Miggy the Troll and the Tiny Town of Giants 🧌🏘️ Bedtime Stories For Kids | Rewind

[00:00:10] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids designed to make bedtime a dream. Now before we head off to meet some very jolly and intrepid trolls, let's turn off the light and make sure the curtains are drawn because it is time for snoozing. Okay, hop into bed and lie down.

[00:00:36] Once you've got yourself comfy under your covers, try to steady your breathing by breathing in for three and out for three, two, one. Then in for three, two, one and out for four, three, two, one.

[00:00:59] Now in for three and out for five, four, three, two, one. Now let's try in for three and out for six, five, four, three, two, one. The whole idea is that you start letting out your breaths longer and longer. It makes you relax more.

[00:01:26] So now you're all calm and everything is quiet and I will reintroduce you to Miggy the Troll and her big brother, Bruce, as they go on another adventure together. This time, they're seeking out the giants who are rumoured to live in the valleys nearby. Let's go there now. This is Miggy the Troll and the tiny town of giants by Luke Prendergast. Before we begin, here's a quick ad break.

[00:01:55] Then we'll start tonight's bedtime story. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad free listening and unlock all our premium stories, you can join the Coco Club. To join, follow the link in the show notes. What exactly do you learn at a school for Royal Magic, Sophia? I can't wait to find out. Join Sophia. Welcome to Charmswell. Don't just stand there. We've got spells to learn. In her most magical adventure ever. My email looks giving me new powers. Real magic!

[00:02:26] It's a good thing I'm at a school for Royal Magic. Sophia the First, Royal Magic. Now available on Disney Junior and Disney Plus. Learn more at DisneyPlus.com forward slash what's dash on. Ready everyone? Follow me! All of your family favorites are available on Disney Plus. I love it. Share the stories you grew up with with your kids, like Bear and the Big Blue House and Roly Poly Oly. That sounds like fun. Then discover new stories together.

[00:02:55] The more the merrier. Like Sophia the First, Royal Magic, Bluey and Spidey and his amazing friends. Get ready to Spidey Swing! On Disney Plus. All of these and more available this month. DisneyPlus.com forward slash what's dash on. Miggie the Troll knew the lands surrounding Rainbow Town like the back of her hand.

[00:03:23] In fact, she knew them better than the back of her hand. Because she gave the land far more attention. Climbing it, traversing it, traveling it, studying it, than she ever had to the back of her hand. Why, after all, would anyone want to know the back of their hand so well? No. There was nothing that Miggie didn't know about her home, and the mountains, and forests, and lakes, and huge grassy meadows surrounding it.

[00:03:52] When she and her big brother Bruce went out on long walks and secret adventures, Miggie could name every tree they passed, and every brightly colored plant. She knew the calls of the birds, and which kinds of pollen were the favorites of the local bees. And she knew how to tell a rabbit warren from a hare's den.

[00:04:15] She could tell whether a fish was a salmon or a trout just from the briefest flash of color beneath the surface of the water. And it didn't take her and Bruce long to work out if it were a pixie or a fairy that had left the shimmering trail of glitter dust on the spiky leaves of the holly trees.

[00:04:36] And so, it was rather a surprise to Miggie when, one afternoon, Dr. Slops, the bogey green-haired troll who ran the apothecary shop, mentioned the giants who lived nearby. Giants? Giants? Miggie repeated, and shook her head. Oh no! There aren't any giants around here at all! In fact, I don't believe that giants are real at all, Dr. Slops.

[00:05:04] They were just invented by mummy and daddy trolls to scare baby trolls into doing what they were told. Dr. Slops gave Miggie one of his wise, curious smiles. Oh no, my dear, he said. I hate to break it to you, but giants certainly do exist. And a group of them live not far from Rainbow Town at all. But there's no need to worry.

[00:05:33] There's nothing scary about giants. In fact, they're some of the friendliest people I've ever had the good fortune to meet. Every year they give me a whole supply of giant toenail clippings, which are absolutely crucial for many of my medicinal potions. Dr. Slops lifted a jar from the shelf and showed it to Miggie.

[00:05:59] It was half full of big brown toenail clippings. In fact, Dr. Slops added, that cough mixture I gave you last month was full of them. So you have the giants to thank for that. Miggie wrinkled her nose.

[00:06:22] She wasn't quite sure that she liked the idea that she had unknowingly drunk a bunch of toenails. Even if that cough mixture had fixed her sore throat overnight. But there was something about the way that Dr. Slops was talking that made her believe what he was saying. I never knew about the giants, she said a little wondrously. Where do they live?

