Halloween in Sleepy Forest 🐨👻 Rewind Kids Bedtime Stories

[00:00:10] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream.

[00:00:21] To everyone everywhere, Happy Halloween from the UK!

[00:00:25] As the nights draw in and the daylight hours shrink, we can all look forward to soon lighting more candles, stringing up metres of twinkly lights, inside and out, and maybe even sitting by the warm glow of the fireside telling stories and playing games.

[00:00:43] For there's only one thing to do when it starts to get cold and dark, and that is to welcome in the light.

[00:00:50] Get snuggly with family, and think about partying with friends.

[00:00:56] Here in Sleepy Forest, we're finding there's plenty to celebrate at this time of year, with Sukkot, Diwali, Halloween, and Bonfire Night all coming so close together.

[00:01:08] And tonight, I'm taking you to a very special Halloween celebration.

[00:01:14] Before we begin, a quick message for the grown-ups.

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[00:01:32] But now, here's a quick word from our sponsors.

[00:01:35] Hello Koala Moon listeners!

[00:01:37] If you have babies and toddlers in your family, then this announcement is for you.

[00:01:42] I'd like to tell you about my other sleep show, Koala Tots.

[00:01:46] It's got all the magic of Koala Moon, but it's made especially for the littlest of listeners, babies and toddlers.

[00:01:52] Koala Tots is packed with soothing stories and calming rhymes, perfect for helping babies and toddlers sleep like a dream.

[00:02:01] Not only are the stories incredibly relaxing, but they have easy-to-understand language and gentle repetition, designed to help with babies' cognitive development as they drift off to sleep.

[00:02:12] There's even appearances from some of the Koala Moon star favourites, alongside the cutest episodes like How to Hug a Hedgehog and Nugget's Cozy Night.

[00:02:23] So search Koala Tots on your favourite podcast player, and hit follow so you can find it easily, night after night.

[00:02:33] A new animal has come to the forest to start a new life, and wants to make lots of friends.

[00:02:40] We all know that feeling.

[00:02:42] And we all know the best way to do that is to throw a good party.

[00:02:47] So, as you snuggle down and close your eyes, think about Halloween and what you might want to dress up as.

[00:02:55] Don't worry if you can't think of anything, or if you're too tired to try.

[00:02:59] I'm sure you'll get some great ideas from this story.

[00:03:03] Relax and settle in, as I begin.

[00:03:08] Halloween in Sleepy Forest by Alicia Ainsley

[00:03:19] Sleepy Forest was well known throughout the magical kingdom for being a most wonderful place to live.

[00:03:27] Everyone there was so friendly, and there were always lots of exciting adventures happening, every single day.

[00:03:36] That's why when animals heard all about Sleepy Forest, they wanted to live there too.

[00:03:42] And no one more so than Spooky the Bush Baby.

[00:03:47] When Spooky heard word about the wonders of Sleepy Forest, he knew that it would be the perfect place to live.

[00:03:57] Bush babies are sometimes called night monkeys after all.

[00:04:02] So a Sleepy Forest would be the perfect location for Spooky to build his new home.

[00:04:11] Spooky travelled all the way from South America to Sleepy Forest on one bright sunny day.

[00:04:17] But by the time he arrived, the sun had set in the sky and the moon was shimmering bright in its place.

[00:04:27] It was a perfect welcome for Spooky to the place that he would call his new home.

[00:04:36] Spooky set to work building his new house straight away.

[00:04:41] Over the next couple of days, he built his very own big teepee in the middle of a clearing in the heart of Sleepy Forest.

[00:04:51] The teepee had a tall pointed roof with a little hole in the top, so that as Spooky lay down in his bed,

[00:05:00] he could gaze up at the stars in the night sky floating above the world.

[00:05:07] He painted the outside of his tent with pictures of himself and other bush babies dancing in the African forests.

[00:05:16] Additionally, he tied a little white flag to the top of the tallest teepee stick that flapped and fluttered in the wind.

[00:05:26] The teepee looked quite lovely.

[00:05:28] And when Spooky stood back to admire his finished handiwork, he felt proud.

[00:05:36] Spooky quickly made himself at home in Sleepy Forest.

[00:05:41] He loved his little teepee house, and he adored his daily strolls through the forest, saying hello to the birds in the trees.

