← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Nightlight The Sleepy Tractor 🚜💤 Farmyard Kids Bedtime Stories
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Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids designed to make bedtime a dream. Well, we're welcoming three of you into the Koko Club tonight. We've got Ellie from Auckland in New Zealand. Also Charlotte who's in New Zealand in Rotorua, and James from Orlando in Florida. Welcome, welcome. Thanks for joining us. Enjoy all your extra stories and your ad free listening and don't forget to just give us a shout if you've got anything you want to tell us or any ideas you've got or. Yeah, anything really. It's always lovely hearing from you. 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. Does your little one love the adventures of Bluey? I know I do. What if they could talk and play with Bluey, Bingo or Muffin right in their own room with the all new Bluey Chatmates? Now they can. Each figure comes to life with a press of the nose, saying 10 fun phrases straight from the show. Perfect for little hands and big imaginations. You can collect Bluey, Bingo and Muffin or look out for special versions like Bingo on her scooter or Rita with her Grannymobile, complete with granny glasses and a grabber tool. They're poseable, totally adorable and ready for bedtime adventures or daytime play. And kids will will love recreating their favourite Bluey moments or making up brand new ones. And with more characters to collect, there's always a new adventure waiting to unfold. Bluey Chatmates are available at all major retailers. In tonight's bedtime story, then, we are going to be meeting a glow in the dark tractor. I know, that's cool, isn't it? He's tucked up in his barn, ready to snooze through his night off. The only thing is, the power's gone out and Doodle Doo the cockerel is here to ask Night light, for that's the tractor's name, to come out into the fields to light up the night and help the farmer out. Of course, the kind and dedicated tractor soon agrees. Before we find out more though, let's hop into bed. Arrange your pillows and your covers just right so that you're really comfy and get into your favorite listening position. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in, letting it out slowly from your mouth. That's right. And again. Breathe in and let it out. Lovely. Let's get those wellies on and head on down to the farm. This is Night Light, the Sleepy tractor by Luke Prendergast. Nightlight. The tractor was ready for a good night's sleep. You see, he'd spent all week working harder than ever on Puddlefoot Farm. It was the busiest time of the year. From dawn till dusk he'd been out on the fields, clearing the pathways through the fields of golden wheat, transporting buckets of apples to and from the juicing barn, helping plough the soft earth of waiting fields so that they could be sown with a fresh batch of seeds, and delivering stacks of hay bales to the stable yard so that the horses and cattle would have something to eat. It was happy work, for he had many friends on the farm. But it was tiring and he was glad that at last he had reached his night off. Nightlight slept in a small hay barn along with Chopper, the lawnmower and Digger the well, er, the digger. It was a cozy little space with a roof of wooden rafters where pigeons roosted cooing their lullabies all night long, and a floor of well worn straw that felt deliciously soft beneath his tyres. Now he wheeled slowly into the back corner, which was his particular patch of the hay barn, and began to carry out his bedtime routine. Just as humans have to wash their face and brush their teeth before going to bed to make sure that they keep their bodies clean and healthy, so too were there many things a young tractor had to do before switching off for the night. He picked the bits of mud and dried grass out of the treads of his tyres. He wiped clean his headlights and his taillights until they sparkled. He oiled his gears and he scrubbed off any bits of dust or dirt that had accumulated on his bright green paintwork during the day's work. And when all this was done, Night Light gave a big yawn, reversed into his sleeping bay and closed his eyes. Ah, this was going to be such a wonderful sleep. A peaceful, well deserved, wonderful sleep. Except what was that scratching noise? And wasn't that the sound of something tapping on wood and the door creaking open and a throat being cleared? Nightlight peeked one eye open. Yep, just as he'd thought he had a visitor. Good evening, Doodle do, he said to the cockerel who was standing right in front of him. Is there anything I can help you with this evening? Doodle Doo had iridescent feathers of orange and green and a proud red crown on his head. It was his job each and every morning to crow at the crack of dawn to make sure that all of the inhabitants of Puddlefoot Farm knew that it was time to wake up. Yep, Doodle do was a morning bird. So what, Nightlight couldn't help but wonder, was he doing here at night? Nighttime was for sleeping, not for waking, especially on a tractor's night off. Doodle Doo gave his throat another clear and pawed at the ground with a foot rather sheepishly. Sorry to disturb you, Nightlight, he said. It's just I've been sent to get you. Farmer Nell needs a word. But I've just got into