← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
How Hector & Sunny Became Best Friends 🐶🐾 Rewind Kids Bedtime Story
00:34:55
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- [00:11]
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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.
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Okay, before I get into tonight's story intro, I think we better start with some deep relaxation breaths. Yeah, start.
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Because this is the story of all stories.
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The ultimate tale of how the world's favourite doggy duo came to meet and be friends. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown ups.
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If you'd like to support our podcast.
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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.
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Parents After a long day of school runs, meals, stories and snuggles, bedtime finally feels like a quiet moment just for us. And as the nights draw in, I decided to give my bedroom an upgrade. And I'm so glad I did. I ordered Quince's organic cotton Percal bedding and I'm not kidding when I say they make every bedtime feel like a fresh bedding day. They're so soft and cozy. I don't know why I didn't get them sooner. Not only do they feel good, they do good too, as Quince works with ethical suppliers to create bedding that feels built to last without the big markup. They even have amazing bedding for our kids too, so everyone in the family can enjoy a little extra cosiness. Honestly, their duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases have completely transformed my room. They might just be the best gift I've given myself this year. Give the gift of a retreat this holiday, Quince Bedding makes any bedroom a place you'll want to linger. Go to quince.commoon for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's quince.commoon free shipping and 365 day returns quince.commoon this message is sponsored by Greenlight. As parents, some parts of the job get easier, like when your kids can finally make their own snacks or get ready for bed. But other lessons, like teaching them about money, take a little more care. When my kids were little, we'd talk before bed about what they wanted to save up for. A book, a toy, sometimes even something for someone else. Those chats are lovely, but it's hard to turn them into real world lessons. That's where green light comes in. A debit card and money app made for families. Parents can send money, track spending and set saving goals while kids build money, confidence and real life financial skills. There's even a chores feature where you can set up tasks and reward kids when they're complete. I have to say, if my kids had been paid to do the dishes, they'd have been a lot more motivated. Kids learn to save, spend wisely and even invest with you. All through fun, easy tools that make money management part of everyday life. It's no wonder millions of parents and kids are learning about money together on Greenlight, the number one family finance and safety app. Don't wait to teach your kids real world money skills. Start your risk free Greenlight trial today@greenlight.commoon that's greenlight.commoon to get started greenlight.commoon 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.
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With the all new Fire station HQ.
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Where they can gear up and slide down the pole and Marshall's rapid reload load 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.
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The perfect way to keep their imaginations shining bright.
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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. I know.
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Super exciting stuff. So are you in bed yet?
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Great.
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As you're lying there, give your body a shake, much like a dog. That's it. And then become still and maybe open your mouth really wide and sigh. Take in another breath and sigh. Okay. And another breath. And in a moment we'll try a yawn. That's right, breathe and yaw. Yawn it out. Great. So as I was saying, tonight's story is one from the history books. I'm so looking forward to finally sharing with you the story of how my dog Sunny and her best friend Hector first met. Oh, they were the sweetest little pups. And genuinely, they became buddies at first sight. So before I get ahead of myself, this is how Hector and Sunny became best friends. By Luke Prendergast. It was one of those lazy Sunday evenings. You know the ones you've woken up a bit late because it's the weekend and your human doesn't have to go to work. You go out into the garden for a quick wee. Then you lie under the table while your human makes a cup of tea, eats some eggs and reads the newspaper. A bit later, you go out for a walk to the park.
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Maybe you bark at some of your friends.
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Maybe you dig a big hole and get your paws all muddy. So your human says, make sure you don't get dirt all over the back seat of my car, you naughty pup.
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Though you know he doesn't actually mean.
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You'Re naughty because he's smiling at you, which is the human version of having your tongue lolling out of your mouth. It means they're happy. When you get back home, your human makes themselves some supper and probably another cup of tea too, because there's nothing humans seem to love more than drinking cups of tea. Then you go into the living room and curl up on your favourite patch of rug right by your human's woolly socked feet and do one of your absolute favourite things to do in the world. Doze. Ah, it's truly a dog's life, isn't was a lazy Sunday evening, just like that. Hector and Sunny were curled up on the rug in Hector's living room while Hector's human sat on the armchair reading his book. The sun had set outside, leaving a whispery purple haze through the window, punctuated only by the rosy glow of the street lights outside. Hector's mind was wandering, as it often did on lazy evenings. He was taking a trip through his memory, going back through all of the adventures he and his best friend Sunny had been on, all the way back to when they first met. Ah. To when they first met. That gave him an idea. Hector lifted his head off his folded paws and looked at his human. He gave a little yip. There was no response, so he gave another. Hector's human lowered his book a couple of inches and peered over the top of the pages, a suspicious frown furrowing his forehead. By this time, Sunny had realised what was going on. She too lifted her head from her paws, waggled her floppy spaniel ears and gave a supportive yip. Yip, yip, yip. Hector's human laid his book down on his lap and threw up his arms. Ok, ok, he said with a dramatic sigh. They knew he didn't really mean, I know what you want, so, ok, you can stop that yapping. Hector and Sunny exchanged a smile and stared at Hector's human with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. So Hector's human said, you want a story? They let out a bark that meant yes, yes, please.
