Halloween on the Pond Hello, this is Natasha and I thought you might like to hear a rather spooky story about Halloween.
It happened on the pond where Prince Bertie the Frog lives.
But Bertie says I must give you a warning.
This story is a bit scary.
Because, as you probably know, Halloween is the night when all the spooks and goblins and ghosts come out to play.
So if any of you find that too frightening, then turn your sound off now.
Well, that's good.
Now that we've got rid of a few fraidy cats, I'll tell you the story of Halloween on the Pond.
MUSIC PLAYS
It was the day before Halloween.
Bertie and all his friends were splashing around just as they do on any ordinary day.
But it wasn't an ordinary day.
And it certainly wasn't going to be any ordinary sort of night.
But for now, Sadie was calmly admiring her reflection in the pond.
And Colin the carp was moaning about, well, just about anything and everything.
So nothing out of the ordinary there.
And Bertie and Tim the tadpole were playing a game of 20 questions.
Except it wasn't going very well because the only thing Bertie could think of was skateboard.
And the only vegetable that Tim could think of was green slime.
Which made it all a bit easy.
As they were playing, Tim saw Princess Beatrice and the little children from the palace collecting giant pumpkins from the vegetable patch.
What are those very large things, Bertie? said Tim.
Those?
They're vegetables.
Oh, I didn't know the vegetables were so scary.
Well, my tiny friend, said Bertie, that's because they're meant to be scary.
The children are going to hollow the pumpkins out and put candles inside them so that they light up for Halloween and look exactly like horrid, scary monsters.
Oh, said Tim.
I'm rather frightened.
Because you see, Tim is only very small.
Even by the standard of tadpoles, he gets frightened rather easily.
Just then, Colin the carp, who is a very grumpy fish, snapped his teeth loudly behind Tim's back.
So loudly, in fact, that Tim squeaked loudly and tumbled back into the pond with a tiny little splash.
Huh, Halloween's a good time for scaring small and silly creatures, growled Colin.
When Tim returned timidly to the surface, Bertie continued to explain all about Halloween.
It's the most brilliant night of the year.
When I was a prince, I used to go trick or treating.
I would knock on doors and say, royal trick or treat.
And if people didn't give me sweeties and chocolate, then I would play a trick on them.
But most people were a bit scared.
And they gave me a treat.
And so every Halloween I had the most yummy, scrummy time.
Fabulous, cried little Tim.
Can we go trick-or-treating, Bertie?
I promise to be really, really scary.
And people will give us loads of green slime and other delicious things.
And so Bertie decreed that this year the pond life would go trick or treating.
Sadie, Bertie and Tim thought long and hard about what kind of costumes they should wear.
Then Tim had a brilliant idea, which is rather unusual for him.
Why don't we go as swan, a frog and a tadpole, he said.
Sadie walked in front and Tim hopped onto Bertie's back and they wandered through the vegetable patch and started down the street.
Sadie tapped on the doors with her beak and by the end of the evening they had collected loads and loads of sweets.
They had jelly babies and toffees and biscuits and chewy things and...
It's making me a bit peckish just thinking about it.
And when they had as much as Sadie could carry in her wings and Bertie could stuff in his mouth, they decided to go back to the pond.
But as they drew close, a thick mist was hanging over the pond.
Three human beings were taking a walk through the dark.
But were they really human?
After all, it was Halloween.
Oh, said Tim.
What are those strange creatures, Bertie?
Are they scary monsters?
Well, said Bertie.
I would say, based on my experience of magic and the supernatural, that what we see there is a big witch and two baby witches.
Suddenly, one of the little witches called out, Trick or treat!
And her friend said, Trick or treat!
And at that very instant, Colin the carp leapt up out of the water with a dead fly in his mouth.
And he put it right down in front of the tall figure who, as it turned out, was the lovely Princess Beatrice, who had dressed up as a witch for Halloween.
Here's your treat, said Colin.