bed, nightlight said. Its my night off and I was really looking forward to a cosy sleep. Is there any chance it can wait till the morning? Well, said Doodle Doo with a little bit of trepidation, she says she needs to see you rather urgently. You see, something's happened. Something's happened, Nightlight repeated, becoming a little more alert. What's happened? I think it's best that Farmer Nell tell you, doodledoo said. Oh, all right then, said Nightlight, rumbling his engines on once more and following Doodledoo out of the hay barn. Hopefully whatever Farmer Nell wanted to talk about wouldn't take too long and he'd be back, comfy in his lovely little home in no time at all. Night Light and Doodle Doo crossed the courtyard towards the main barn where most of the farm's activities were managed. It was like the control centre of a spaceship from which various creatures and workers exited like satellites to complete missions. That's how Nightlight liked to think of it. But tonight something was different. Something strange was going on. At first he couldn't tell what it was, but then he realised it was utterly, utterly dark. The barn was usually a beacon of light at this time of the evening, but he couldn't see it at all. It was shrouded in such darkness. He glanced over the valley to where Farmer Nell's house was, but he couldn't see that either. There were no illuminated windows at all and no lights from any of the buildings in the village beyond either. Farmer Nell was waiting outside the barn beside a small fire whose flickering flames cast a dancing light on a collection of farm animals who had gathered there with her a cat, a handful of sheep, and the sheep dog, Bonnie. Everyone on the farm loved Farmer Nell. No one had a bad word to say about her. She had plump, rosy cheeks and bright red hair, which she tied into a scraggly bun on top of her head, and she was always wearing mud splattered dungarees and dark green welly boots. She and her partner, Farmer Clyde, were so kind and so honest and so caring that all the animals and machines that lived on Puddlefoot Farm worked in harmony and without complaint to make sure the farm ran as smoothly as it possibly could. Farmer Nell smiled to see Nightlight and rose to give him a pat on the bonnet. Sorry to get you out of bed, Night Light, she said, but we desperately need your help. Then Farmer Nell explained that they'd had an unexpected power cut. The electricity was out across the whole area. The electricity company had sent out some people to address the problem, but apparently they it would not be fixed until the next day. And to top things off, Farmer Nell said, tonight is the moon's night off. Look. And she pointed up to the sky where, sure enough, there was no moon to be seen. Not a thin sliver of moon, not a full disc. Nothing. The only light came from the handful of twinkling stars and the orange glow of the fire. Farmer Nell levelled her soft brown eyes back on his. And that's why we need your help, Nightlight, she said. Up until now you might have been wondering why it was that Nightlight was called Nightlight. The fact was, he was no ordinary tractor. No, he was a very special tractor indeed. For though by day the paint on his body was a normal, if lovely green colour, by night something remarkable happened. He glowed in the dark. He just had to close his eyes and channel his energy and his body would begin to glow with the pale green luminescence shared by the glowing stars we stick on our bedroom walls and ceilings. Night Light, Farmer now said. Even though it's your night off, would you mind helping us out? There's such a lot to get done on the farm and your help would be greatly appreciated. As much as Nightlight was looking forward to his night off, and as much as it was true that he was tired, he knew that Farmer Nell would never have asked him to help unless it were absolutely necessary. And Nightlight loved Farmer Nell and Puddlefoot Farm so much that no amount of sleepiness would keep him from helping the farm when it needed it. While he was awake, he would help. So Night Light shut his eyes, concentrated all his energy, and made himself glow in the dark. When he opened his eyes again, pale green light from his body mingled with the orange flames of the little fire. Just tell me what we need to do, he said. Then, simply because he couldn't help it, he let out A big yawn? No, I'm afraid I might be yawning quite a lot, he added, for I'm terribly sleepy. Don't worry, Nightlight, Doodledoo chirped up. We'll keep you awake. And if we all work together, it won't take at all long. There were two main jobs that evening that they had to do. The first was spreading special cotton wool blankets over the grapevines because it was due to be a chilly night and the fruit had to be protected. Then after that they needed to collect the pears from the pear orchard. There hadn't been time today to do that, and if they left them overnight, the ripe pears would fall off the branches and get ruined on the floor overnight. And so everyone loaded Nightlight's container with the woollen blankets, and then he, Doodledoo, and Bonnie set off across the fields. The farm felt darker than it had ever been before, but as the three friends went together, the darkness didn't feel scary at all. It felt almost magical. It made the handful of stars in the