Tilly. What are we to do? She turned to Bo with a worried, pleading look in her eyes, and he blurted out the first answer that came to his head. Isn't it obvious? He said excitedly. We should get some reindeer to pull us. That's how Santa gets around, after all, and he has to go up and down hills with even more snow than this one. You're quite brilliant, my dear, quite brilliant, said Tilly delightedly, quickly winding the window down and calling out into the night. An owl appeared in no time, his wide yellow eyes bright against the black of the night and the white of the snow, and he nodded as he listened to Tilly's troubles and flew off to find her the reindeer she needed. It seemed no time at all before eight reindeer presented themselves and the owl returned with a long length of twine from Sleepy Forest gripped in his talons. He draped the twine around the reindeer one by one, and with Bo on one side and Aunt Tilly on the other, they managed to attach it to Mellow Yellow's shining chrome bumper. The reindeer pulled together, all of them determined to help Aunt Tilly as best as they could, all of them knowing just how to do this since they had grown up with stories of pulling sleighs around the world. And so it seemed, the little yellow van almost flew up the hill, floating to a stop beside each and every home so Beau could hop out with his golden boxes and place them carefully by the front doors for the few residents of Lower Starry Skies and Upper Starry Skies who looked out of their windows that night, they saw something magical, a small van filled with dancing fireflies pulled by eight reindeer with hooves that barely seemed to touch the snow covered ground as they told the story. In the days and weeks to come, they added their own embellishments, and soon there were tales that told of a van that appeared to fly through the air, and an angel who delivered gold and frankincense and myrrh to each and every home. The very last place where Beau placed the final golden box was by the red door of that thing you almost forgot, and he whispered as he put down the box, Merry Christmas, Mrs. Bumbler. He was sure. A curtain twitched and a smile appeared, but it was so momentary he couldn't be sure. All Beau could be sure of was that he and Aunt Tilly and Mellow Yellow and all the Vanimals and had come together to add a little touch of magic to their village, and he loved that he had played a part in it. Aunt Tilly thought for a moment before giving the reindeer their final direction, and the animals all looked back at Bo and then nodded, turning towards the north and picking their hooves up higher and faster than they ever had before, and Beau watched as the snow covered world dashed by beside him and the snow stopped coming down and the skies cleared and bright stars stepped out one at a time to shine down on the scene and the reindeers headed north towards the brightest star of all, pulling Mellow Yellow so her wheels danced over the ground and barely left a trace that they had ever been there at all. They passed a line of snowmen standing in a field made earlier that day by the families who had scooped and rolled the snow into giant balls and balanced them carefully 1, 2, 3 above the other, placing hats and scarves on their finished creations, and Bo was sure in that tired sort of way when it's hard to be sure of anything at all, that the snowmen lifted their hats and waved as they rushed by. Go to sleep, dear, well be here a while longer, said Tilly softly, placing him in the bed at the back of the van and tucking him gently beneath the blankets, and Bo thought of all the places they could be going and where he might wake up and imagined perhaps it was to visit Father Christmas, for if anybody knew him it would surely be Tilly, and perhaps it wasn't really happening at all, and perhaps it didn't matter so very much if it was or it wasn't, for in that moment he believed it was real. The mouse's snores drifted by and the fireflies slowed their dancing and dimmed their lights Untily settled back as they headed off while Beau slept safe and sound in the back of Mellow Yellow, pulled by reindeer over the snow covered star shining world. Sam. Sa.