Maggie's Magical Mum 🪄🐰 Mother's Day Bedtime Story

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[00:02:50] In tonight's special story, we are shining the spotlight on a very special person. No, not Coco. He's a koala, not a person anyway. Oh, no, no, not me, either. It's Maggie's magical mum. Do you remember Maggie the magician? We first met her and her rabbit assistant Marshmallow back in episode 18, the magician's rabbit. Her and Marshmallow have been with us ever since the very, very beginning.

[00:03:20] Well, soon we're going to head over to Maggie's house as she helps her mum enjoy some much-needed relaxation. Why? Oh, because it's important to show your grown-up how much you appreciate them. And honestly, that can be as easy as just giving them time, space and ideas of how to relax. Let's see how she manages it. But first, time to relax yourself and get snuggly and ready to listen.

[00:03:51] Settle down in your bed and get as comfy as you can. Wiggle your fingers, your toes and nose, just like Marshmallow. And I will get started. This is Maggie's Magical Mum by Luke Prendergast.

[00:04:10] Maggie the magician was almost done perfecting her latest trick. One in which she magically removed the ears from her assistant and best friend, the white rabbit Marshmallow. And made them float around the air for a while before reattaching themselves again. When her mum called. Maggie!

[00:04:39] Maggie! The consequence was that Maggie lost her concentration and the pointy white rabbit ears, which had been levitating high above their heads, floated down to the floor. Poor Marshmallow had to hop about picking them up and then wait while Maggie called out to her mum that she was coming before she could think up the magic trick to reattach them again. Maggie left her room and trudged down the stairs.

[00:05:09] Marshmallow hopping behind her. Then she went down the hall and into the kitchen where her mum was waiting. Her mouth open. Obviously about to call Maggie's name once more. But when she saw Maggie, she closed her mouth and said instead, Ah, there you are. Her mum was standing at the kitchen counter, mixing something in a big yellow bowl with a whisk.

[00:05:38] There were all sorts of cookery smells wafting around the kitchen. There was flour on her mum's face and she looked, if you asked Maggie, rather frazzled. Her cheeks were pink and her hair was all frizzy and loose from its ponytail. And she had a wild and harried look in her eyes. Maggie, darling, said her mum in a bit of a tight voice.

[00:06:05] Your magic equipment is still littered all over the living room floor and I don't have time to clear it up today, as I'm just completely overwhelmed with all this cooking I've got to do for tomorrow. Tomorrow, Maggie's Aunt Helen, her mum's sister, was coming over for dinner, along with her husband and her three sons.

[00:06:29] It was true that the boys, growing boys, as her mum liked to call them, did eat a lot. You always had to make extra. Maggie flashed her mum her most helpful daughter smile she could muster. I'll sort it out, she said. Thank you, darling, her mum replied, pushing a loose strand of hair back from her forehead with the back of her hand.

[00:06:57] Blimey, I do feel rather run ragged. I need a break. What I wouldn't do for a holiday in the sun. Maggie went out of the kitchen, down the corridor and into the living room, where she saw that the contents of her box of magic tricks were indeed spilled all over the floor.

[00:07:22] Her decks of cards, her magician's hat, her disappearing coins, her silk scarves. As she tidied it all away, with Marshmallow's help, of course, she thought about her mum. These days, she was always getting at Maggie to do things. Tidy up her tricks. Sit down and do her homework. Eat her broccoli. That sort of thing.

[00:07:52] And that got on Maggie's nerves a bit. Because there were things she'd rather be doing than tidying and doing her homework and eating her broccoli. She was ten years old, after all. But now she thought about it more. It wasn't that her mum was simply being stressy. It was that she was stressed. She'd always been such an awesome mum,

[00:08:18] doing everything she could to make Maggie's life full and fun and happy. And she did all that while working her full-time job, travelling into the city to hold meetings and do all kinds of things Maggie didn't understand to do with companies and businesses. But it was true. Lately, her mum had seemed more tired, more worn down. She had too much on her plate.

[00:08:48] She was juggling too many things. Like she said, she needed a break. And that's when the idea occurred to Maggie. It appeared out of nowhere. Like the magic trick where you pull a gold coin right out of someone's ear. That was it. Her mum needed a break. And Maggie knew just how to find her one.