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Well, which one do you want.
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Do you want the one about when Sunny's mum came over for tea and you ate all the cookies she baked? Woof, they said, which meant no. Well, do you want the one where Snowy and Ginger, those crafty cats from next door, stole your bone and hid it up a tree? Woof, they repeated. No, not that one. He knew they didn't want that one. He knew exactly which one they wanted. He was simply pulling their legs. Ok, said Hector's human, relenting with a smile and a sigh. If you insist, I'll tell you the story about how the two of you first met all the way back when you were puppies. How about that? Yip, yip, they said in unison, which meant yes, yes, that's the one. That's the exact one we wanted. It was their favourite story ever. And the truth was, they made Hector's human tell it almost every Sunday afternoon. But no matter how many times they heard the story, neither Hector nor Sunny ever got bored. It was a beautiful story, the story of how their friendship began. All right, Hector's human said, crossing his legs and settling back. Settle down, then, and get comfy. Here we go. Once upon a time. Once upon a time, there was a young golden retriever puppy called Hector. He had big brown eyes and a coat so golden it made everyone who saw him think of sunlight. And when they stroked him, it felt like they were stroking silk. When the human with the floppy brown hair and the kindly smile came around, he and Hector set eyes on each other and fell in love straight away. And that was that. He was Hector's human now. So Hector's human took him home and showed him his new bed, his new toys, how he ought to sit by the door when he wanted to be let out for a week. He taught Hector not to chew on wires or on table legs or on envelopes that fell on the mat by the front door. And in the evenings, Hector curled up on his new human's lap and dozed more peacefully than he'd ever dozed in his life, which, to be fair, was only 12 months, but still, it was a very good doze. Then one day came round when Hector's human crouched down on the floor and opened his arms wide. Come on, Hector, he said. Its time for us to go to your first puppy party. A puppy party? Well, then, what was that? A puppy party, Hector's dad explained to him as they walked out to the car, got in and began to trundle down. The road was a place for young pups to meet each other. Because while it was all well and good for a young boy like Hector to spend lots of time with humans, it was important that he spent time with other dogs, too. That way, he would have other friends to play with when he was older. As Hector curled up like a croissant on the passenger seat of his dad's car, he felt, he couldn't deny it, a little nervous. A puppy party with lots of other puppies. But what if they didn't like him? What if he got scared? What if he didn't find anyone who would want to be his friend? He gave a little involuntary whine, and his human put a gentle hand on the top of his head and stroked him with his thumb. The feel of it was ever so soothing and immediately put Hector's worried little heart to rest. He would always have a friend in his dad. At least that made him feel a whole lot better. The puppy party was held in the home of a lady with big mounds of curly red hair and purple framed glasses. Welcome, she said when they arrived. You must be Hector, you sweet little thing. Come in, come in. They followed her through the kitchen to a living room where a most wondrous sight met Hector's young eyes. The whole room had been set up with all kinds of things puppies love. There were soft toys and chew toys and rubber bones that squeaked. There were puzzles on the floor, the kind where, if you solve them, they release a delicious little treat. And there was a castle with steps you could clamber up and towers you could climb over, and tunnels you could hide in. But best of all, there were puppies. There must have been about 10 of them, running around and playing with each other, scaling the climbing castle, rolling on their backs. There was a little husky pup with bright blue eyes. There was a sausage puppy, his head sticking out of one end of a plastic tunnel, his back legs still poking out of the rear. There was a baby Doberman with black and brown splotches and a particularly fluffy pup who looked to Hector like a burst of cloud. Here we go, boy, hector's dad murmured in his softest voice. He crouched down and placed Hector on the floor. You can go off and play now. Hector looked up at his human, feeling a little prickle of nerves once again. But his human gave him an encouraging look with his big warm eyes and said, go on, off you go. I'll be right here. Don't you worry. So Hector gave a brave little waggle of his tail and bounced off. He was going to be courageous. He was going to take this puppy party by the horns. First off, he bounded up to the little husky who was playing with a length of rope. He gripped the rope between his teeth and shook it from side to side. Hector took a deep breath and gave a woof. Hello. The husky dropped the rope and looked at him with his twinkly blue eyes. Hello, he said. Im Steel. Who are you? I'm Hector, Hector said. Nice to meet you, Hector, Steel, the husky replied. Do