Hector & Sunny Meet a BFG 🐶🐾 Funny Kids Bedtime Story

[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. Tonight's sleepy wind down that's shortly coming up has been written by Ember, a loyal listener and gifted writer by the looks of it. So get ready to fall asleep super quick and easily tonight.

[00:00:35] Before that though, let's quickly give a warm Coco Club welcome to Frankie and Cosima from Geelong, Australia, Amelia and Aidan from New Jersey, and also to birthday girls Maya and Alina who recently celebrated. We love that you've come back for more Koala Moon this year and we hope you enjoy all your premium episodes. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown-ups.

[00:01:03] 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. Hey parents, I'm Carissa, the host of Sleep Wave, a sleep meditation podcast from the creators of Koala Moon.

[00:01:28] We understand how much you appreciate the bedtime stories on Koala Moon for your little ones. But as a mother myself, I know that parents need their relaxation time too. With soothing meditations and nostalgic stories, each episode of Sleep Wave is crafted to help busy minds slow down, so you can wake up feeling well-rested tomorrow.

[00:01:50] Each night I'll guide you to sleep with beautiful visualizations and calming journeys, which listeners describe as perfect for drifting off to. Not sure where to start with meditation? Try one of my favorite episodes, A Mental Vacation, where I'll lead you through using your imagination to experience the deep relaxation of a holiday without ever leaving your bedroom. You can discover Sleep Wave on all major podcast platforms.

[00:02:20] Simply search Sleep Wave, Sleep Meditations, and hit follow so you can easily find the show later tonight. Sweet dreams. Now then we're very soon heading off with Hector and Sunny on a surprise adventure to meet a BFG. You know, a big furry giant. And this one takes the shape of a ginormous Great Dane named Elvis, and we'll meet him in a mo. Uh-huh.

[00:02:49] But before we do, as promised, here is Ember's special sleepy wind-down. To go to sleep, first close your eyes. Next, imagine all of your thoughts as bubbles and start to pop them so they disappear. Start with the smaller bubbles, then the bigger ones. When you've popped them all, imagine a bottle full of liquid.

[00:03:18] That's all the thoughts you've just gathered. Imagine taking the bottle to what you'd call paradise. When you're there, throw the liquid into a lake. We'll call it the Lake of Dreams. Now to dream. Imagine yourself taking a spoon of the lake you put your thoughts in. Then, put the spoonful of river into a test tube along with your favourite colour and favourite scent.

[00:03:49] Next, mix it and imagine a mini explosion coming from the tube. Finally, touch the smoke and voila! You'll soon step into your dream. Ah, perfection. It's time now to begin. Hector and Sunny meet a BFG. By Susanna McLaughlin.

[00:04:23] Our story begins on a sleepy spring day, when the ducks were floating placidly in the pond, and the daffodils seemed to sigh as the swings creaked lazily in the breeze. In the dog park, all the games had finished, and most dogs had gone home. Apart from three. There was Hector, a golden retriever with big floppy ears,

[00:04:50] and Sunny, a cocker spaniel with eyes as blue as the sky, who were both chewing on an old flat ball. And then, there was a new dog they'd never seen before. Her name was Tinkerbell, and she was a Chihuahua. Have you ever seen a Chihuahua before? They're small. Like, super small. Smaller than a rabbit, some of them. And this one?

[00:05:17] This one was about half the size of a hamster. Tinkerbell was wading through the grass on the other side of the park, chasing bumblebees. I was thinking, Sunny, Hector said. Really? Sunny said. Because Hector usually doesn't think much at all. Yup, Hector said. About Tinkerbell.

[00:05:48] She's enjoying wading through that grass and chasing those bumblebees, because to her, it's like trekking through the jungle, because she's so small, see? Those bumblebees, to her, are as big as birds are to us. Sunny shook her butt instinctively when she heard the word bird, ready to pounce.

[00:06:15] Then she realised what Hector meant. Little Tinkerbell had grass stains up to her armpits. The grass was so long for her little legs. And the dandelions made her sneeze, since they were right at head height for the little booch. It must be strange being so very small in such a big world, wouldn't it? Hector mused.

[00:06:45] Sunny nodded. Sunny nodded. He must look like a giant, Tinkerbell, she said. She always has to crane her neck to talk to you. But at least every walk must feel twice as long for those little legs. Hmm, it'd be cool to experience, Hector said. Just for a day.

[00:07:12] Their conversation was interrupted as two fluffy clouds parted and golden rays of sun fell upon the dog's fur. Hector, Hector yawned. And Sunny closed her eyes happily, melting further into the grass. Soon, from the exertion of their playing and the warmth of the sunshine, Hector and Sunny drifted off into an afternoon nap.