sky sparkle brighter than ever, as though they were diamonds stuck to a deep indigo blanket. And besides, Night Light was there, touching everything, the grass, the hedgerows, the trunks of trees, the shovel leaning against the old shed wall with the soft green light of his glow. Soon they reached the vineyard where grapevines grew in long rows. They were such wonderful, peculiar trees with dark knotted trunks that wound and stretched their way up wooden poles and along invisible wires. And from their ancient looking limbs hung luscious bunches of plump grapes, red and green, which looked so juicy and delicious that Doodledoo plucked a couple from the nearest vine and swallowed one before giving one to Bonny and to Nightlight, too. Mmm, bonny said after she'd chewed and gulped down her grape. They're almost there. Just a few more days and they'll be ripe enough for picking. But tonight they need to be covered in a warm blanket so that they don't spoil. Bonny, who was used to going out into the fields late at night to make sure the sheep and their young lambs were all happy and healthy, had very good night vision. So she grabbed the end of one trail of woollen blanket in her teeth and ran off to the other end of the field to cover a far flung row of grapevines. Meanwhile Night Light and Doodledoo tended to the vines that were nearer them. They unfolded another trail of woollen blanket and Night Light ran it over the top of the vines while Doodledoo followed behind, tucking the blanket snug around the grapes, making sure that none of the fruit was still exposed to the elements. Soon enough, Nightlight's container was empty of woollen blanket, their job was completed and the grapes were safely tucked in, no matter how chilly it might get. Overnight, they returned to the barn, where Farmer Nell thanked them for their hard work and they loaded up Nightlight's container once more, but this time not with blankets, but buckets. Buckets for gathering pears. This time the sheep came along. Too many hands made light work after all. They went the other way, down the dirt track and through the little wooden gate into the pear orchard. Oh, wasn't the pear orchard an enchanted place, surrounded on all sides by old stone walls with tangles of ivy hanging onto their crevices? And while the vines had been planted in long, neat rows, the pear trees grew here and there in no fixed order, their white bark and spreading branches and silvery fruit seeming like something otherworldly fetched out of a fairy tale. Looking round at all this delight, a yawn suddenly took Nightlight over. Oh, dear, he said, I'm feeling awfully sleepy. Don't worry, Nightlight, the three sheep bleated. We have a rhyme we can whistle while we work that will keep you from getting too tired. And so they all took a bucket and dispersed into the orchard, reaching up to pluck the plump pears from the branches and setting them lightly in the bucket so that they didn't bruise. And as they picked fruit, the sheep bleated a little rhyme. The stars are out and the pears are sweet let's keep going despite our tired feet Sing a song. We can have a hoot, a nap Once we've picked all the fruit. Soon they were all singing along with the sheep's cheerful song, and Nightlight had to admit it was rather a hoot. He didn't know how much time passed as they piled the silky pears into the buckets. But he no longer felt very sleepy while he sang, and before he knew it, all of the buckets were filled and sitting back in his container. All those pears were rather heavy, but Doodle Doo and Bonnie and the sheep stuck by him as he trawled them back to the barn, where Farmer Nell gave him a grateful pat on his bonnet and all the animals helped unload the pears. Hey, Doodle Doo, whispered to Nightlight, how about we take some of these pears round to the stables? I bet the horses will appreciate a little midnight feast. That sounded like a very fun idea indeed. So while the others stacked the buckets in the light of the flickering fire, Doodle Doo and Night Light took a pile of Pears around to the stable yard. The horses all hung their heads over their stable doors when they heard them coming and crunched the pears appreciatively when Doodle Doo passed them over. There was Barley and Star and Bobby and Tiger, and finally Night Light's special favourites, Peaches and her young foal Spike, who lived in the stable next to her. But when they got to Spike's stable, they discovered the door was half open and the stable empty. Spike's not in here, nightlight said to Peaches. Oh, dear, Peaches sighed. She didn't sound worried in the slightest. He must have got his bolt open again and snuck out without me hearing. He's just at that age when he likes to creep out to the field to eat the long grass at night. That naughty little colt. I never can find him in the dark. Hey, Night Light, she said, giving a little whinny, would you mind going out to the paddocks to find him? You'll be able to see him with your glow in the dark. And you know he's much more likely to come back in if you ask him to than if I do. He never listens to his mother any more. Nightlight gave a little laugh. Peaches was right. Nightlight was one of the only farmyarders that Spike listened to. He was going through that teenage period. No problem, he said to Peaches. I'll go find him. And so once more Night