[00:05:51] The only problem that Spooky found was that Sleepy Forest was so big that he was struggling to meet all of the animals that lived there.

[00:06:02] Everyone was so busy going on with their adventures that he was finding it difficult to catch them at home.

[00:06:10] Since Spooky was new to the area, he really wanted to introduce himself to every animal nearby.

[00:06:19] He just couldn't wait to make some friends.

[00:06:23] One cool October evening, Spooky laid back on his bed and gazed up through the hole in the teepee.

[00:06:31] He watched the stars twinkle in the sky and noticed how misty clouds draped across the moon that evening.

[00:06:42] Spooky had always loved the month of October.

[00:06:47] He loved how mystical everywhere felt as the colder months set in,

[00:06:53] and his favourite holiday of the year was always Halloween.

[00:06:58] Then Spooky suddenly had a brilliant idea.

[00:07:04] His large beady eyes grew even wider, and they twinkled like the stars.

[00:07:11] He would hold a Halloween party and invite everyone in Sleepy Forest to come.

[00:07:20] That would be a perfect way to make some new friends.

[00:07:25] He would make food, and everyone could come dressed up as their favourite character and play games together.

[00:07:34] It would be a perfect way for Spooky to meet everyone in one go, and hopefully make lots of new friends in the process.

[00:07:45] Once Spooky had the idea, he couldn't sleep any longer.

[00:07:50] He leapt up from his bed with a huge bush baby leap and landed on the ground on all fours.

[00:07:59] His long fuzzy tail wagged from side to side like a happy dog.

[00:08:06] He couldn't contain his eagerness.

[00:08:10] Spooky set to work, making the most important thing that he would need.

[00:08:15] Invitations.

[00:08:17] Spooky grabbed his paint pots and brushes, and cut up several big pieces of cardboard into smaller invitation-sized postcards.

[00:08:28] Then he set to work.

[00:08:32] Spooky was very good at painting, and he designed a delightfully colourful invitation,

[00:08:38] popping with bright colours of pumpkin orange, deep purple, and lime green.

[00:08:44] He listed all the important details for his guests, such as where the party was being held, his teepee, what time, seven o'clock sharp, and what to wear.

[00:09:03] A costume of something you find spooky.

[00:09:06] Spooky.

[00:09:07] Oh, and he almost forgot.

[00:09:09] The date of the party was, of course, the 31st of October.

[00:09:16] Halloween night.

[00:09:19] Spooky the bush baby stayed up all night, making as many invitations for his Halloween party as possible.

[00:09:28] His tummy felt bubbly as he became even more excited with every invitation that he created.

[00:09:39] By the end of the night, he must have made almost a hundred invitations for his party.

[00:09:46] It was going to take him a long time to deliver them all, so he enlisted the help of the birds in the trees, asking them to help deliver the invitations to as many sleepy forest animals as possible.

[00:10:04] The birds flew off to complete their task, while Spooky prepared to tackle the rest of his to-do list for the party.

[00:10:15] He only had two days to prepare everything, so he would have to work around the clock to make it perfect.

[00:10:26] First of all, he needed to make lots and lots of decorations for the inside of his teepee.

[00:10:34] He made wall decorations in the shapes of witches' hats and pumpkin faces, and stuck them all up.

[00:10:43] Then he created bunting, in colours of orange, purple and green, to hang and drape from the ceiling.

[00:10:54] Next, he placed a large black cloth over his dining table, and sprinkled enchanting glitter over the top of it.

[00:11:03] He laid out lots of bowls and plates on the table, ready to be filled with food and treats closer to the time of the party.

[00:11:16] Spooky looked around at his teepee, and he thought it looked nice, but it was missing some really authentic spooky elements for his Halloween party that he just couldn't do on his own.

[00:11:30] He would need to enlist some help.

[00:11:33] So he spoke to some of the friendly spiders in the bushes, and asked them if they could spin a few webs inside his teepee, to make it look extra mysterious.

[00:11:46] The spiders were happy to oblige, and they took their time spinning beautiful, intricate webs in the various corners of Spooky's teepee.

[00:11:59] Spooky also wanted his guests to have an amazing first impression when they arrived for his party.

[00:12:07] After all, first impressions count.