[00:06:52] Ah, well, Dr. Slops told her. If you follow the bank of the river all the way west until you reach the big rock that looks like a lion, and then climb over the second highest hill, you'll see their town down in the valley below. They call it Tiny Town.

[00:07:15] It is, I think, he added, giving a twinkling little wink, meant to be something of a joke. All the way home, Miggie thought about what Dr. Slops had told her. She had traveled that far west before and seen the big lion-shaped rock. But she'd not climbed over any hills near there. And no one in Rainbow Town had ever mentioned the existence of the giants before.

[00:07:44] Could it possibly be true? Back at the family cave, she found her mum sitting on a rock, reading a book. Miggie asked whether she'd ever heard of these giant neighbors of theirs. But she only shook her head. And her dad, who was stewing a pot of apples and berries, hadn't heard about them either. When she told Bruce, he frowned and scratched his head.

[00:08:12] And she said, nope, he said. I haven't heard of anything like that either. But you know what this sounds like, Miggs? What? She asked. He grinned at her. It sounds like an opportunity for a brand new adventure. Almost involuntarily, Miggie felt her own face reflecting her brother's grin back at him.

[00:08:42] You know what, Bruce? She said. It really does. And so, Miggie and Bruce packed a bag full of their adventuring gear. From what Miggie could remember, it would take them a few hours to walk as far as the lion-shaped rock. So, they stowed away plenty of snacks and water. A map of the lands, though Miggie observed with a raised eyebrow.

[00:09:09] Even the map didn't appear to acknowledge the existence of the giant's tiny town. And a couple of blankets, just in case they got cold. They sat on the small rock at the opening of their cozy cave and pulled on their walking boots and tied the laces up tight. Goodbye, their mum said, waving them off. Good luck on your latest adventure, said their dad.

[00:09:37] And with that, Miggie and Bruce were off. They were quite used to going out on adventures together. And, in fact, they had developed, quite without speaking about it, a special walk for when they went off on one. One step. Two step. Three step. Four. It was like a march, really. A clomping, stomping, that gave them a feeling of bravery and determination.

[00:10:08] They marched down through Rainbow Town, nodding to the trolls who were busy doing their business as they went. Mrs Edna, with her pink and grey hair, feeding her pet Iguana on the front lawn. Pat, the post-troll, delivering letters. The identical troll twins zip and zap with their lightning bolt yellow and electric blue hair.

[00:10:33] Everyone they passed could tell Miggie and Bruce were out on an adventure. All the inhabitants of Rainbow Town, after all, had noticed their special march and wished them luck as they went by. At the edge of Rainbow Town, as they were about to head out across the meadows towards the river, there was a noise from behind them.

[00:10:59] They turned to find Dr Slops himself hurrying after them, balancing a big glass jar on his head. At first, Miggie was afraid it was that jar of big toenails again. But when he got closer, she saw that it was full of some strange fine material. Thin fibers that shone and glistened in pale pinks and gold.

[00:11:29] Oof! Dr Slots huffed and puffed when he caught up with them. I'm glad I didn't miss you. Here, I was wondering if you'd do me a favor. Of course, Dr Slots, Bruce replied. What can we do for you? Dr Slots held out the jar of shining fibers.

[00:11:54] This is a jar of unicorn hairs plucked by myself from the herd that lives in the foothills of Rainbow Mountain. Unicorns are rather skittish around giants. They don't like tall creatures like that. Even though the giants wouldn't hurt a fly if it landed on their forehead. But unicorn hairs are extremely good for giant health.

[00:12:23] And so I collect some for them from time to time. When you get to Tiny Town, would you please deliver this jar to them? It's for their apothecary. Where you'll find a giant by the name of Pinkfingers. Of course, Dr Slots, Miggy said as Bruce took the jar from the doctor. We'll be sure to deliver it to the giants when we get there.

[00:12:53] But when Dr Slots had given them a little bow and hurried off back to Rainbow Town, Miggy said, If we get there. Oh, Miggy, Bruce said laughing. You have such little faith. You still don't believe the giants exist. Now Miggy laughed too.

[00:13:18] Well, I still can't understand why we've never heard of them before. But, she added, I'll believe it when I see it. And so Miggy and her brother walked across the meadow until they reached the glittering waters of the river. Then they walked alongside the bank, taking dips into the cool water whenever they got hot

[00:13:45] and plucking ripe fruit off the trees to eat when they got hungry. As they went, they sang songs and traded funny stories about their parents. And the sun rose and fell through the sky. And time passed so quickly that they couldn't quite believe it when, up ahead, they saw the big grey rock that was shaped just like a lion's head,

[00:14:13] with big bright eyes and a big bushy mane and long etched in whiskers. Miggy murmured, we already got here. She looked over to the west, where the warm orange sun was already dipping down towards the hilltops. Dr. Slott said, you have to climb the second highest hill.

