Hello and welcome to Super Great Kids Stories.
Wise tales from storytellers around the world who will make you laugh and sometimes cry.
Recommended for ages 5 to 105.
I'm Kim and I love stories.
Today, we have not one, but two stories.
The first is The Grumpy Gecko, told by Wendy Shearer.
And the second a birthday bonus for all our listeners, is The Boy Who Drew Cats, told by Tim Ralphs.
Oh, happy birthday, happy birthday.
Now you may or you may not know, but I want to tell you that this is the fifth episode Birthday of Super Great Kids Stories.
We've been going for a long time.
Five years going.
Super Great Kids Stories.
Oh, thanks, Toop, for that cheery message.
Yes, Super Great Kids.
We're all very happy because it's our fifth birthday and we're putting on a live show at the Irish Cultural Centre in London this Saturday, September the 20th, to celebrate.
All Super Great Kids listeners are very welcome.
There are still a few tickets left.
To buy them, follow the links in the news section on our website supergreatkidsstoriescom, or go to the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith website.
Thanks to you and your love of stories, what started as a very small idea during the COVID pandemic has grown bigger and bigger and bigger and suddenly Super Great.
David and I have been sharing stories for five years.
And now loads of children and families around the world listen regularly to traditional tales.
And we've got to know many wonderful storytellers and even managed to publish some of these stories in a book with the help of Bloomsbury Publishers.
Yippity-doo-dah-day!
Hurrah for story lovers and hurrah for ideas which grow like little acorns into well, slightly bigger acorns.
Now, just before we start the first of this week's stories, here's a little question for you.
Both stories today have a lot of animals in them so here's a little animal game for you.
Start with an animal beginning with A, like aardvark or antelope, and then choose an animal beginning with B, like bunny or bear or brontosaurus, and see how far through the alphabet you can get.
While we have a quick word with the grown-ups.
Ready?
We've done A for antelope and B for bear.
See if you can think of an animal beginning with C. Meow.
Off you go.
Hello, super great kids.
I'm back.
I wonder how far into the alphabet you got.
Well done if you got beyond G and amazing raisins if you got as far as J for jaguar.
Now I wonder if gecko is what you chose for the letter G, because this week's story is about a little gecko, which is a type of lizard who was not very good at getting on with other animals in his neighbourhood.
I wonder if you know anyone like that?
A bit of a moaner.
Let's give a warm welcome to storyteller Wendy Shearer and find out what happens to this particular little lizard.
Hello super great kids!
Today I'm going to tell you a wonderful story that comes all the way from Bali in Indonesia.
It's called The Grumpy Gecko.
This story is set in the middle of the rainforest in the middle of the night.
Gecko.
The lizard was stretched out on the trunk of a tree, hanging upside down, catching flies and mosquitoes, rolling out his tongue and rolling it back in.
Can you do that?
Roll out your tongue.
Roll it back in.
Well, that's exactly what Gecko the lizard was doing.
But he was feeling quite cross.
All of the night creatures were keeping him awake in the forest, with their noise, their busyness, and he was not happy about it.
He strolled over to where Tiger was, curled up at the foot of a flame tree, sleeping peacefully under its scarlet flowers.
Gecko prodded him awake.
Tiger!
Tiger!
Wake up!
Wake up!
I can't get to sleep!
I can't get to sleep!
Tiger opened one eye lazily and wondered what Gecko could possibly need in the middle of the night.
What is the problem? growled Tiger.
Well, the fireflies, they keep flashing and flicking and flicking and flashing all night long.
Their bright lights are keeping me awake, complained the gecko.
And then he rolled out his tongue to catch a fly.
Are you ready?
Roll out your tongue.
Roll it back in.
You're in charge here.
Make them stop, Tiger.
Tiger yawned and stretched out his long legs.
All you could see were the stripes on his body rising up and down.
He knew that Gecko would keep complaining if he didn't get to the bottom of this problem.
Okay, Gecko, I'll go and speak with the fireflies.
He strolled off into the forest.
The boar frogs were croaking out their nighttime chorus.
Croak!
Croak!
Croak!
Croak!
Tiger headed towards the shimmering light of the fireflies dancing between the blades of grass.
And they were excited to see Tiger at this time of the night.
Tiger is here!