[00:07:41] When Sunny arrived in her dream, she looked around to find herself in a jungle. The grass grew above her head and huge buttery yellow flowers opened above her like umbrellas. A rustle in the grass announced the arrival of Hector, who bumped into Sunny with a surprised woof. What are you doing in my dream, Sunny? Hector asked.

[00:08:11] Your dream? This is my dream, Hector, she replied. They squabbled for a couple of minutes about whose dream it was before realising it didn't matter. Where are we anyway? Hector asked, scratching his chin. We appear to be in some kind of, um, jungle. Look how long this grass is.

[00:08:40] It definitely needs a mow. Sunny pricked her ears as she heard a thudding noise, like footsteps advancing towards them. Who's stomping around like a baby elephant? she asked. A shadow fell over them. And they craned their necks up, up, up, up to see the creature who appeared above them.

[00:09:08] It was a dog. Only he was absolutely huge. Hector and Sunny barely reached his knee. The dog was a great Dane with cropped fur and a long square snout with a big sniffing nose on the end. He had long floppy ears and wobbly jowls, and the goofiest, friendliest smile that you have ever seen.

[00:09:39] He was white, with grey and black splotches that made it look like he'd been rolling around in an ink pot. And as his tail wagged, it sent a breeze strong enough to waft back Hector's ears. The dog looked down at them and his face turned to puzzlement, his big eyebrows knitting together, and his face bending to peer down at them.

[00:10:08] I thought you were mice, the dog said in his booming voice. Or squirrels. I was about to chase you up that tree. He pointed with his paw and the pups turned to see a tree the size of a skyscraper rising up from the long grass, surrounded by a ring of huge spotted toadstools. Hector and Sunny giggled.

[00:10:39] We're not mice, we're dogs, Sunny said. Like you, except you're truly ginormous. Me? Ginormous? The Great Dane said. I think you'll find that it's you two who are tiny, like little fairy dogs.

[00:11:07] You look like you should have wings and a magic wand, Hector chuckled. The more he looked around him, the more it seemed the Great Dane was right.

[00:11:21] If the grass was tall and the flowers were huge, the mushrooms giant and the trees massive, it stood to reason that it was he and Sunny who were out of place, not the Great Dane, who was quite in proportion to the dandelions and toadstools. I'm Elvis, the giant dog said with another goofy grin.

[00:11:51] He put out his giant paw and, unable to shake it, the pooches just patted it with their own and said they were very pleased to make his acquaintance. Sunny explained that it seemed she and Hector had stumbled into this giant world in a dream, and Elvis said that sounded very plausible.

[00:12:14] He said, though, that if they were only there for a dream, they'd better stop wondering what was going on and start enjoying themselves, as they'd wake up soon and be back to being regular sized in their regular world. With that, he dropped to his hauntches and instructed Hector and Sunny to climb aboard.

[00:12:36] He promised them he would show them around giant land and make sure no one accidentally stepped on them or chased them up trees. Sunny said that would be very appreciated and thank you very much.

[00:12:55] Hector went first, scrabbling up Elvis's back, then losing his footing, sliding back down on his belly and landing right back in a heap on the floor. He took a few steps back and ran up this time, and cresting the hill of Elvis's spine, he landed comfortably on the Great Dane's back, panting.

[00:13:23] Hector threw down a paw and Sunny hurried up after him, allowing Hector to swing her into place. They each took pawfuls of the scruff of the back of Elvis's neck and, now safely secured, giggled as Elvis stood on his four paws, launching them up towards the sky.

[00:13:49] From here they finally had a view of this giant world they'd found themselves in. Green fields and rolling hills spread out around them, dotted with enormous wildflowers, waving red poppies and lilacs and lupins.

[00:14:11] Elvis pulled a sprig of honeysuckle from a nearby bush, the blossoms of which, to Hector and Sunny, were big enough to bury their whole heads inside. So they did, smelling the sweet smell, so strong that it made them close their eyes and think of summer walks.

[00:14:36] Hector buried his head in the flower for another sniff, and then sneezed so hard it made even Elvis jump. The world looked quite normal, but also a bit magical.

[00:14:52] Alongside the flowers they recognised, there were ones they had never seen before, like daffodils that let out little honks like trumpets, and sunflowers that actually shone like sunshine.

[00:15:07] The trees were round and curvy and twisty, with big fat trunks that tapered really thin at the top, and ended in little sprouts of leaves way overhead. In the distance was a town, made of white stone cottages, and larger buildings with turrets and towers.

[00:15:33] It looked like it had been imagined, brought to life straight from a storybook. Elvis sat at the top of the hill and pointed to the town. He said that he couldn't wait to show them around. With a wag of his tail, he began bounding down the steep grass.

