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Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Snaffles' Snowy Slumber-down ❄️✨ Cozy Bedtime Stories For Kids
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Foreign. Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids designed to make bedtime a dream. And we are very, very grateful that we have two sets of siblings tonight who signed up to the Koko Club recently. We are saying hello and thank you to Jackson and Charlotte and also to Sophie and Lucy who are living over in Oregon. Thank you guys. Thank you, thank you. And an enormous big, big heartfelt thank you to every single one of you that I've shouted out over the years who decided at some point to subscribe and support us. We are just eternally grateful and we will continue to shout out every single one of you who does the same, who supports us and helps us to keep on going because we love what we do. Thank you and enjoy all of your extra stories and your ad free listening. Those that signed up tonight, Jackson and Charlotte, Sophie and Lucy. 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 Coco Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes, but now here's a quick word from our sponsors right Buttery toast and soft woolly socks. Hot chocolate in mugs and big bunny hops. Little footsteps and big clumpy boots, hats and mittens and shiny snow suits. You'll hear the end of that poem at the end of the story. But I thought I would start with this tonight because in my opinion, it tells you everything you need to know about the story that's coming. Honestly, tonight's tale is the cosiest story you have ever heard. Cosy, wintry and magical. You see, we're visiting Snaffles on a very special day. It's a snow day and he has that magical feeling that perhaps you know it when you throw back the curtains in the morning and find a blanket of snow has fallen across the world. For Snaffles, that means he's in for a day of cosy crafts, playing in the snow and drinking hot chocolate with his very best friends, Binky and Soots. Are you ready to join them? Ok, lie back in bed and get comfy. This is Snaffles Snowy Slumber down by Susannah McLoughlin. As the sun peaked its first rays over the tall trees of sleepy forest, Snaffles little red alarm clock began to chime. Immediately the little ball of fur rolled over and hit the snooze button with a fluffy paw. It was Sunday. The laziest of all the days, so Snaffles had no reason to get up. He pulled his eye mask securely over his eyes and nestled back down into his duvet. Why was it that the bed always felt so much squishier and softer and cosier in the mornings? That, Snaffles thought, was what made lions so very magical. Snaffles thoughts turned slow and sleepy, and again he began to snore. Not five minutes later, Snaffles was awoken again. But it wasn't the alarm clock this time. His bed was bouncing, the springs in his mattress bobbing him up and down, bumping him like a boat on choppy water. Snaffles lifted his mask and opened one eye. It was his pet dust bunnies, Binky and Soots, thumping their feet and boinging on his head. Snaffles, Snaffles. Get up, lazybones. They were chorusing in their sweet, squeaky voices. Look outside. Snaffles sat up and stretched his arms high overhead. He yawned long and loud enough to shake the room and rubbed his eyes. Binky and Soots laughed at the sight of him. Snaffles always looked so sweet and dishevelled in the morning, with his bleary eyes and golden fur sticking out in cowlicks at all angles. Snaffles pulled off the pair of socks he was using as ear warmers and put them on his feet. As he stepped out of the bed and padded over to the window. He drew open the red gingham curtains and looked out into sleepy forest. His mouth dropped open. The whole world was blanketed in sparkling white. The pine trees were heavy with snow. The toadstools were capped with silver. Little shimmering flakes drifted from the sky, landing as soft as a feather onto the perfect stretch of untouched powder. Snaffles spun on his heels to grin at Binky and Soot's and burst into one of his excited jigs. It's a snow day. He cheered. Yahoo. If Sundays were the laziest of days, the one thing more relaxing was a snow day. And this was the snowiest of Sundays Snaffles had ever seen. He was in for a treat. Snaffles went to his dresser and changed out of his pyjamas into an even cosier pair, picking out his softest cashmere socks and putting them on his feet. Then the three of them left Snaffles room and went into the shop. Snaffles Little Shop of Treasures was a twinkling wonderland of recycled trinkets and handmade crafts on any day but today. With silvery icy light streaming through the windows, it was positively magical. The mushroom shaped wooden cabin was warm and toasty despite the snowy scenes outside the windows, and Snaffles set about lighting the fire to make sure it stayed that way. Binkie fetched kindling from the pile by the door and Suts heaved a log along the floor, pushing it with his nose as Snaffles prepared the fireplace. Soon warm golden embers were glowing in the hearth and flickering orange flames were heating the trio's paws. Perfect, Snaffles said. Binkie and Soots were bouncing around, bobtails twitching, excited to play in the snow. But first Snaffles said they would need