← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
The Forest Of Wonders 🦤✨ Alice in Wonderland Inspired Bedtime Story
00:33:26
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- [00:00]
Koko
Foreign hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. I'd love to welcome into the Koko Club our new subscribers, Eloise and your brother Francis, Sylvie Hatton Hill from Riverside beach in New Zealand, Zoe from Adelaide and Arvid Ray and Tia from Sweden. Oh, it's so good to have you in here. Thank you so much for joining us and I hope you enjoy all your extra episodes coming your way and the ad Free Listening. 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 jo 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. Hey parents, if your little ones love learning as much as they love story time, I've got something special for you. ABC Mouse is the award winning and super fun learning adventure app made just for kids aged 2 to 8. It's packed with over 10,000 awesome activities across reading, read maths, science, art and more. Your little explorer can dive into magical puzzles, colourful books, exciting games and catchy songs, all created by expert teachers to help them learn at their own pace while having a blast. It's safe, ad free and designed to keep your child engaged without any interruptions. Whether you're enjoying some family time together in the evenings or looking for something educational to explore during the day, ABC Mouse is a brilliant screen time solution. You can try it out for free with a one month trial and after that it's just $14.99 a month until cancelled or choose an annual membership for just 45 a year until cancelled. Head to www.abcmouse.com koalamoon to get started today. You'll also find the link in our latest episode Show Notes to make it extra easy.
- [02:22]
Jessica Porter
Hey parents, My name is Jessica Porter and I'm the host of Sleep Magic, the sleep hypnosis podcast. As a hypnotherapist, I've helped many parents tackle their sleep troubles, whether it's letting go of bedtime worries or getting back to sleep after tiny bedroom intruders. I know finding peace amidst all that life brings can be tough, but since 2021 I've been delivering weekly episodes of Solution Focused Sleep Hypnosis, which have now helped with over 5 million restless nights. Sleep Magic has proven to help you relax really deeply, maybe more deeply than you have in years. With a mix of hypnosis techniques, meditations, and classic bedtime stories. Each week there's brand new episodes to help you unwind and fall asleep effortlessly. You can find Me and Sleep Magic on all major podcast platforms. Just search Sleep Magic and hit follow so that you can find it easily when you go to bed. Relaxation is truly closer than you think. I'll see you there.
- [03:35]
Koko
In tonight's story, we're joining a girl called Elora as she goes on an adventure. She wanders into a forest and it's not Sleepy forest. No, it's actually called the Forest of Wonders and it's quite reminiscent of Wonderland. You know, where Alice goes? Actually, I wonder if it might just be the same place. Wouldn't that be amazing? Ok, jump into bed. If you're not there already. Lie back, relax, get really comfy in the best little bit in that lovely warm spot, and let's find out in the Forest of Wonders By Elisha Ainslie the first trickles of sunlight stretch through the sky and down onto the expansive open field of grass. The long blades swayed in the breeze and the scene was silent, idyllic for Elora. She often came out to this field when she longed for some time with herself and her thoughts. It had been a harsh, hot summer and the green field was scorched and singed by the sun, but it still attracted Elora with its peaceful appeal. She never bumped into anyone else when she was here, just the way she liked it. Alora walked into the centre of the golden field and lay down on her back, disappearing amid the tall blades of grass. Now she would be unable to be seen by anyone who might pass by. The grass was so dense and tall that she was completely shielded from sight. Allura felt peaceful. She knew that she could lie here and be undisturbed for as long as she wanted. Elora closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of the field, inhaling the familiar aroma of warm grass and hazy pollen. She breathed in deeply and breathed out with a sigh. The toasty grass and the dry soil formed a bed below her body, and she felt herself drifting away almost immediately beneath the blazing morning sun. Just as Elora's mind was resting in the sweet spot between consciousness and the dream world, she heard soft laughter. She sighed with disappointment. It would appear she wasn't on her own in the field today, but hopefully nobody would spot her lying in the grass and whoever it was would pass on by quickly, leaving Alora to enjoy the quiet field once more. Suddenly she felt a presence by her side and heard a titter of soft laughter. She peeked open one of her eyes and looked to her side. Standing next to her in the bed of golden grass was a kookaburra. The birds stared at Elora with glistening, beady eyes, puffing its white feathered chest and fluttering its blue spotted wings by its side. It opened its flat, pointed beak and let out a chirp of gentle laughter. How strange, Alora thought. I've never seen kookaburras in these parts before. The kookaburra cocked its head to the side and gazed at Alora. She locked eyes with