[00:12:26] Spooky and the earth dragon built several small bonfires out of sticks and twigs from the forest floor, and placed them in the forest.

[00:12:41] Spooky and the earth dragon placed them on either side of the entrance to the teepee.

[00:12:45] Then, the earth dragon blew hard with its fiery breath, and lit up the small bonfires.

[00:12:54] They lit up with flames, and Spooky gasped with amazement.

[00:12:59] The outside of his teepee looked absolutely fantastic.

[00:13:06] Everyone who came to his party would be so impressed.

[00:13:12] Spooky thanked the earth dragon for his help, and discovered that his name was Clover.

[00:13:20] Spooky invited Clover to come to his Halloween party, and the big dragon was absolutely delighted to get an invite.

[00:13:31] Clover declared that he would be there at seven o'clock sharp, and would make sure that his costume was extra special for the occasion.

[00:13:44] Time was running out as the day of the Halloween party arrived, and Spooky still had lots to do.

[00:13:54] He still had the food and treats to make, and he still had all the games to set up.

[00:14:02] He really hoped that he wouldn't run out of time.

[00:14:06] He wanted his guests to be impressed, and he hoped that he would make lots of new friends tonight.

[00:14:16] Spooky the bush baby hadn't slept in three days he'd been so busy.

[00:14:21] But hopefully, it would all pay off when everyone arrived to enjoy his hard work.

[00:14:30] Spooky spent the day of the party baking Halloween cookies, making a pumpkin pie, and concocting a fruit punch that looked like a magic potion in a witch's cauldron.

[00:14:45] He set up all the games he had planned, and then sat down in the middle of his teepee.

[00:14:53] Everything was ready to go.

[00:14:55] All he needed now were some guests.

[00:15:01] Spooky looked at his watch.

[00:15:04] There were just two hours to go until the guests would arrive.

[00:15:09] He let out a little yawn and thought about taking a nap before the party began.

[00:15:16] He walked over to his bed and laid down on the mattress.

[00:15:21] But just as his head hit the pillow, he made a big realization.

[00:15:28] He hadn't got a costume for his Halloween party.

[00:15:35] Spooky cried, leaping out of bed.

[00:15:38] What was he going to do?

[00:15:42] Spooky couldn't believe that he had forgotten one of the most important things for a Halloween party.

[00:15:50] You couldn't be the host and not have a fantastic costume.

[00:15:56] Spooky sighed and looked around his teepee.

[00:16:00] He had used all of his materials to make the decorations, and he had nothing left to create a costume with.

[00:16:09] His guests would be so disappointed by his lack of a festive costume.

[00:16:15] This was a disaster.

[00:16:19] Spooky sat outside his tent in the cool night air and watched the flames of the bonfires flicker and burn.

[00:16:30] Spooky sat outside his tent in the cool night.

[00:16:31] He had gotten a new day ago.

[00:16:33] And he had run out of time.

[00:16:36] As spooky sat, feeling sorry for himself, Clover, the earth dragon that he had met the day before, walked by.

[00:16:47] Clover, the earth dragon, was already wearing his costume for the party.

[00:16:53] He was dressed up like a knight in shining armor.

[00:16:59] The dragon wore a helmet on his head and chainmail across his chest,

[00:17:05] with a pretend sword attached to a belt around his waist.

[00:17:09] It was a very good costume.

[00:17:13] Clover the Earth Dragon noticed Spooky and waved to him.

[00:17:19] Are you excited for your party?

[00:17:22] He asked with glee.

[00:17:25] I know I am.

[00:17:26] Do you like my costume?

[00:17:29] Spooky smiled weakly and responded that he loved the dragon's costume,

[00:17:35] but that he himself had made a grave mistake.

[00:17:41] He had forgotten all about making a costume for himself,

[00:17:47] and now he had nothing to wear for his own party.

[00:17:53] Clover could see that Spooky was a little bit sad, and he chewed his lip in thought.

[00:18:01] Then, he had an idea.

[00:18:04] He told Spooky that he might have an old costume in his closet at home that Spooky could use.

[00:18:13] He had been a lot smaller when he was a baby,

[00:18:16] so maybe one of his childhood costumes would fit Spooky, the tiny bush baby.

[00:18:24] Spooky's sad eyes brightened up with hope.