breakfast, warm their tummies and give them the energy they'd need to build their snow bunnies and toboggan down the hills. So the furry little fluffball headed into the kitchen and put on his frilliest apron. He opened the pantry and cast his eyes over the shelves. He pulled out jars of jam and a loaf of crusty bread, and soon the smell of toast filled the cabin. Binkie and Soots set the table with a blue flowery tablecloth and a mismatch of plates and mugs. They put Snaffles favourite mug in his spot, a big round one decorated with strawberries and kittens. Snaffles warmed milk on the stove and then reached for the chocolate he kept on the top shelf, tucked behind the teapot. Watching from her high chair, Binky clapped her bunny paws. Hot chocolate for breakfast. This is the best day ever. Snaffles smiled a wise smile. Hot chocolate and snow days go together as a pair, he said. Its science, I think. Soots sighed happily. I love science, he murmured. Soon they were sitting around the table, all munching on buttery jammy toast and sipping frothy cocoa. Once they were all full and the plates had been washed in their hot bubbly bath, Snaffles said it was almost time to go play in the snow, but they'd have to wait a few minutes. He had to make something first. Snaffles disappeared into his workshop behind the cash register, and the bunnies heard a series of crashes, clangs, hoops, and ha ha. Then the golden ball of fur emerged with something in hand. It was a dinner tray nailed onto two wooden skis attached to a rope with a looping handle. It's a toboggan, Snaffles said proudly, and the Bunnies cheered. Now all there was to do was to get dressed. Snaffles headed into his bedroom and rifled around in the trunk at the bottom of his bed until he felt the poofy, shiny material of his snowsuit. He pulled it out and put it on straight over his pyjamas. One leg, two leg, one arm, two arms and zzzip. He was ready to go. He pulled a snow boot over each cashmere sock and stepped out into the shop. The bunnies were ready in woolly hats, scarves, and mittens, waiting patiently on the doormat. The trio stepped out into the cold. Snaffles felt the chill kiss his furry cheeks, but the rest of him stayed so perfectly cosy and warm. Off the porch they hopped into the snow, breaking its perfect, untouched surface with the imprints of their snow boots. Each step gave a satisfying crunch as their legs sunk into the snow. Sleepy Forest felt quiet and still, like it was sleeping tucked away under a snowy blanket. The only sound was the sweet song of a red bellied robin hopping from branch to branch in the old oak to the north of the clearing. Snaffles took in a big deep breath, looked around, and smiled. What a wonderful world, he thought. Binkie and Soots hopped and bounded through the snow, throwing up little dustings of white powder with each bounce. Binkie threw herself onto her back and made a snow angel, and Soots copied the two, giggling all the time. Snaffles chuckled and shrugged and did the same. Soon there were the shapes of three angels laying in the snow, two with big floppy bunny ears. The bunnies were raring to try the toboggan and and Snaffles said he knew the perfect place. So off they went, trudging through the snow, Toboggan gliding along behind them. Usually they were a chatty bunch, with Snaffles always wittering on about some idea he'd had or book he'd read or old song he'd discovered on some CD he'd rescued from a bin. But today it felt wrong to disturb the perfect peace of the snow, so they just padded along in perfect silence, enjoying the birdsong and the feeling of snowflakes melting against their noses. Soon they found themselves at the top of Sugar Lump Hill. The snowy wonderland of Sleepy Forest stretched below them, an expanse of treetops dusted with white like the icing sugar on a sponge cake. Snaffles positioned himself on the back of the toboggan, and Binkie and Suts hopped on between his feet. Then, with two shuffles of his bottom, Snaffles dislodged the sled and it began to glide down the hill. They went, leaning left and right in synchronisation to weave past holly bushes and slalom through oak trees, the world whipped by the wind ruffling their fur, the air sweet with the smell of pine and chestnuts. It was blissful. Eventually they glided into the clearing, coming to a perfect stop in front of the cabin, cheeks pink and eyes sparkling. Just as they hopped off the toboggan and thought about going again. The snow once more began to fall, so Snaffles and his bunnies watched from the warmth of the cabin as the fine flurry of flakes turned into big globs of white, erasing all their tracks as if they'd never been outside at all. Snaffles took off his snowsuit and hung it to dry not too far from the fire, watching snow melt and run in little droplets into a puddle on the floor. The whole afternoon stretched before them now, and there was nothing to do but stay inside and relax. They went into their little living room and the bunnies curled up on the sofa as Snaffles padded around, opening and closing cupboard doors and trunks, gathering games and toys. He sat down cross legged on the shaggy rug and placed a pile of activities onto the floor between himself and the bunnies. What do you want to do first? He asked. We could do a jigsaw or play a board game. Binky's