Light trundled off across the dark fields where the daisies and the buttercups slept in their grassy beds. He passed through to the paddocks where the long grasses grew and called out Spike's name. But there was no answer. He rolled past the dense thicket at the edge of the field where a little foal might be able to secrete himself, and called out again. But there was no answer. Finally he went down to the end of the paddocks, where the grass gave way to the tree line of an ancient woods. He called out Spike's name again, but once again there was no answer. Hmm, thought Nightlight to himself curiously. Where could he be? Perhaps Spike's mother had been wrong. Perhaps the little colt hadn't come down to the paddocks but had gone somewhere else entirely. In which case, where was Nightlight meant to search? But that was when he heard it. The single snap of a twig. Then, a few seconds later, another twig snapped, just as if it had been trodden on by a foot or a hoof. It was coming from just to the left of him in the soft shadows of the woods, and if Nightlight wasn't mistaken, there was a small white flash like a star hidden among the trees. Nightlight turned towards the noise, switched on his headlights, and shone a spotlight straight ahead. Aha, he said. Caught ya. No, Nightlight. Spike sighed. How did you know I was here? Out of the darkness stepped the Bayfole, his coat a dark brown, his mane and tail black as the night. That's how he had managed to stay so hidden, blending in with the shadows in the woods. Except, that is, for the tiny patch of white right in the middle of Spike's forehead, his own unique star. You almost had me, nightlight said. Except your clumsy colt hooves kept snapping twigs. No. Spike sighed again, looking down at his hooves as though they'd betrayed him. Next time I'll have to be more careful. Nightlight chuckled. How about there is no next time? You can't be running off in the middle of the night. You'll give everyone a worry. It worries people. Spike asked, and Nightlight nodded. Yes, it certainly could. Oh, all right then, said Spike. I'll not do it again. Nightlight. Come on, let's head back up to the stables. But one second. Let me grab another mouthful first. Spike tore up a sheath of long, tasty looking grass and the two of them passed back through the paddocks and fields, Spike chomping happily as he went. But when they got to the stable yard, they found it empty. Yep, all of the stable doors were wide open. Barley and Star and Bobby and Tiger and Peaches too. All of them were gone. How strange, said Nightlight. I wonder where everyone has gone. They went round to the barn, but that was empty too. No Doodle Doo or Bonny or Farmer Nell. None of the sheep or the chickens were there either. And the little fire that had been burning merrily before was a pile of wet ashes. It had been put out. Curiouser and curiouser, Nightlight said. The two of them searched high and low, but couldn't find anyone anywhere until at last, Night Light peeked into the hay barn. His own hay barn where he slept at night. Then he couldn't believe his eyes. Hey, Spike, he whispered. Look at this. Spike came up beside him and peered into the hay barn, and his eyes went wide too. Here everyone was after all, Farmer Nell and Bonnie and Doodledoo, all of the horses and sheep and all the other animals in a pile across the hay barn floor. They were all snuggled up close together with blankets over them and they were all fast asleep. Night Light shook his head. He was the sleepy tractor, and yet here all his friends were fast asleep without him. Just then Farmer Nell peeked an eye open. Hello, you two, she said. Glad you found Spike, Nightlight. We've all come in here to sleep since there's no electricity. Still, we thought it would be a lot cozier to all huddle up together tonight. What do you think? Nightlight didn't even need to answer. He went into his hay barn with Spike, who had already curled up by his mother's side, and closed his eyes as though he'd fallen asleep straight away. Nightlight pulled the hay barn shut behind him and rolled into the back corner where he liked to sleep. He'd already done his nighttime routine, oiling his gears and changing his wheels, and besides, he was far too sleepy now to do them again. The hay barn was so warm with all these bodies in it, all his friends having a big farmyard slumber party together, that he found himself yawning and stretching his body, and his eyes began to close. Hey, Nightlight, farmer Nell whispered. Lights out? Oh, yes, he said. I almost forgot. Nightlight squeezed his eyes shut, concentrated all his energy, and when he opened them again, the green of his glow in the dark glow had gone. The hay barn was in darkness with just the sounds of all the farm creatures breathing, lost in sleep. Night, Farmer Nell, he said. Night, Night Light, came the reply. And then, at last, Night Light, the sleepy tractor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let himself fall gently down into the land of sleep. And didn't he deserve it? Hadn't he worked hard even on this, his night off? He'd been out on the fields, covering vines and collecting pears and fetching naughty colts from the paddock. He deserved a good long rest, a dream filled sleep, the sweetness of oblivion, until the new day began and Doodle Doo made his morning call. Sa.