[00:18:27] Would you really do that for me?

[00:18:31] Spooky asked with disbelief.

[00:18:34] Of course, Clover the Earth Dragon replied.

[00:18:39] That's what friends are for.

[00:18:42] We help each other.

[00:18:45] Spooky smiled gratefully as Clover ran off home to search for a costume that Spooky could borrow.

[00:18:55] Spooky wasn't sure whether he was happier about the prospect of finally having a costume for his party,

[00:19:04] or the fact that the kind dragon had just referred to him as a friend.

[00:19:13] Clover returned half an hour later with two costumes in hand.

[00:19:17] Spooky could choose to dress up as a cute little stripy tiger or a pretty pink flower.

[00:19:28] Spooky chose the tiger option and quickly changed into his costume before the guests started arriving.

[00:19:37] With only minutes to spare, Spooky and the Earth Dragon hit the music and the Halloween party came to life.

[00:19:48] Spooky switched off the lights in his teepee, leaving only glittering fairy lights and lanterns to dimly light up the interior of the room.

[00:20:02] Spooky's Halloween party looked perfectly spooky.

[00:20:09] Spooky and the Earth Dragon waited patiently for the other guests to arrive.

[00:20:16] Spooky came, but there was no one else in sight.

[00:20:22] Spooky was sure that he had stated on the invitation that it started at seven.

[00:20:29] Maybe nobody was coming.

[00:20:33] After all his hard work, perhaps nobody could make it to Spooky's party.

[00:20:40] Spooky, or maybe everyone's invitations had gotten lost in the bird mail.

[00:20:48] Clover whispered to Spooky.

[00:20:51] Don't worry.

[00:20:53] Even if nobody else comes, you and I will have a great time.

[00:21:01] Spooky was grateful for his reassurance, but Spooky had been desperate to have a chance to meet as many residents of Sleepy Forest as possible.

[00:21:12] It was hard being new to an area and striking up new friendships.

[00:21:18] This Halloween party was supposed to be Spooky's ticket to feeling like a part of the community.

[00:21:27] Plus, he had worked all day and all night for the past three days to get the party ready.

[00:21:34] Spooky, he was positively exhausted.

[00:21:38] He hoped it hadn't all been for nothing.

[00:21:42] Just as Spooky was starting to think that nobody else was coming to his party,

[00:21:49] he heard a commotion, coming from through the trees and off in the distance.

[00:21:56] It sounded like lots of voices chatting and laughing with one another.

[00:22:02] Oh dear, Spooky thought to himself.

[00:22:07] Did I plan my Halloween party on the same night as someone else's?

[00:22:13] It would be a disaster if so.

[00:22:17] But right at that moment, Spooky and the Earth Dragon watched as a parade of festively dressed up animals

[00:22:26] and the trees, bustled and burst through the trees and into the clearing where Spooky's teepee stood.

[00:22:35] The group of animals ooed and aahed at the amazingly decorated teepee,

[00:22:42] surrounded by a wall of fire.

[00:22:48] Spooky hopped up to his feet and graciously welcomed them all to his Halloween party.

[00:22:56] Everyone made their way inside and the party well and truly got started.

[00:23:04] Spooky was so relieved as he saw how many sleepy forest animals had turned up to celebrate with him.

[00:23:14] He recognised many of them, but some of them were new faces to him.

[00:23:19] He couldn't wait to introduce himself to every single guest.

[00:23:26] He recognised Adrenaline the Tortoise and Orion and his son Cosmo, the Dream Givers,

[00:23:34] getting stuck in with some of the games.

[00:23:36] He spotted Coco the Koala and Lana the Bear helping themselves to the buffet.

[00:23:42] And he saw Midnight the Fairy teaching Minnie the Magical Cat how to bob for apples.

[00:23:52] Everybody seemed to be having a great time already, and the costumes were positively brilliant.

[00:24:00] Everyone had really thrown themselves into the Halloween festivities.

[00:24:07] There was a group of tiny mice, all dressed up as different wedges of cheese,

[00:24:14] and two little foxes dressed up as adorable little bunnies with tall pointy ears and pom-poms stuck on their bottoms.