[00:14:42] So, she added, pointing over, I guess it's that one. Looks like it, Bruce agreed. And they veered off the river path and headed towards the hill. The going was hard, and the hill was steeper than it looked. But they were strong young trolls and used to the hard work.

[00:15:06] At last, breathing heavily and with little droplets of sweat beading their foreheads, they crested the peak of the hill and looked down into the valley below. Miggy let out a wonderstruck little gasp. Bruce reached out and took hold of her wrist. Neither of them could believe their eyes. So, it's real, Miggy whispered.

[00:15:36] Down below them was a town, indeed, tiny town. But it wasn't tiny at all. It had around the same number of houses as Rainbow Town, 20 or 30 homes. But they were several times larger than the houses of Rainbow Town, with big walls and large thatched roofs like shaggy haircuts on top of their heads.

[00:16:02] Miggy and Bruce made their way down the hill towards the town, passing big oak trees that seemed all of a sudden small in comparison with the giant houses below them. Near the foothills, they reached a huge boulder and were taken by surprise when the boulder moved, unfolding itself and standing up tall. It wasn't a boulder at all.

[00:16:29] It had been a giant, 10 or 12 times bigger than Miggy and Bruce, who had been napping under a dark grey blanket. The giant was so large that Miggy felt a little shiver of worry move through her. But she was looking down at them with such a kindly, beaming smile that that shiver of worry only lasted a mere moment.

[00:16:58] Why, hello there, little visitors, the giant said. Welcome to Tiny Town. My name is Titch because, well, maybe you can guess. Miggy peered at the giant. He looked ginormous to her. She wondered how big the tall giants who lived here must be. And I know just what you are.

[00:17:25] I can tell by your fetching flashes of brightly coloured hair. You're trolls. And you must know our good friend, Dr. Slops. But tell me, what are your names? It was Miggy who found her voice first. Miggy, she told him. And after a quick nudge from her elbow, Bruce said, Uh, and I'm Bruce.

[00:17:52] It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Titch, Miggy added, trying her best to sound extra respectful. This is our first time in Tiny Town. I never even knew it existed until this morning. Please, the giant said. Just call me Titch. And if this is your first time, well, you need a tour then, don't you? And you found the right giant.

[00:18:20] I'm known as the best tour guide in all of Tiny Town. So then, follow me. At first, Miggy and Bruce had to scramble after Titch, because just one of his footsteps took about ten or twelve from them. But soon he noticed how they had to hurry and slowed down for them. They peered at the houses as they approached them.

[00:18:48] Up close, they looked rather peculiar. Just as cute and quaint as the caves and houses in Rainbow Town. Just hundreds of times bigger. Bruce went up to one of them and stood beside it and said, Look, Miggy, just one brick of this house is bigger than me. And then they saw a garden gnome that looked just like a troll,

[00:19:16] with a big quiff of bright purple hair. And they both fell about laughing. What's that noise? Came the croak of an old woman's voice. Ah, Grandma Greenhair, said Titch. Meet our new troll friends, Miggy and Bruce. The giantess Titch was talking to, was sitting in front of the house opposite,

[00:19:45] on a rocking chair the size of a tree. She had big twinkling glasses and a mop of dark green curls. And on her lap, she was stroking. She's just like Mrs. Edna, Miggy whispered to Bruce. Except, instead of a pet iguana, she's got a pet. Miggy trailed off so that her brother had to finish her sentence for her.

[00:20:15] Her pet dragon, he said. And Bruce was right. Although because she was so large, the creature on Grandma Greenhair's lap looked no bigger than an iguana. It was, in fact, a small dragon. Its dark wings folded contentedly on its back. Its scaly chin resting on her knee.

[00:20:43] Lovely to meet the two of you, Grandma Greenhair said, smiling down at them. You too, Grandma Greenhair, Miggy and Bruce said in unison. And the little dragon on Grandma Greenhair's lap let out a happy croak, a small flurry of flames erupting from his mouth. Grandma Greenhair gave a little chuckle.

[00:21:12] There, there, Tobias, she said. With that, Titch led them on along his tour. He passed through the tiny town square, where a group of giants were selling fruit and vegetables at a market. All of the giants were very pleased to meet them. And Miggy noticed that as soon as they spotted her and her brother, they started being extra careful where they were putting their feet.