[00:09:18] She finished putting her magic tricks back in their box, then made her way back to the kitchen. Hey mum, she said. When your cake is finished, can you come out to the garden with me? Oh, Maggie darling, she said, poking her head above the oven. I hardly have any time today. I promise it won't take long, Maggie assured her. Please, I've got a treat for you.

[00:09:49] And before her mum could come up with some excuse as to why she wouldn't be able to make it into the garden, Maggie and Marshmallow hopped out of the door and down into the garden. She just knew her mum wouldn't regret it. In the back garden stood a tent. It looked like an ordinary sort of tent, the kind you'd camp in.

[00:10:13] It had guy ropes and green bunting and a flag poking out of the top depicting a bright white rabbit. But in fact, this was no ordinary tent. This was Maggie's Imaginarium. The Imaginarium was the most wondrous piece of magic that Maggie had ever had the good luck to stumble upon.

[00:10:37] When you ducked your head down inside the tent and went in and lay on your back and looked upwards, the canvas ceiling transformed into the perfect image of whatever was in your imagination. Suddenly, you were no longer lying in your plain old back garden, but soaring through space or swimming down in the blue depths of the ocean

[00:11:05] or meeting the characters of your favourite book. You could get up and wander around your imagination too. Get up to all kinds of adventures. See all kinds of sights. Do whatever it was you wanted to do. And Maggie knew just what it was her mum wanted to do. So when her mum came out of the house, wiping her palms on the front of her apron,

[00:11:33] Maggie was ready and waiting by the side of the Imaginarium. Marshmallow opened the door of the tent. Hello, mother, Maggie said in her serious and mysterious magician's voice. Please step inside my Imaginarium. Oh, Maggie, darling, her mum began to say. I'm sure I don't have time right now.

[00:12:03] But with a smile, Maggie cut her off. It won't take long, I promise, and it'll be worth it. I promise you that too. Maggie's mum nodded and crouching down and saying a thank you to Marshmallow, she crawled into the tent. Maggie followed behind her. And last of all, Marshmallow came in,

[00:12:31] closing the door of the tent and plunging them all into darkness. Maggie's mum had been into the Imaginarium once before, back when Maggie had just set it up. That was back before the Imaginarium was a fully interactive experience. Back then, it was more like a giant cinema screen on the ceiling, as big as the night sky.

[00:12:56] Pretty impressive, but not quite as impressive as it was now, since Maggie had worked on some design updates that meant the Imaginarium didn't only let you see inside your imagination, it let you live inside it too. So Maggie's mum was in for a treat. All three of them were now lying on the floor, looking up at the tent's canopy. Mum, Maggie said.

[00:13:27] I can tell that you've been pretty stressed lately. Well, yes, Maggie darling, her mum said. That's true, I've had rather a lot on. And just now, Maggie went on, you were saying you needed a break. Oh, I'd love one, her mum blurted out. Well, Marshmallow and I had an idea.

[00:13:57] You need a break, but you don't need to find the time to go away to get one right now. You can have a break right here, in the Imaginarium. In the dark, Maggie could almost hear her mother's ears prick up and her eyes glitter at the idea. I could? She asked. And then she said, Oh, but Maggie darling, I don't have the time right now.

[00:14:27] Don't worry, mum, Maggie said. I've added a special new gizmo onto the Imaginarium now, which means that while you're inside it, time stops on the outside world. So no matter how long you're in there, you won't be losing more than a couple of seconds out there. Oh, is that so? Her mum said. She sounded a little flummoxed by that information.

[00:14:58] Well, okay then. Let's go. Maggie told her mum to close her eyes, and she and Marshmallow did the same. Then, she told her mum to start imagining exactly where she'd like to take a break. To imagine every detail, where it was, what it looked like, smelled like, sounded like, felt like. The more she imagined,

[00:15:28] the better, she said. And as the picture began to form in her mother's imagination, Maggie felt the telltale rumble and buzz of the Imaginarium as it picked up on the imaginative vibrations coursing through the airwaves and began to work its magic. Maggie whispered, Open your eye.