the inquisitive creature and smiled. She had never had such a close encounter with a bird before. It was a rather beautiful moment. Then the kookaburra opened its beak and whispered, follow me, before spreading its wings and lifting up into the air. Elora's heart skipped a beat. Had she heard that correctly, or was her mind playing tricks on her? She sat up straight, her head poking up just above the top of the blades of grass, and stared at the levitating kookaburra. Confused, she stuttered quietly. Did you just say what I thought you said? The kookaburra looked at her and to her amazement replied, quick, follow me. We don't have much time. Then, without another word, the kookaburra turned its back on her and flew off across the field. Alora jumped to her feet. She couldn't have misheard the bird twice. Surely her mind wasn't playing that much of a trick on her. Unless she was losing her mind. She watched the kookaburra flit and flutter through the air towards a woodland at the edge of the field. We don't have much time, the kookaburra had said. If Elora wanted to know what the kookaburra wanted to show her, then she had better move fast. Elura started running through the grass, chasing after the kookaburra, who that was fast flying out of sight. Wait for me. Elora cried out, desperately trying to catch up with the talking bird. The kookaburra paused and hovered in mid air between two trees. Right at the opening to the forest, the kookaburra glanced over its shoulder, clocking Alora dashing towards it. Then it turned back to the forest and disappeared inside. Alora eventually caught up to the trees that the kookaburra had flown between and peered into the forest. It looked like just any normal forest, with tall trees, a dusty dirt floor, and overgrown bushes and shrubbery. Inside, however, the kookaburra had stopped ahead, resting on a tree stump, waiting for her to catch up. She heard the kookaburra whisper once again, follow me. Before it took wing and effortlessly glided further into the forest. Alora shook her head in disbelief. Was she really about to follow a bird deep into a forest? Was she really hearing the bird speak, or was she dreaming? She blinked her eyes several times, but everything felt normal. She patted her body down and she could feel every touch. Clearly, she didn't think she was dreaming, but what else was she to do? If a bird starts talking to you, you surely were supposed to follow it to find out where it came from. Taking a deep breath, Alora stepped into the forest to follow the kookaburra. As she made her way into the forest, the vegetation became denser with every step. The bushes became more and more overgrown until she was practically pushing them aside to see her way, and the leaves grew bigger and bigger until they were as big as her head. The trees stretched higher and higher up into the air, their trunks getting slimmer, and flowers began to bloom in the shaded woods, boasting the most beautiful, vivid flowers that became brighter and brighter as she walked. With each step, Ellora started to feel more like she was making her way through a jungle than a simple forest. Despite the distraction of the plants, she kept the kookaburra in sight so as not to get lost. The kookaburra landed on a branch up ahead and waited for her. Alora finally caught up with the flighty creature and stopped to catch her breath. Where are you taking me? She asked the bird. In between breaths, the kookaburra tilted its head and jibed here to the forest. O Wonders. Elora looked around. All she could see was greenery and trees everywhere she looked. Aside from this jabbering bird, it looked like a normal forest to her. What was so wonderful about it? Why is this the Forest of Wonders? She questioned to the bird. Curiously, the kookaburra giggled and replied, you'll see. The kookaburra tilted its head to the side and pried in its chirpy voice, don't you want to see the Forest of Wonders? Alora folded her arms and answered, well, I suppose so, but I'm in it right now, aren't I? It doesn't look all that special to me. The kookaburra let out a gentle laugh and said teasingly, it has more wonders than you know. Go on, find out for yourself. Without another word, the kookaburra spread its wings, lifted up off the branch, and flew away. Alora watched it go, bemused by its mysterious words. Alora looked around for a clue of which direction to go. Perhaps there was a path or a break in the trees or a trampled flower bed, but she couldn't see anything that stuck out. It was as if nobody had ever taken this route before. There weren't any signs of her own recent footsteps in the mud or any broken branches on the floor that had fallen as she had pushed her way through the shrubbery. Since a path wasn't obvious, she would have to trust her instincts instead and follow them. Alora closed her eyes and paid attention to the sounds of the forest. Maybe if she listened carefully, she would be able to hear something or someone. As she attempted to focus, she noticed that she could hear a humming sound. It was as though somebody was thinking very hard and pondering an important question. Alora followed the sound of the humming. Somebody must be nearby, but where was it coming from? She kept her eyes half closed so as to hone in on her hearing and avoid distraction for the things around her, and she tried to follow the sound of humming. Mmm. The curious sound continued. Mmm. Alora followed the sound