Tiger is here!
The fireflies called out nervously and giggled to each other.
They were not used to seeing him.
Now everyone, I'm going to need your help to do the flashing and flicking.
Can you raise your fingers up and open and close them like flashing lights together with me whenever the fireflies are flashing?
Fireflies, growled Tiger.
You are keeping the gecko awake with your flashing and flicking and flicking and flashing.
And that is keeping me awake.
Oh, sorry, tiger, replied the fireflies.
You are right.
We have been flashing and flicking, they giggled.
Their bodies were shining even more brightly in the darkness.
But only because we have a very important job to do.
We are passing on the woodpecker's warning.
The woodpecker is drumming out a warning on the trees.
If you want us to stop, you need to go and speak to the woodpecker.
And with that, the fireflies carried on.
Are you ready?
Here we go.
Flashing and flicking and flicking and flashing.
Tiger sighed wearily and padded off softly to find the woodpecker.
He followed the sound of the drumming beat and soon he came across the trunk of a silk cotton tree which stretched up high above them like a giant beanstalk.
Woodpecker was at the top, tapping.
Why don't you tap out this beat with me?
Tap, tap, tapping.
Tap, tap, tapping.
Tap, tap, tapping.
Tap, tap, tapping.
Excuse me, Woodpecker, growled Tiger.
Please can you tell me, why are you drumming so loudly in the middle of the night?
You are making the fireflies.
Are you ready, everybody?
We're going to have to do some flashing and flicking.
Flashing and flicking and flicking and flashing.
That is keeping the gecko awake, which is keeping me awake.
Well, the woodpecker stopped drumming for a moment and peered down its long beak at Tiger.
Tiger!
Tiger!
Yes, it is true.
I have got a very important job to do.
I am drumming on the trunk of a tree to warn everyone about the dung that the beetle is rolling around the path.
Someone might step in it.
So if you want me to stop, you'll need to go and speak to the dung beetle.
And with that the woodpecker puffed up his feathers and turned its beak back to the tree and began tapping.
Thank you, woodpecker.
I will have to go and speak to the dung beetle, said tiger, and off he went, growling and prowling through the forest.
The path was lit up by the moonlight streaming in between the canopy of leaves, and the dung beetle was hard at work rolling up a giant ball of dung.
She didn't notice Tiger approaching.
Beetle, Beetle, look where you're going, roared Tiger, narrowly missing Beetle's dung ball.
Can you please tell me why are you rolling and heaving and pushing great big balls of poo on the middle of the path?
Woodpecker is tapping on the trunk of the tree and the fireflies keep.
Let's do it flashing and flicking, and flicking and flashing.
The fireflies are keeping the gecko awake, which is keeping me awake.
Well, the beetle was very, very surprised.
She stopped and she wiped the sweat from her brow.
It's quite hard work rolling up dung, you know.
Oh, I'm so sorry, Tiger.
I don't mean to keep anybody awake.
It's just that the water buffalo is dropping great big piles of poo in the middle of the forest.
And so I'm just rolling it up so that no one will step in it.
If you want me to stop, well, you need to go and speak to the water buffalo.
Oh, sighed Tiger.
You're doing a very good job.
I will indeed go and speak to the water buffalo.
And so Tiger made his way along the paths that twisted and turned with the barks of the trees.
He found the water buffalo stretched out in his muddy swamp and he got up very slowly from the muddy swamp.
He stepped over to the path just in front of Tiger and was just about to do a great big blop blop blop, blop.
Stop, stop, roared Tiger.
What are you doing?
Why are you dropping great big piles of poo in the middle of the forest in the middle of the night?
You are making the dung beetle push and heave and roll it up.
Which is making the woodpecker drum out a beat on the tree.
Which is making the fireflies flash and flick.
Which is keeping the gecko awake.
Which is keeping me awake?
Oh dear, oh dear.
I'm so sorry, tiger, stammered the water buffalo.
I didn't mean to keep anybody awake.
I have been dropping great big piles of poo in the middle of the path, but only because I'm trying to fill up the holes that have been made by the rain when it pours down from the sky.
And so if I didn't do that, everyone would fall into the holes.
Oh, yes, you are doing quite a good job, agreed Tiger.
If you want me to stop, stop, you've got to go and speak to the rain.