[00:15:57] Maggie was happy to hear her mum let out a little gasp. They were no longer lying inside the tent, on the grass in the back garden. Instead, they were lying on the softest, whitest sand you could ever imagine. Above them was an endless blue sky, interrupted only here and there by wisps of clouds,

[00:16:26] white and pink as candy floss, and a bright yellow sun. Maggie sat up, and beside her, her mum sat up too, her hand clasped to her mouth in shock and wonder. Never, whispered Maggie's mum. In front of them, the white sand sloped away gently

[00:16:55] to disappear in the frothy lapping of pale blue waves. The sea that stretched out to the horizon was a perfect azure aquamarine with a little white sailing boat glimpsed far off in the distance. They peered around and saw a green and shining jungle of palms and other waxy leaf trees growing behind them. Just then,

[00:17:25] above the sounds of the waves and the chirping of birds and insects in the jungle behind them, came the noise of wingbeats over the sand. They looked and saw a beautiful parrot, its wings red and blue and green, sailing over on the air. The parrot landed lightly right in front of them,

[00:17:54] ruffled his feathers back into place and said, Hello there and welcome to the island of your dreams, the island of my mum's dreams, said Maggie with a smile, looking over at her mum who still looked a little pale with surprise. Well, quite, said the parrot. My name is Pete

[00:18:23] and I am here to show you around our perfect little paradise today. Would you like to get up, brush the sand off your bottoms and follow me? Maggie, her mum and Marshmallow did as Pete the parrot said, though Marshmallow did not have to brush the sand off his bottom but off the soles of his big thumper feet. Then the three of them followed Pete

[00:18:52] as he sailed through the air across the beach. Maggie's mum pulled off her trainers and her socks which Maggie thought was a brilliant idea and she followed suit. so that as they walked their feet sank into the soft warm sand. Soon a series of beautiful wooden huts appeared with glass windows facing out towards the sea. In front of the huts were spread

[00:19:22] some dark wooden sun lounges with pink and blue parasols over them and little tables whittled from stumps of wood. Oh, it's just gorgeous Maggie's mum said taking in the scene. Just exactly how I imagined it she added looking down at her jeans and shirt and the apron still tied around her body.

[00:19:52] I'm still in my grubby old kitchen gear. I haven't brought anything suitable for the beach. Don't you worry about that madam said Pete the parrot. He spread a green wing and pointed it in the direction of the nearest wooden hut. Take a step inside there and you'll find everything you can hope for. Maggie's mum giving Maggie a smile

[00:20:22] that suggested she was impressed stepped inside the hut. Maggie stepped into another. When they emerged again they were totally transformed. No more plain workaday home clothes. Maggie's mum was in a bright yellow swimming costume and a flowing blue sarong and Maggie was in a cool two-piece decorated with flamingos. I

[00:20:51] feel like a new woman Maggie's mum said just wait until you get into the sea Maggie said. Oh yes her mum sighed looking out at the water. It does look refreshing doesn't it? Shall we go in together? And so Maggie and her mum joined hands and padded over the soft sand together to where

[00:21:21] the waves kissed the shore. First just their feet paddled in the water then it came up to their knees then their waists then their shoulders until at last they were fully submerged and moving their arms in great graceful arcs to propel themselves through the blue. The water cool at first now felt

[00:21:50] almost warm and deliciously salty. Maggie felt just like a dolphin slipping through it flipping her body this way and that. Maggie and her mum played out in the water splashing about and diving down to grab handfuls of sand from the seabed. Once or twice they even found bright seashells creamy and pearlescent and on one dive Maggie

[00:22:20] saw a little orange crab who she waved at and the crab waved back. They even managed to coax Marshmallow into the ocean though he only came for a minute or two as swimming was not his favourite activity. He found all the seawater must up his glossy white coat. He had a little paddle and then swam back to the shore where he stood watching the others and drying off in the sun.

[00:22:51] He watched as they lay on their backs like starfish on the surface of the water, the faces lit by the golden sunlight, and then he watched as

[00:23:45] and her mum took one each and sat on the edge of their sun lounges, slurping up the sweet coconut milk. And when they were done, Maggie's mum took a spoon from the side and showed her how to scrape the white flesh of the coconut off from the inside of its shell. It was Maggie's first time

[00:24:08] tasting coconut and she found it soft and sweet and delicious. When they were finished, they put on sunglasses and lay back on their sun lounges. They let the rays of sun warm their bodies and evaporate their little droplets of water that lay on their arms and stomachs.