Princess Beatrice who, as well as being very lovely and sweet, is also very afraid of creepy crawlies and besides, had never heard a carp speak before jumped up in the air.
She shrieked.
And she ran all the way back to the palace, with the two little witches following her, as fast as they could.
Ha!
That will teach you to come around here asking for treats, grumped Colin.
If only, Bertie mused, a real witch would come and put a spell on him.
What's the use of all those pretend witches?
Little did Bertie know that just then, in front of the full moon, a wicked witch was flying past on her broom.
And that the wicked witch was none other than Princess Beatrice's stepmother.
And since it had been a rather dull Halloween and she hadn't found anybody to turn into a frog or a toad, she was delighted to overhear Bertie calling for the services of a really grade A official and fully certified wicked witch.
She went flying low over the surface of the pond on her broomstick, leaving a huge wake of surf and green slime.
She screeched, let those who moan turn to stone.
When she was gone and all was quiet once again, little Tim said, Oh, that was rather scary.
Nonsense, said Bertie.
It wasn't frightening at all.
I just hid behind this tree as a sensible precaution.
And so the pond life went to bed.
And I'm glad to say that none of them had any nightmares at all.
But Bertie felt just a little bit sick because he had eaten so many scrummy sweeties.
But when the sun began to rise over the palace and stretch her warm autumn rays over the pond, Sadie the Swan was admiring a new fountain that she hadn't noticed before.
''My,'' she said, ''that stone fish with water coming out of his mouth looks just like Colin.''
I wonder who could have made it in his honour.
Yes, said Bertie.
I'd recognise that ugly mug anywhere, but... Hey, wait.
Do you know what?
I think it is Colin.
Oh, don't be silly, said Sadie.
Oh, but then again... Oh, I think you're right.
You don't suppose that that wicked stepmother could really have turned Colin into stone?
I do suppose, said Bertie.
Look what she did to me.
I used to be a handsome prince.
And although the little tadpoles had a lovely day free from Colin's tricks and his moaning and groaning, Bertie began to feel just a little bit guilty.
After all, it was he who had asked for the help of a wicked witch.
But he hadn't meant it.
Not really.
We all say things we don't mean when we're a bit cross.
So he thought of a plan.
And that night he hopped over to pay a visit to the wicked stepmother.
He was rather frightened because, after all, she is a very wicked witch indeed.
He waited for a long time outside her door, feeling rather nervous.
Eventually, he called out.
When the wicked stepmother came out, he shouted.
Before she could reply, he splattered her with green slime and hopped away as fast as his bendy legs could carry him.
Bertie! she shouted.
Bertie waited until it was very late at night, past half past seven.
Then he knocked loudly on the door again.
And when she came out, he shouted, Trick or treat!
Then Bertie hopped away.
Just you wait.
I'll get you, Bertie.
You've gone too far, my filthy little frog.
And then he waited until the king came to say goodnight to the wicked stepmother.
The king knocked on the door quite loudly.
Suddenly the door flew open and the wicked stepmother leaned out shouting...
I'll turn you into a maggot, you stupid piece of green slime.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry, your royal highness.
I didn't mean to.
But the king strutted angrily down the corridor.
The wicked stepmother was rather afraid.
Just then, Bertie hopped into view.
Er, trick or treat, he said mildly.
And even though the wicked stepmother was very cross, she realised she had been outwitted and she agreed to come down to the pond and turn Colin back into a fish again.
And all the pond life were very pleased to see Colin swimming about once again.
Because even though he was a bit grumpy, he still is their friend.
And friends are very important.
And they saved up a couple of chocolate-flavoured dead flies, so that even Colin the carp cheered up for a little bit.
And that's the true story, Nori, of Prince Bertie the Frog's Halloween.
Do you think you will see any ghosts or goblins this year?
I hope you don't really.
But I do hope you get lots and lots of treats.
I'll be back soon with another story.
And don't forget.
So until next time, from me, Natasha, bye bye.