gaze was fixed on the snow falling outside the window. I think we should write poems, she said. All about the snow. Snaffles beamed. Excellent idea, Binky. He scurried off to his scrap paper pile, where he gathered odd sheets of writing paper. One was blue and bordered with snowflakes, one pink and woven through with a cream velvet ribbon, and one was decorated with candy canes with a letter head that read Greetings from the Sugar Plum Inn. Snaffles handed out pencils and erasers so they could scribble and and rub out their writing until their poems felt just right. And then he turned on the record player and played an old jazzy song with a plinky plonky piano that sounded somehow like the falling of snowflakes. The trio began thinking, chewing on their pencils, scratching their heads, and looking pensively out of the window. Snaffle was laid down on his back, relaxing into the fluffy carpet beneath him and closing his eyes. He imagined snow in a snow globe, glittering and glimmering. He thought about the way it felt when he went from the warmth of the cabin into the icy air, and he started to scribble down his thoughts rearranging the words until they felt just right. Finally, when all three pencils had stopped their scribbling, the three friends shared their poems. Binkie went first. She cleared her throat and started to read in her sweet little voice. I love the snow. It's a pretty show. It glitters in the air. It sparkles everywhere. The snow makes me smile. I hope it stays awhile. It settles nice and still. Then let's zoom down the hill. Snaffles and Soots beamed and clapped their hands. Well done, Binky, snaffles said. I think that really sums up what makes snow so very magical. Read us your Snaffles, binkie said. Snaffles unfurled his paper and read. O twinkling snowflakes so fine and bright Won't you fall from the stars tonight? Cover the world in your magical glow. We'll all lay in, then play out in the snow. Let your silver sparkles glimmer and twirl as we build snowmen, snowboys and snow girls. It's cold outside, but it feels oh so warm when you're bundled up inside watching the storm. Binky and Suts clapped politely and said they thought it was a wonderful poem. Now it was Soots Turn, but he was nervous to share his. He said it wasn't very good. He said he'd found lots of words, but he didn't think they made sense together. They didn't really say anything. Snaffles shrugged. The thing is, Soots, he said, poems don't have to make sense. They just have to make you feel something. Sutts took a deep, brave breath and started to read. Buttery toast and soft woolly socks, Hot chocolate in mugs and big bunny hops, Little footsteps and big clumpy boots, Hats and mittens and shiny snowsuits. Big fluffy clouds make snowflakes small, Then more and more begin to fall, comfy and cozy. Snaffles, Binky, and me, the three best friends there ever could be. Snow days that sparkle all silver and nice pink noses and snowdrops all covered in ice. I hope that tomorrow is a snow day, too, so I can have fun tucked up inside with you. Snaffles and Binky had big beaming smiles on their faces as they squeezed Suts in a hug. I loved yours, the best, binkie said, and Soots blushed in surprise. Snaffles nodded. Very good, Sutz. You're a genius. Snaffles collected the poems and stuck them up with pins on the cork board. Time for a snack, I think he called in the kitchen, he warmed creamy tomato soup and toasted cheese toasties until they were golden and crisp, humming a song under his breath that went, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Once the meal had been gobbled up, the trio headed back to the sofa. Snaffles brought with him a cardboard box filled with glass jars. He'd had them sitting under the cash register for ages. They were recycled, sent by Betty Badger, who went through jar after jar of jam to make her famous lingonberry tart. He hadn't known what to do with them until today, but when he was writing his poem, he'd had an idea. I think we should make snow globes, he said to the bunnies. We can use them to remember our snow day. And we can sell some in the shop, too, so the other sleepy foresters can remember their snow days. The bunnies loved the idea. They had soon pulled out their wheelie boxes of craft supplies and set them on the coffee table. And then they got to work. Snaffles started by closing his eyes and thinking carefully about what to make. He decided he wanted to make a little replica of the shop, the way it had looked when he stepped outside and looked over his shoulder. That morning, the cabin's roof had been covered in a sparkling cover of white snow, but its windows had glowed a bright orange, the picture of warmth amongst the cold. Little shimmering icicles had trickled from the porch, and red and white spotted toadstools poked their heads bravely above the snow. It had looked like something out of a storybook. Snaffles knew his sculpture would be very small and delicate, so he got out his special monocle that he used for fiddly work, the one he had fashioned out of the bottom of a milk bottle. He took popsicle sticks and chopped them down extra small, like little planks of wood. Then, with a pair of tweezers, he carefully assembled and glued them together to make a big round circle for the cabin's body. Next he made a porch with little stairs