[00:15:57] Hector and Sunny held on tight, bouncing around on Elvis' back. And Sunny laughed at the concentration in Hector's face as he clung on with all four of his paws. Soon, Elvis' paws slowed, and instead of padding across grass, they were journeying across paths made of smooth cobblestones.

[00:16:26] Hector and Sunny gawped up at the town around them, small as mice in this storybook land. A cat came and rubbed against Elvis' legs, peering up at the tiny dogs on his back with green eyes as big as saucers.

[00:16:49] Sunny reached out and rubbed the cat's nose with her little paw, and the cat started purring a rumbling purr as loud as a tractor engine. They ambled through the town square, which was busy with a market taking place.

[00:17:10] They crossed a stall where a giant farmer with hair like golden straw and tent-like dungarees was bellowing about his produce. There were purple carrots with frilly leaves and a ginormous turnip that would feed Hector's owner for a week. There were cabbages and juicy tomatoes and huge muddy potatoes.

[00:17:38] There were also strange vegetables the dogs hadn't seen before, like pink courgettes and hairy onions.

[00:17:49] On the next stall, a woman who looked like a giant fairy with long, dark, twisting braids and a dainty flowing gown sold vials of magic spells, from love potions to liquid luck, as well as shimmering crystals and gemstones.

[00:18:12] The next stall sold vials of cheese and crusty bread, and the strong smell of the cheese had Hector sniffing the air and licking his chops. All around, giants were going about their business, greeting each other with kind smiles.

[00:18:34] Hector and Sunny couldn't believe the sheer size of them as their big bare feet came thudding by. A little girl giant saw the teeny dogs and came over to pet their tiny heads with her little finger. They passed a park with a rainbow water fountain and a palatial greenhouse full of plants and flowers.

[00:19:03] Then, Elvis took them down a twisty street and paused outside a picturesque cottage, where he wiped his giant feet on the doormat and nuzzled the door open to head inside. He deposited Hector and Sunny on the coffee table and sat down in front of them. Welcome to my home. I live here with my owner, Elvis said.

[00:19:32] He's a wizard of the giant's court. That's him. Elvis nudged a photo of a jolly-looking giant with happy pink cheeks and a squishy round nose. He had a mop of ginger curls and wore patchworked clothes like you'd usually only see in a pantomime.

[00:19:53] In the picture, Elvis stood at his owner's side, making it clear that his owner truly was a giant. He must have been ten times as tall as Hector and Sunny's owners. Sunny sniffed the air. Her familiar scent filled her nose. Was that... A shoe?

[00:20:18] Her gaze dropped to the shoe rack by the door and her mouth dropped open in wonder. The giant's shoe was big enough that she could crawl inside. Her mouth watered with the urge to chew the ginormous shoe. But she knew that was not good guest behaviour so she tried to distract herself by looking around the cottage.

[00:20:49] Everything was huge. On the coffee table there were books as big as paving stones. And a lamp so bright it shone like a miniature sun. The cavernous fireplace gave off so much heat, Hector couldn't help himself but roll over and warm his belly.

[00:21:14] In the fruit bowl were apples the size of dinner plates and glossy grapes as big as a fist. You guys thirsty? Elvis asked, care filling his warm brown eyes. Do you want some gravy? Hector and Sunny had a rule that they never said no to gravy. So they nodded and said yes, please.

[00:21:44] Elvis let out a bark that shook the table. And within moments a door opened at the back of the cottage and Elvis' ginormous owner came out of it. He didn't notice the little tiny pups on his coffee table, but went to Elvis and instinctively rubbed his ears,

[00:22:07] Padding past him to the kitchen, where he took a bowl the size of a paddling pool from a mat on the floor and waved his wand over it. The bowl filled up with steaming, rich brown gravy.

[00:22:27] The giant placed the bowl back in its place on the floor and returned into the back room, patting Elvis on the head as he went past. Elvis sat down next to the coffee table and allowed Hector and Sunny to run down his back like a ramp to the floor. The three of them trotted over to the kitchen, where the gravy awaited.

[00:22:57] Hector inhaled. It smelled divine. The bowl, up close, felt more like a swimming pool than a paddling pool. He looked up at Elvis, as if about to ask permission, but unable to wait any longer, he put his paws together above his head and dove into the gravy bowl with the grace of an Olympic athlete.

[00:23:27] He bobbed up to the top, covered in gravy and chortling. Ho ho ho, this, this is like the most delicious bath of my life. He called out, doggy paddling from one side of the bowl to the other, taking big gulps as he went. Sonny looked up at Elvis warily, as if he might tell them off.

[00:23:56] But Elvis was shaking with laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. What you waiting for, Sonny? Elvis asked, and Sonny heaved herself up to the side of the bowl and toppled in. Soon she, too, had a belly full of gravy and dark brown fur as she played with Hector, splashing him and running away when he splashed back.