Oh dear, thought Tiger, I'm never going to get any sleep tonight.
But he decided he'd need to go and speak to the rain.
Now I ask you everyone, to the rain.
Where do you think Tiger ought to go?
Hmm, maybe we can send him into the clouds, but first he'll need to find a mountain.
So Tiger made his way through the forest.
The sun was beginning to peep out, sprinkling its rosy colours across the sky.
Tiger headed for the highest mountain peak where the rainfall streams down into many rivers.
He began to climb.
Tiger climbed higher and higher and higher and higher.
He pushed past the green vines hanging down from the rocks.
He climbed and he climbed and he stumbled through the humid heat.
He kept on climbing higher and higher and higher and higher, and soon the cool mist from the clouds began to hang down around him until finally, Tiger reached the top.
Tiger sat in the long grass and he stared out across the forest down below.
He saw a blanket of vibrant green trees and plants.
He sniffed and he smelt the pink and white lilies.
His ears twitched as he listened to the sound of the waterfall crashing in the distance.
He watched the water trickling down the mountainside into the streams and rivers.
Tiger began to take a sip from one of the puddles next to him.
And as he drank, he thought to himself, I don't need to ask the rain to stop raining.
We need the rain.
We need the rain to help the plants grow.
We need the rain for us to drink.
We need the rain for us to clean ourselves.
So Tiger decided he was not going to ask the rain to stop.
Instead, He made his way slowly back down the mountain.
He walked through the forest as the night creatures were slowly going to sleep.
He passed the water buffalo in the muddy swamp.
He passed the dung beetle rolling up the dung.
He passed the woodpecker drumming on the trunk of a tree.
And he passed the fireflies who were, can you remember what they were doing?
Are you ready?
Let's do one last flash and flick.
Flashing and flicking and flicking and flashing.
And as Tiger passed the fireflies, he found the grumpy gecko who was stretched out hanging underneath the branch of a tree, catching flies and mosquitoes.
Can you roll out your tongue one last time?
As soon as the grumpy gecko saw Tiger, he asked, Tiger!
Tiger!
Did you speak to all of those fireflies and get them to stop all of that flashing and flicking and keeping me awake?
Yes, I did speak to the fireflies, replied Tiger.
And I spoke to many of the creatures in the forest.
I found out that everyone... has an important job to do.
And we all need each other.
You are going to have to learn to live with everyone in peace and harmony, Gecko.
And with that, the tiger lets out one great, big, loud roar.
Here we go, after three.
One, two, three.
Roar!
The gecko listened to the tiger, crawled back to the tree, hung himself upside down, closed his eyes and finally went to sleep.
Oh, thank you so much, Wendy.
Poor little gecko.
I'm glad he got to sleep in the end.
Imagine going to sleep by hanging upside down.
I'm glad I'm not a gecko.
I think I'd be very grumpy if I had to sleep upside down.
There are quite a few stories about animals and people who are annoyed when they can't sleep.
Remember Sky God in How the Stars Became?
Do you get grumpy when you haven't slept enough?
Do your grown-ups?
Sleep is such a wonderful thing and you feel like a different person after you've slept well.
That's why your grown-ups are always very keen for you to get to bed on time.
In Russia they say the morning is wiser than the evening, which means if you've got something important you want to tell someone, or a big decision to make, do it in the morning, when you and everyone else is rested.
It's a good idea.
Now It's time to fly around the world with StoryOwl and say hello and thank you to some owlets who've recently joined our storytelling club.
Let's begin by heading east and flying to Singapore, where a brave owlet called Ava, who is five, is recovering after falling over and having to have stitches.
Ouch!
She's been getting better by listening to super great scary stories.
Her favourites are The Hairy Toe and The Ghost of the Bloody Finger.
Thanks Ava.
Hope you're feeling better now.
Who'd have thought that scary stories would be good medicine?
And now...
Let's head to sunny Johannesburg in South Africa to greet superfan Motheo, who is six and has been a devoted listener since he was three.
He listens to the stories on the way to school in the mornings or relaxing in the lounge after a long day.
His favourites are The Ghost of the Bloody Finger and Ratoncito Perez, the Toothmouse.
He's listened to these stories many times.
Ooh, that's a very good way of becoming a storyteller, Motheo.