leading up to a little door, which he painted red. He cut out little holes for the window, then melted boiled sweets and let them harden in little circular panes for the windows that were see through, like actual stained glass. For the roof, he used a dried mushroom cap, which fit perfectly on top. Then he put a little tiny light bulb inside, which he connected to a special little battery. When he turned the light on, the same golden lamp light that filled the room filled the miniature cabin and shone through the windows. He next turned his attention to the jar lid, which he covered in a mound of white clay painted with glitter so it sparkled like snow. He used more clay to make the tiny mushrooms with their snowy hats. Then he glued on the cabin, painting more snow onto its roof. He filled the rest of the jar with a special liquid tipping in sparkly glitter for snow, and then secured everything together, turning it upside down so the lid and the cabin sat on the bottom. There it was, his shop in a snow globe. He shook the jar and snow glittered and twirled, catching the light just perfectly. He showed his work to Binky and Suts, who gasped and admired how intricate and special it was. They said it looked just like the real thing, just teeny tiny. Binky had been working on a snow globe that showed Sleepy Forest viewed from the top of Sugar Lump Hill. She used green pipe cleaners to make the pine trees and had crafted little silver stars from clay, which she put with the snow in the globe, so that when it was shaken, it looked like stars were whooshing and shooting around the sky. Soot's had made a little bunny ice skating in circles around a frozen lake. He had attached a little stick to the bunny, which stuck through the bottom of the globe so you could glide it about on its circular track. It was very clever. They kept crafting after that, making more globes, until Snaffles had a whole stand's worth ready to sell in the morning. There was a globe showing an ice palace, glittering silver and bright. There was a globe that showed a a miniature city of skyscrapers and stadiums and parks. There was one full of snow people and one with a perfect snowy mountain with a dragon sleeping on the top. When they screwed the last lid onto the last jam jar, the sun was beginning to set. It dipped behind the trees and cast golden light across the snowy landscape outside. Then the sky began to turn purple, and then indigo stars began to shine and a big full moon lit up the sky, sparkling against the snow. For supper, the trio ate warm bowls of stew and apple pie with custard, and then Binkie chose a story from the shelf and Soots pulled a blanket from the basket. The trio sunk back into the squishy sofa and Snaffles read for them as he told the story of a koala family snowboarding down rocky peaks in a faraway place called New Zealand. Snaffles noticed Soots and Binky's ears beginning to droop. Their flopsy ears became even floppier with his every word, and their eyes began to blink closed. By the time Snaffles said. The end. The two dust bunnies were snoring softly. Snaffles patted them each on the head and whispered his goodnights and slipped out from under the blanket. Binkie stirred and rolled onto her back, paws all tangled in the woolly blanket. Cute as a button. Soots snorted and mumbled in his sleep. Then they both settled back into stillness. Snaffles decided he too was ready for bed. First, though, he ran his bubbly bath with foam that smelt like cinnamon and sugar. He sank into the warmth and shampooed his fur and then just soaked in the relaxing sweet smelling water. When his paws began to go wrinkly, Snaffles stepped out and shook his fur like a dog until it poofed out all dry and fluffy again. He brushed his fur and his teeth and then into his pyjamas he slipped. He put on his favourite rainbow striped socks and then another pair on top for extra warmth and slid under the patchwork quilt into bed. Snaffles sunk into his mattress and smiled to himself. What a perfect snow day he had had. He closed his eyes and pictured the snow falling gently outside the window, landing in soft drifts on the roof. He pictured the robin, now cosy in his nest, beak tucked under his wing, red belly drifting up and down with every breath. Then he remembered the way it had felt to glide down the hill through the trees, carving a slick, twisty path through the untouched snow, giggling and squealing with his two best friends. He thought about the crisp air against his cheeks and the poofy rustle of his snowsuit and the crunch of snow beneath his boots. He remembered the warm amber glow of the embers in the fireplace and the way glittering snow spiralled around the snow globes when he shook them in his paws. Finally he thought of Sutz's poem, murmuring the words to himself as he drifted into a deep, comfy sleep. Buttery toast and soft woolly socks, hot chocolate in mugs and big bunny hops, Little footsteps and big clumpy boots, Hats and mittens and shiny snowsuits. Big fluffy clouds make snowflakes small. Then more and more begin to fall. Comfy and cozy. Snaffles, Binky and me, the three best friends there ever could be. Snow days that sparkle all silver and nice pink noses and snowdrops all covered in ice. I hope that tomorrow is a snow day too so I can have fun tucked up inside with you. Sam. Sa.