you want to play tug of war with me? Oh, said Hector, delighted by how friendly Steel was. I definitely would. Yes, yes, yes. And so Hector took one end of the rope in his mouth and Steel took the other end. They looked at each other in the eye, Steel's bright blue ones and Hector's the colour of dark caramel. And then they both began to tug. Hector pulled in his direction and Steel pulled in his. They skittered one way across the living room floor and then the other. Some of the other puppies stopped to watch the tug of war because it was a pretty close match. But at long last, Steel pulled Hector all the way over to his side before both puppies dropped the rope, panting and smiling at each other. That was fun, hector said, thanking Steel. We shall play again sometime. Steel gave a small bark of agreement. Rematch at the next puppy party, he said, and Hector padded away, feeling rather happy. The puppy party was going well. He liked Steel a lot, how strong and playful and welcoming he was. They'd be friends, Hector was sure of it. Hector trotted around the puppy party, nudging a ball and leaping on a toy bone. The bone gave out a squeak, which.
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Got Hector laughing so much and rolling.
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Around in delight that he almost bumped right into the sausage dog. Oh, hello, he said.
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Sorry, I was just laughing at the squeaky bone.
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I'm Hector. Who are you? I'm Slinky, the sausage dog said with a grin. Is this your first puppy party? It sure is, Hector told her. Have you been here lots before? Slinky nodded. This is my third puppy party, she said. They're super fun. But if this is your first, that means you've never been in the tunnel of lights. Hector looked at her, his eyes full of question marks. The tunnel? Tunnel of lights, he repeated. What's that? Well, said Slinky, I could tell you, but I think it's best if I just show you. Follow me, Slinky. The sausage dog waddled across the room, Hector hot on her heels. She led him to a long play tunnel. The whole length of it was black, so it was impossible to see inside, decorated with lots of multi Coloured shapes. Stars and moons, squares and triangles. What's so special about this tunnel? Hector wondered out loud. Go in, Slinky encouraged him, and you'll find out for yourself. Hector took a little peek into the round opening of the tunnel, down the long back tube to where at the end he saw a little O of light that signalled the end. Ok, he said. In I go. Hector stepped into the tunnel. At first he didn't understand what was so special about this tunnel. It was just like any other toy they had at the puppy party. But then he noticed something glimmering on the floor. A star. And then something else. A shining, shimmering, pale pink moon floating around the tube. And suddenly all around him, shapes of light swam and flashed and danced over the dark fabric of the tunnels. Inside it's all those cut out shapes, he realised. The light from outside was shining through them and creating a dazzling kaleidoscope of shifting colours on the inside. Ooo. Hector sighed, watching a silver star swivel and glide around the tunnel, chased behind by a pale blue heart. It was like being in an entirely magical world, he thought to himself, as though he had been transported from the ladies living room and into a place composed only of light and colour. So captivated was Hector by the show that he didn't even notice that his little puppy feet treading their way down the tunnel until he stepped out into the light and the show was over. Slinky was waiting for him at the other end. So, she said with a big grin on her face. What did you think? Hector wagged his tail. It was extraordinary, he said. It was like I'd gone through a portal into a world of magic. Thank you for showing it to me. Slinky the sausage dog gave a little yap. No worries at all. That meant. Ok, she said, I'm gonna go in again. See you around Hector. And with that, Slinky stuck her head into the dark tunnel, her back feet following on a long way behind. Now Hector had made two friends at the puppy party. Steel the blue eyed husky and Slinky the sausage dog. But he got the feeling that he was still yet to meet a true friend of his heart. He padded across the living room towards the giant castle. It was the perfect structure for climbing and clambering, which is exactly what a puppy loved to do. Hector trotted across the makeshift drawbridge and stuck his nose through the castle's portcullis. In the little space inside there were some steps to clamber up which took him into a winding passageway that led, he presumed, up To a tower up. He climbed to the very top, then peered into the little circular space inside the tower. And there he found another puppy with floppy golden ears, a deep golden coat and big, warm brown eyes. Hello, he said. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to see what was up here. But the other puppy didn't look disturbed. She looked happy. Oh, that's ok, she said. I just found this groovy hideaway at the top of the tower, so I'm hanging out up here for a few minutes, just to catch a little break from the party. Do you want to hang out with me? Yes, please, Hector said, and curled up next to the puppy. I'm Hector, by the way. The other puppy smiled. My name's Sunny, she said. So Hector and Sunny lay at the top of the tower in the middle of the puppy party. And you know what they did? They talked. And they talked and they talked. They told each other stories about all the strange and wonderful experiences they'd gone through in their lives so far. How the sun looks like a big yellow flower opening up every day. How different blades of grass smell different, and that's how you can tell which routes different dogs take on their walks. How they both shared the exact same spot, just behind the ear, where they liked to be scritch scratched most. They whispered funny stories about silly things their humans had done. And both agreed that there was nothing better than falling asleep in the evening on a warm human lap, listening to the crackle of the fire or the soft branches of a tree tickling the glass of the window. They discussed their favourite treats. A little cube of cheddar for Hector, yoghurt mixed with frozen raspberries for Sunny. In fact, Hector and Sunny chatted for so long and with such absorption in each other's words that they didn't notice how warm and toasty it was getting with their two little bodies in the tower of the castle. And they didn't notice when their words began to slow down, when their stories became punctuated by long yawns, and when at last they fell asleep, curled up beside each other. And that's how their humans found them a few minutes later, at the end of the puppy party, they lifted the top of the tower off and discovered them there, fast asleep beside one another. First, Sunny's human scooped her up. Come on, darling, she said softly. Home time. Then Hector's human scooped him up. Off we go, Hecky, he murmured, held safely in his human's hands as they walked across the living room and to the door. Hector opened One of his sleepy eyes. He looked around and caught sight of her. There was Sunny, the little spaniel pup carried just as he was in the hands of her owner. He gave her a little wave goodbye. She waved back. He hoped very much that he would get the chance to meet his new friend Sunny again. By the time Hector's human had finished his story with Hector and Sunny, two fully grown dogs lying on the rug by his feet, the lazy Sunday evening had transformed completely into a sleepy Sunday night. Outside, the street was pitch dark. The street lights had been extinguished and there were no cars or walkers passing by. No sound of birds and squirrels preparing themselves for bed. All was quiet as it was. Even though the story of how they met each other was indeed their favourite story, both Hector and Sunny had fallen asleep during the telling. When Hector's owner finished speaking the final words, they both blinked blearily half asleep. That's the story over, Hector's human whispered. Now you two sleepy heads need to get to bed and so do I. He went around the room, switching off the lamps one by one until the low gold light that had filled the room disappeared completely. Hector and Sunny got clumsily to their feet and followed Hector's human out of the living room. Sleep well, you two, he said, climbing the stairs to his room. Hector and Sunny padded through to the kitchen where their two beds had been laid out side by side near the warmth of the radiator. They settled down into them and listened to the faint sounds from outside coming in the rustle of leaves on the trees, the sound in the distance of an owl hooting. They imagined how all across the town, the creatures of the night, the foxes and the bats, the mice and the moths, even their next door neighbours, Snowy and Ginger, would be going about their nocturnal business, slipping quietly through the moonlight on their own star spangled adventures. But Hector and Sunny were not creatures of the night. Oh no, they were doggos. And for doggos, nighttime was sleep time. They yawned and nestled down even further into their beds. Although they had fallen asleep halfway through the story of how they met, both Hector and Sunny felt that the words had seeped through their ears while they were sleeping. They felt full up with the story. They felt it warming their veins and their tummies and bearing them off to sleep. That, after all, was the power of stories. They stayed with you, sheltered in the soft home of your heart and sustained you. That was why Hector and Sunny had become such good friends after meeting in the castle tower at the puppy party all those years ago, because both of them loved nothing more than sharing and hearing stories. Hey, Hector, whispered Sunny. Are you still awake? Hector gave a soft little growl to tell her that yes, he was still awake. I just. I wanted to say, Hector, sunny went on, how happy I am you climbed up that tower and met me at the puppy party. I feel so lucky to have a best friend like you. Oh, Sunny, hector murmured. I can't imagine a life any other way. How lucky we both are. It truly is a dog's life indeed. And with those words and smiles on their lips, Hector and Sunny drifted off into the land of sleep borne on clouds of calm, to the worlds they shared in their dreams and dreamt, as they often did, of what adventures the next day might bring, what fresh stories might rise up to be told. Sam sa.