[00:24:32] There came the sound of wings beating and a ripple in the air and then Pete the parrot was beside them again. I do hope you're feeling adequately refreshed by your swim, he said to them. Can I get the two of you a

[00:24:53] couple of our famous fruit shakes? Maggie and her mum exchanged a blissful look. Fruit shakes, they loved fruit shakes. Don't tell me, Pete said with a little parrot-shaped grin. I bet I can guess

[00:25:16] your favourite. He sawed off through the air like a technicoloured angel and returned a few moments later, bearing a tray with two big glasses on them, with straws and little paper umbrellas poking out of the top. One of them was a deep purple colour. He gave that one to Maggie's mum and to Maggie he gave

[00:25:42] one that was swirls of pink and yellow. They both took a sip. Mmm, Maggie's mum gave a satisfied sigh. Blueberries, my favourite. Maggie was equally delighted by what Pete had served her. It was a banana and strawberry swirl,

[00:26:05] the tastiest thing to pass through her lips in a long time. Pete gave them a little bow and flew away. Maggie and her mum, they backed down on their sun lounges and sipped their fruit shakes as they watched the sun turn from yellow to a pinky orange and sink down towards the pale blue horizon where the sea

[00:26:33] in the sky touched. A feeling of absolute relaxation settled over them both, listening to the gentle swoosh of the tide and the tinkling of the wind in the palm tree leaves. Maggie, in fact, was almost drifting

[00:26:55] off to sleep when she heard her mum's voice. Maggie, she said. I want to thank you for bringing me to this wonderful place. I have been needing a good break for so long. I hadn't realised quite how much I needed

[00:27:18] one until we got here, actually. And I never would have taken myself on one. I would have just carried on wishing and wishing and never actually making it happen. So, thank you, my darling daughter, for casting your magic and bringing me to this paradise.

[00:27:42] Maggie turned onto her side so that she was facing her mum. She gazed at her face, her face so familiar to her that she loved so much. Already she could see that her mum's eyes, which that morning had been

[00:28:05] tired and tired and overwhelmed, was suffused with calm and a bright sparkle. And her skin looked softer and relaxed. Oh, mum, she said, you are absolutely welcome. It's the least that you deserve. I should be the one thanking you

[00:28:29] for all that you do for me every single day. You think that my magic tricks are impressive and I do have to say that the Imaginarium is a pretty neat piece of kit. That is undeniable. But in comparison to what you do, it's nothing.

[00:28:51] Nothing at all. None of it could exist without you. So thank you for being the most magical mum in the whole wide world. And then Maggie and her mum were hugging each other tightly. Maggie's face was pressed into her mum's soft hair,

[00:29:18] which smelled like it always did of lavender. But now it smelled of sea salt too. When they released each other, they were both smiling, their white teeth twinkling in the rays of the setting sun. Maggie's mum reached out to lift her blueberry drink to her lips and took a sip.

[00:29:44] It's just such a shame, she said, that we'll have to leave here soon and get back to normal life. That cake's still in the oven after all. And we've got the whole family coming over for lunch tomorrow. Well, Maggie told her, we don't have to leave that soon.

[00:30:10] Don't forget that all the while we're here, no time is passing at home at all. So it can do without us for a little while longer. Why don't we stay and watch the sunset and see the moon rise over the sea? And then, with just a little bit of imagination from you,

[00:30:36] I bet we can rustle up a couple of hammocks slung to the trees behind us. I bet it would be a mighty comfy sleep to sleep in a couple of hammocks. Maggie's mum raised her glass and Maggie clinked it with her own. That, my darling, is a wonderful idea, her mum said.

[00:31:03] And of course, we can always come back, don't you think? Maggie nodded. I definitely think so, she said. And Maggie, in that moment, felt so special and a little bit grown up. She and her mum alone together on a secret beach on a secret island,

[00:31:31] tucked away in her mum's imagination. What a special treat it was to spend a bit of time relaxing with her magical mum. And so, Maggie and her mum watched as the big pink sun sunk and sunk and sunk below the horizon.

[00:32:01] And the blue sky turned from lilac, then mauve, and then an inky indigo. And the moon, like a silver plate, rose up in the sky and summoned out the bright zillions of twinkling stars. And all of them sent their reflections down to dance upon the waves.

[00:32:31] Cicadas chirruped in the forest, and Pete brought them blankets to cover their legs. And now, one by one, they closed their eyes. Their minds relaxed, their sunkest arms and legs relaxed.

[00:32:56] And swayed by the lullaby rhythms of the waves, stroking their hands along the sandy shore, Maggie and her mum drifted off into a perfect paradise sleep.