I wonder if you've tried telling your favourite stories to anyone.
Let's head out from South Africa now all the way to San Jose in California, where Vivanche is turning six on September, the 19th, the same week that Super Great Kids Stories turns five.
Vivanche has been listening for a year and his favourite story is Lollaba and the Eagle, a story from Sudan.
And let's fly to Abilene in Texas next, where Scarlet, who is six, and her five-year-old sister Avery, listen every night.
In order to earn their Owlet membership, they've been extra helpful.
Hurrah!
Well done!
Their favourites include The Weeping Willow, Bungoo the Flying Fox and How the Lion Got His Roar.
And now let's fly to Philadelphia, on the east coast of the US, to greet sibling owlets Jude, who is eight, and Gigi, who is five and a half.
They listen all the time at home, abroad and in the car.
Jude's favourite stories are Masha and the Big Brown Bear, How Maui Slowed the Sun and A White Bear for the King.
While Gigi especially likes Little Half Chick, Thor and the Stone Giant and the Whistling Giants.
Hurrah!
Now, let's fly across to Switzerland to greet Tikku, who is five.
He listens every night and his favourite is the magic orange tree.
Particularly, he says, the singing.
Ah yes, don't get me started on that song or I'll be singing it into next week.
It's very catchy, isn't it, Tikku?
And now, over to Bedfordshire, here in England, to greet Owlet Finian, who's soon to turn seven.
Finian was born in New Mexico but has become a world traveller.
Hurrah!
He's a keen drawer and likes playing goalkeeper in football.
His favourites are the Anansi stories, especially Anansi and Tiger Fat.
Yes, I like that one too, especially the song.
Yesterday this time me I am Tiger Fat.
Yesterday this time me, I am tiger fat.
Anyway, that's enough of that.
And staying here in the UK, let's fly to Chepstow in Wales, close to the border with England, to greet twin owlets, Teddy and Tabby, who are four.
And like Finian, they've also recently moved from the US to the UK.
They love all stories, especially Rabbit Tricks Wolf and The Two Silly Witches.
I hope you're enjoying your new school and that the children there will enjoy any songs or stories which you can share with them.
That's it for Owlet Welcomes this week.
We really appreciate your support.
More welcomes next week!
And our Pick of the Week picture goes to seven-year-old Fox from beautiful Maine in the US for a dramatic drawing of the scary story Mabel and Black Anise.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Fox.
It's so imaginative the way you've drawn Black Anise, the witch, towering over Mabel with her iron claws, black hair and blue face.
Yikes!
And your picture of the little cat Marlow is so good.
Mabel looks delighted to be reunited with her little kitty.
Well done Fox.
You can see that on our Facebook page and soon you'll be able to see it on our new Super Great Kids Gallery, which will be part of our website.
Do send us any pictures inspired by that story of the grumpy gecko.
Send them to our Facebook page or to our website supergreatkidsstoriescom, and Story Owl will reply to you.
And do listen to our second story for this week.
It's great fun, especially if you like drawing or cats or both.
It's told by Tim Ralphs, who told you the cat who ate the palace.
It's a little bit scary, but we rate it lower than a one-screen rating.
And thanks to all of you who are subscribing to our podcast.
We really appreciate those of you who feel you can support us on Apple or Patreon.
It helps us to pay our storytellers and it gives you access to all the Super Great Scary Stories.
And depending on your level of subscription to nearly 60 bonus stories.
Plus, you'll get access to our Super Great Kids Stories Express, which cuts straight to the story.
Great for listening to stories back to back.
Visit our website for more details supergreatkidsstoriescom.
That's it for now.
Remember, you'll get a discount if you order our super great book before it's published on November the 4th in the US or December the 4th in Australia, and you'll be helping us to get the book noticed and share all those traditional tales with more super great kids.
You'll find the discount link in the news section on our website.
Kate Toop, Super Great David and I are looking forward to meeting some of you in person this Saturday at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith.
If you like, you could come dressed as your favourite character, but not essential.
Come as yourself.
Or you could simply put a band-aid or plaster on your finger and we'll know who you're dressed as.
Enjoy the second story and have a happy week.
This podcast was produced by Kim Normanton and David Smith at Wardall Studios in fabulous Fitzrovia in London.
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