all the way over to a flower bed of gloriously bright purple tulips. It must be a bee humming, she concluded. Although it was a very odd sounding bee, she added. She noticed the lips of a tulip vibrating, and she looked a little closer to see if the bee was inside. However, just as she lowered her head to the pretty purple flower, the pensive humming sound changed to a low, husky voice that came right out of the tulip's petals. The petals shimmied and shook as the tulip suddenly spoke. First you see me in the grass dressed as yellow as hay. Next I'm a dainty white. Then I fly away. Alora recoiled in surprise. First a talking bird and now a talking tulip. She was surely losing her mind. The marbles of her mind were on the floor and rolling out of sight. Alora stuttered and whispered, Im sorry, did you just say something? All of a sudden, another tulip in the patch suddenly piped up and spoke. She has been trying to work out this riddle for days now. Candia told her it, but she won't give her the answer. Her incessant humming is driving us all crazy. Crazy was an accurate word, Alora thought. This whole situation was absurd. Alora shook her head to try to wake herself up, but she was still standing in the forest talking to a bed of tulips. Alora sighed, turned to the humming tulip again, and said, tell me that riddle again. I might be able to help you. The tulip repeated the riddle. First you see me in the grass dressed as yellow as hay. Next I'm a dainty white. Then I fly away. What am I? Elora had heard this riddle before. It was simple, really, but maybe not quite so simple. To a talking tulip, Alora replied, why, it's a dandelion, is it not? The bed of tulips began to chatter and twitter with discussion and excitement. Oh, is it a dandelion? Candia the second tulip asked, turning to a flower at the back of the bed. The tulip that must be Candia opened up her petals in jubilation and declared that it was the right answer. The tulips were all delighted to finally have the riddle solved, no doubt to ease their whirring minds, but also to stop the constant humming. Alora backed away from the bustling bed of tulips before they could ask any more of her and disappeared through the overgrown bushes. She was starting to believe in the kookaburra's promise of wonder. She thought. Maybe she should explore the forest a little further. After a while, Elora's ears pricked at the sound of music. Festival like music and chatter. Lots of animated chatter. She pushed her way through the bushes towards the sound. The music grew louder and the voices clearer as she trod through the muddy forest. It sounded like a party, and a party it was. But as Alora finally reached the woodland clearing where the music and ruckus were coming from, she paused in utter confusion. In the middle of the clearing was a long table filled to the brim with food, party decorations, balloons and streamers hanging from the tree branches, and a dozen or so woodland animals dancing and talking just like humans do at a soiree. Elora saw a badger and a hare having a conversation in the corner, an owl and a fox jigging a gyve in the middle of the forest floor, and a motherly hedgehog plaiting up some food for her two small prickly children. There was a deer and an otter wearing party hats, a squirrel roasting nuts over a fire, and two tiny mice propping up a pinata. It looked like a scene straight from a children's picture book. Alora rubbed her eyes and opened them again, wider. Surely her eyes were deceiving her. She couldn't possibly be seeing this. One of the little mice noticed Alora gawping at them and waved its teensy little hand and called out, hello. Would you like to join us? Elora backed up into the bushes and hid behind the giant leaves in shock. A talking bird was One thing, and tulips telling riddles was another. But an array of talking dancing animals having a party in the woods was a whole other plethora of absurdity. Elora didn't know what kind of strange forest she had wandered into, but it was very different to what she was used to. Perhaps the kookaburra was right. Perhaps this forest was full of a whole bunch of wonders that pushed the limits of reality. Alora scanned the treetops and inspected the bushes. But the kookaburra bird had completely flown out of sight. Taking in the dense undergrowth around her, Alora wondered which direction she should head in. She would like to head in the direction of the field, but which direction was that? There was no clear path and no signs of a way out of the forest. Every direction looked the same as the others. For a moment she thought about asking the talking animals for directions, but she had a feeling that they would be more likely to invite her to have a go on the pinata than tell her the way out. Alora decided to be practical. If she couldn't see a way out, then perhaps she could use her other senses to help her find a way. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and listened. She listened to the sounds of the forest all around her. Honing her senses, she attempted to tell apart the subtle sounds creating the ambience of the forest. She could hear the wind literally whistling through the trees, trilling a leisurely tune. It was almost as if the wind had a voice. She listened and tried not to get too caught up in the pleasure of the melodic tune. She had fallen for the sounds of the forest already today. She didn't want to be a fool. Once more, she could hear a faint buzz, no doubt from a selection of bugs and bees living amongst the flowers and the plants. But then she heard something softer. It was a familiar sound, like that of voices, but they were hushed and muffled, as if they were sharing secrets. Alora followed the sound of the whispering voices through the trees and entered a shaded clearing with a small, round lake in its centre. The water of the lake was a crystal clear blue, and within it she could see what looked like large white tadpoles swirling around. The sound of the voices was louder now. However, they were still muffled and echoed around the clearing. Who is speaking? Alora pondered, looking around for a sign. All of a sudden, a familiar figure landed on a tree branch on the other side of the small lake. It was the kookaburra. It had returned. The kookaburra tilted its head to the side and called out to Alora in its soft voice. Are you enjoying the Forest of Wonders? Yet Alora did have to admit that the Forest of Wonders was certainly more impressive than she had initially assumed. What is this place? She asked the kookaburra, referring to the clearing they were standing in with the small lake and the mysterious voices. This is what we call the wishing well, the kookaburra replied. Alora looked at the small lake and frowned. It was a rather large well, plus it didn't have the classic characteristics of a well, like a stone wall, and it didn't appear particularly deep. As Elora peered closer, she could see that this was no ordinary pool of water. The closer she got, the louder the muffled voices became. It was as though the voices were trapped beneath the surface of the water, floating around and talking to each other. Tendrils of smoky white orbs swam around the water like tiny fish, expertly weaving in and out of each other, lighting up the sparkling blue depths. The kookaburra began to explain. When you make a wish or speak of a dream you long for, the lake holds it for you, keeping it safe within its borders. Only when your wish finally comes true does the lake release it from the water. Ellora watched as a bubble rose to the surface of the lake and popped, releasing a poof of misty smoke into the air. As the smoke floated and faded into the air, she heard the faint, breathy whisper of a voice making a wish. It was so tender and quiet that she couldn't quite make out all the words. Elora felt the satisfaction and happiness of the fulfilled dream emanate into the air, filling her with a feeling of warmth and contentment. As she stood by, Alora smiled. As she gazed at the glowing waters of the wishing well, she wondered how many of her dreams and wishes were in there. Childhood dreams and wishes for the future, longings and desires that she still sometimes craved. Those wishes might be forgotten to her now, but the wishing well remembered them, and maybe someday they would finally come true and be released from the well. Elora smiled at the thought. She liked the idea that her dreams and wishes were being taken care of, held for her until she needed them again. Laura hated to admit it to the kookaburra, but the Forest of Wonders was indeed full of wonders. She asked the talking bird again, what is this place? What is the Forest of Wonders? The kookaburra explained that it was simply a forest where anything was possible. Here the extraordinary was ordinary, and everywhere you turned you could encounter beautifully bizarre things that you never believed to be possible in your waking life. It all seemed too unbelievable to be real. Alora looked into the wishing well again and asked the kookaburra, am I dreaming? The talking bird chuckled and responded, it depends on what you think of as a dream. Are your dreams reserved specifically for your sleeping mind, or can your dreams also be a part of your reality? Laura didn't know what to say in response. All she knew was that she felt overwhelmed by a sense of positivity and possibility. Here, everything she had ever believed in suddenly felt like it was teetering on the edge of becoming true. Elora looked up and noticed that the sun was beginning to fade. The day was drawing to its close. Elora couldn't stay here tonight. She wanted to go home to her own bed. Can you show me the way out, please? She asked the kookaburra bird. The bird was happy to oblige. The kookaburra led Alora away from the wishing well, through the trees and back out into the golden field. She had begun her day in it, perched in a tree on the edge of the forest and watched her walk out into the long blades of grass. After a few moments, Elora realised that the bird hadn't followed her and she turned back to say goodbye. But the bird had gone, disappeared into thin air as if it had never been there. Elora gazed back out across the yellow field and noticed that the sun was still high in the sky. It was not the end of the day after all. But the sun was still hovering in the same spot in the sky it had been in when she last laid down in the long grass. Had time stood still for a while? Had she imagined the whole thing? Alora couldn't be sure. It was all too bizarre an experience to tell anyone about. Nobody would ever believe her story. Maybe she would search for the Forest of Wonders and the talking kookaburra again someday. Or maybe she would allow her memory of the Forest of Wonders to remain just that, a memory. A memory or a dream of things that, whilst quite ridiculous, were also quite wonderful.