[00:24:25] A giggling giraffe was dressed up as a lion with a wacky red makeshift mane,

[00:24:32] and a proud lion was dressed up as a giraffe with a tall neck fashioned out of cardboard boxes.

[00:24:41] There were two dogs that Spooky recognised, named Hector and Sunny, perched by the dance floor.

[00:24:50] Sunny the Cocker Spaniel had come dressed up as a toddler on a bicycle,

[00:24:56] whilst Hector, the golden retriever, was dressed as a big roll of tinfoil.

[00:25:04] Spooky couldn't quite see how those were Spooky costumes, but he didn't want to judge.

[00:25:11] Spooky was loving observing everybody's quirky costumes,

[00:25:16] and he made sure to compliment everyone as he made his way around the room and introduced himself.

[00:25:23] Spooky was dressed up splendidly as an alien,

[00:25:29] no doubt inspired by his recent adventures up in space with his aunt Shirley.

[00:25:36] When Spooky enquired as to his aunt's whereabouts at the party,

[00:25:42] Spooky informed him that she was currently on holiday in Australia,

[00:25:47] visiting some old friends,

[00:25:53] Spooky didn't mind at all.

[00:25:56] He was just happy to see so many friendly faces at his party.

[00:26:02] After he had made all of his introductions and got to know everyone,

[00:26:08] Spooky let loose and allowed himself to enjoy the party,

[00:26:14] just like his guests.

[00:26:16] Spooky played Pin the Broomstick on the Witch,

[00:26:21] with Lana the Bear and King Leo the Lion.

[00:26:25] King Leo won, respectively.

[00:26:29] Spooky went apple bobbing

[00:26:31] and managed to pick up an apple in his teeth on only his third attempt.

[00:26:39] Spooky watched the ball in his head.

[00:26:40] However, there was one game that Spooky wasn't keen to try out for himself.

[00:26:46] Inside, a big bowl of sloppy spaghetti,

[00:26:50] he had hidden a handful of special prizes.

[00:26:55] But the only way to win the prizes was by digging them out.

[00:27:02] Spooky watched on with the rest of the crowd as Theodore the Monkey attempted to find the prizes

[00:27:10] by sticking his hands in the slimy, cold bowl of spaghetti.

[00:27:17] Everybody giggled and laughed at the funny faces that Theodore pulled as he rummaged around for a prize.

[00:27:27] Eventually, Theodore pulled his hands out of the messy bowl and held a prized diamond in the air triumphantly.

[00:27:39] Everybody clapped and applauded his good sportsmanship,

[00:27:43] and Theodore promptly disappeared to wash his tomato sauce-covered hands.

[00:27:53] After a while, Spooky decided that it was time to announce the winner of the Best Costume Award.

[00:28:03] Everyone had done such a good job of creating their own costumes for the party,

[00:28:09] but there were two guests whose costumes particularly stood out.

[00:28:16] Spooky handed the Best Costume Award to Bertie and Bobby the Bunny Rabbits,

[00:28:25] and everyone clapped and cheered in agreement.

[00:28:29] Bertie and Bobby's imaginative joint costume,

[00:28:33] as the sun and the moon, had been the hit of the party.

[00:28:39] And they definitely deserved an award.

[00:28:43] Clover the Earth Dragon introduced Spooky to his friend Disco the Dragon,

[00:28:50] and they all had a good boogie to the music together.

[00:28:56] All of the sleepy forest animals were so inspired by their dazzling moves

[00:29:03] that they all wanted to get involved.

[00:29:06] The dance floor filled up with everyone performing their best moves,

[00:29:13] and a few brave animals even challenged Disco the Dragon to a dance-off.

[00:29:19] However, nobody was a match for Disco and his electrifying moves.

[00:29:26] He danced until they all dropped.

[00:29:30] This is the best party ever, adrenaline the tortoise declared,

[00:29:38] as he slowly danced the box step.

[00:29:42] He was the only one who had managed to pace himself

[00:29:46] against Disco's dramatic dancing feat.

[00:29:52] Spooky's Halloween party in Sleepy Forest went on for hours and hours,

[00:29:59] all the way until midnight.

[00:30:03] For those who managed to stay awake that long,

[00:30:08] Spooky had prepared pumpkins to be carved.

[00:30:11] But everyone was having such a good time

[00:30:15] that nobody had gone home yet.