[00:24:25] The level of gravy in the bowl was significantly lower now, and Hector was licking his chops in satisfaction. Elvis chuckled and suggested that now they might just need a bath. Sonny agreed and said yes, he was right.

[00:24:48] Elvis padded to the bathroom, bringing back a purple bar of soap and two rubber duckies. He filled the sink with warm water that had been gently heating over the fire, and trickled in bubble bath from a crystal vial.

[00:25:08] He put the two rubber duckies in the water to bob around, and ever so gently used his mouth to first pick up Hector, then Sonny, and deposit each in the sink. He used his paws to lather up the soap and wash the pups, then set them each upon a ducky to float around whilst they enjoyed the warm water.

[00:25:37] Laying back on his little rubber ducky lilo, Hector sighed in contentment. I like your home, Elvis, Sonny said. Everything's ginormous. Elvis chuckled. Not to me, he said.

[00:25:59] Though I imagine if I came to your world, everything would be teeny tiny, like a doll's house. Sonny agreed. You wouldn't fit through my front door, she said. And even if you did, we'd have to fill the bathtub with gravy if you were thirsty. That would be much more difficult.

[00:26:28] Once Hector and Sonny had climbed out of the sink and shook their fur dry, Elvis wrapped them in soft handkerchiefs, which were to them like thick blankets, and lifted them by the scruffs of their neck gently back towards the floor. Here, Hector could see right under the wooden kitchen cabinet. And he saw four feet scurrying around under there.

[00:26:57] I think you have a mouse living in your kitchen, Elvis. Hector said, sniffing towards the cabinet. Elvis grinned. Oh, there's my friend, Crumbles. Come out, Crumbles. With a squeak, the mouse hurried out from under the counter and waved up at the big dog with a toothy grin.

[00:27:27] She was like a huge ball of brown downy fluff with a delicate pink nose and curly whiskers. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of the dogs who were about her size. Why, you doggy looking mice, she said. Or mousy looking dogs. Which is it?

[00:27:55] Sonny scratched her chin. Mousy looking dogs, I suppose, she said. We're just from a land where everything is smaller. Crumbles wriggled her nose. I like being small in a big world, she said. It means I can wriggle under cupboards and climb through holes.

[00:28:24] And there are snacks for me everywhere. She pulled a hunk of hard cheese out from under the counter. Elvis's owner dropped this yesterday when he was making a sandwich. To him, that's a crumb. To me, it's a free banquet. Hector and Sonny giggled. She had a fair point.

[00:28:52] It was fun being able to see things other people couldn't. And hide away in hidey holes. And under the cooker, it was so warm and toasty. Hector made a mental note to see if there was a mouse in his kitchen at home. And if there was, he thought he better make friends with it. And drop it a piece of cheese now and again.

[00:29:19] Then, they padded across the living room rug. Every step sinking into its plush surface. It was like wading through treacle. And each pace felt heavier than the last. Elvis, on the other hand, took three giant leaps and found himself on the other side of the room, just like that.

[00:29:47] When they finally reached it, Elvis lifted the two dogs onto the sofa. They sunk into the huge soft surface with a sigh, feeling like they had walked for miles. The squishy cushions were as big as beds.

[00:30:10] Even when Elvis had jumped up next to them and curled up on half the sofa, there was enough space to roll and roll over and never fall off. Elvis yawned, his big jowls wobbling. The yawn was contagious. Shall we, um, uh, shall we have a nap? Elvis asked.

[00:30:39] Worn out by their adventures, Hector and Sunny nodded their heads and agreed. One by one, their eyes blinked heavier and heads bobbed lower, until the three dogs were snoozing in the giant cottage.

[00:31:02] Hector was curled up with his furry chin resting on Elvis' silky paw. And Sunny wrapped herself in his tail. Elvis' deep, rumbling snores lulled Hector and Sunny deeper into sleep, until they too were snoring.

[00:31:27] The next time Sunny blinked open an eye, she found herself soaked in sunshine. Hector was curled up like a croissant next to her, and the carpet of grass beneath them was perfectly mown. There they were, back in the dog park, snoozing in the sandpit.

[00:31:55] And there was Sunny's owner, over there, on the bench reading her book. And, still chasing bumblebees, was tiny little Tinkerbell, the little chihuahua who had started their adventure. Everything was back to normal.

[00:32:19] Sunny smiled to herself, as she saw an agile silver squirrel scurrying through the treetops. Thanks, Sydney, she whispered. And she saw his little paw, sending her a thumbs up.

[00:32:38] As she once again, closed her eyes and drifted deeper and deeper into a perfect sleep. Diero-leaf, she didn't mean she was OoY. Some Boseman Boots, she sees only a little heart beating. He has to be able to sonar the person who had had a great chance to see. She saw her. Thank you.