[00:30:18] So they all worked in small teams

[00:30:21] to design and carve their own group pumpkins.

[00:30:27] Pumpkin faces varied from big and smiley

[00:30:32] to grumpy and moody.

[00:30:36] Disco and Clover the Dragons took it in turns to light the candles

[00:30:42] and placed them carefully inside each pumpkin

[00:30:46] so that they glowed from within.

[00:30:50] Once finished,

[00:30:52] everyone placed their pumpkins outside Spooky's tent

[00:30:56] and the clearing in the middle of Sleepy Forest

[00:31:00] lit up with the dazzling flames of their Halloween party.

[00:31:06] To finish the night,

[00:31:09] everyone gathered around the small bonfire

[00:31:12] and toasted marshmallows on long sticks.

[00:31:17] They guzzled them all up with sticky mouths

[00:31:20] and by the time they were finished,

[00:31:24] everyone was yawning and ready to go home.

[00:31:29] Spooky said goodbye to all of his new friends

[00:31:33] and everybody thanked him

[00:31:36] for hosting such a fantastic Halloween party.

[00:31:42] Everyone had so much fun.

[00:31:46] It was absolutely perfect.

[00:31:50] Clover the Earth Dragon

[00:31:52] gave Spooky a hug goodbye

[00:31:55] and was about to leave

[00:31:57] when Spooky remembered to say,

[00:32:01] I need to give you

[00:32:03] your costume back.

[00:32:06] The Earth Dragon chuckled

[00:32:09] and said that it was no problem.

[00:32:13] He didn't need to give it back.

[00:32:15] The tiger costume looked better on Spooky anyway.

[00:32:19] The two new friends arranged to meet up

[00:32:25] for a swim in the river in two days' time

[00:32:29] and they said their farewells.

[00:32:33] After a long three days

[00:32:36] and a very successful night of partying,

[00:32:41] Spooky was finally on his own

[00:32:43] and could relax.

[00:32:45] He wandered back inside his teepee

[00:32:49] and looked around

[00:32:51] at all the remains from the party.

[00:32:55] There was a lot to tidy up

[00:32:57] to make his home spick and span again,

[00:33:00] but he was far too tired

[00:33:03] to deal with that now.

[00:33:06] He would clear up tomorrow.

[00:33:08] Spooky made himself

[00:33:10] a mug of hot milk

[00:33:12] and grabbed one of the remaining

[00:33:15] Halloween cookies

[00:33:17] off the buffet table

[00:33:19] and he snuggled himself

[00:33:21] into his bed.

[00:33:24] He slurped up the milk

[00:33:27] and gobbled up the biscuit

[00:33:29] and laid back

[00:33:32] to gaze at the stars

[00:33:34] in the Halloween night sky.

[00:33:37] The full moon was shining brightly

[00:33:41] and the stars twinkled

[00:33:44] even more than usual.

[00:33:48] The world looked so much more colourful

[00:33:52] and exciting

[00:33:53] now that Spooky felt a part

[00:33:57] of the sleepy forest community.

[00:34:01] He had made lots of new friends tonight

[00:34:05] and he was so glad

[00:34:08] that his hard work had paid off

[00:34:11] and everyone

[00:34:13] had such a fun time.

[00:34:19] Three days of no sleep

[00:34:21] quickly crept up on Spooky

[00:34:25] and he felt his body

[00:34:28] relaxing in his bed

[00:34:30] and his eyes

[00:34:32] drooping drowsily.

[00:34:34] He closed his eyes

[00:34:38] and tried to relive

[00:34:40] the best moments of the night

[00:34:43] in his mind

[00:34:44] but he couldn't.

[00:34:48] The whole night

[00:34:49] had been wonderful

[00:34:51] so it was too hard

[00:34:54] to pick only a few moments

[00:34:56] before he hardly knew it.

[00:35:03] Spooky drifted off

[00:35:05] into a deep, deep sleep

[00:35:09] with the moon

[00:35:12] watching down on him

[00:35:14] and the soothing sounds

[00:35:17] of his new home

[00:35:18] in sleepy forest

[00:35:21] all around him.

[00:35:23] that you can't

[00:35:23] what you can do

[00:35:23] is that

[00:35:23] and you can do it