[00:21:43] It was just like Dr. Slocks had said, she thought to herself. The giants were extremely kindly folk, keen to avoid hurting any little creatures that might be walking around near their ankles, even by accident. Titch showed them the huge arena on the edge of the town where the giants congregated to play games or watch a show that their tiny town theatre troupe was putting on.

[00:22:13] He showed them the fruit orchards where there were special trees that grew apples and grapes the size of their heads. They met a fluffy dog the size of a horse, who was so delighted to see them that she gave Bruce a big wet lick that left him dripping with doggy saliva. But he was smiling. Bruce loves dogs. At last they came to a big wooden hut.

[00:22:41] This is the tiny town apothecary, Titch announced. And with these words, Miggy remembered the job that Dr. Slocks had tasked them with. Is this by any chance, she asked Titch, where Pinkfingers works? It is indeed, Titch told her. But tell me, how do you know Pinkfingers?

[00:23:08] Oh, our own medicine man from Rainbow Town asked us to deliver something for him, she explained. And Titch nodded. Good old Dr. Slops, he said. Well, come on in then. Let's deliver your package. The door swung open with a creak.

[00:23:29] Inside, the tiny town apothecary was dark and full of shadows, just like Dr. Slops' own apothecary back home. There were strange scents hanging in the air, some sweet, some bitter, all emanating from the jars and boxes of ingredients lining the shelves all around the walls of the room.

[00:23:55] Behind the counter, a large shape moved, and out of the dimness of the room blinked a big pair of bright blue eyes. Hello, little ones, said the giant. Welcome to my apothecary shop. What brings you here? These are our friends, Titch said, visiting from Rainbow Town.

[00:24:24] Ah, sighed Pinkfingers. Trolls from Rainbow Town. So you must know my dear friend, Dr. Slops. We do, Mr. Pinkfingers, Miggy said. In fact, he asked us to come and deliver something to you. Here it is. And beside her, Bruce held out the jar of shimmering pink and gold hairs.

[00:24:54] Ah, sighed Pinkfingers again. Unicorn hairs. What a stroke of luck. We just ran out of the last batch yesterday. And he took the jar from Bruce and placed it on an empty spot on the shelf beside him. It is so good, he went on, of Dr. Slops to collect those hairs for us.

[00:25:24] The unicorns won't let me anywhere near them, no matter how many times I tell them that I mean absolutely no harm at all. He gave a little chuckle and another small sigh. Then he added, and while you're here, you may as well take this back to Dr. Slops. Pinkfingers plucked another jar from the shelf and handed it to them.

[00:25:52] It was crammed with giant toenail clippings. I just filled it up myself this morning, Pinkfingers told them with a little twinkle in his eyes. Thank you, Mr. Pinkfingers, Miggy said, trying her best not to look at the toenails. We'll be sure to get this to Dr. Slops as soon as possible.

[00:26:21] And with that, Miggy and Bruce said goodbye to Pinkfingers, who patted them each on the head, and followed Titch back outside. By now, the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, so that the mauve light of twilight was slipping between the buildings and trees of Tiny Town. The place now felt very quiet, the bustle of the afternoon over.

[00:26:50] And in the dusky calm, Miggy and Bruce found themselves yawning. Oh, it's late, Miggy said. We really should get back to Rainbow Town. But it's so very far, Bruce said, rubbing his eyes. It's a terribly long way to go. Maybe we should stay here for the night?

[00:27:20] We could, Miggy said. But Mum and Dad will wonder where we've got to. We'll just have to do the long walk back. Titch cleared his throat, and they both looked up at him. Well, said the giant, sorry to interrupt your little conversation, but there is another option.

[00:27:47] I'm not tired, and my giant strides are much longer than yours. How about you sit upon my shoulders, and I'll walk you back to Rainbow Town. Miggy and Bruce smiled gratefully up at Titch. That was very generous of him, they told him. Oh no, Titch said. It's nothing.

[00:28:15] And with that, he reached out and lifted them one by one onto his shoulders. Once they were up there, Miggy found that Titch's shoulder was a remarkably comfy spot. She could settle right into the nook of his collarbone, with her head resting against the soft flesh of his neck. Now are we all aboard and comfy?

[00:28:44] Titch said. We are, replied Miggy and Bruce. All right, off we go. And so Miggy and Bruce travelled the long way back from Tiny Town to Rainbow Town, the shoulders of their new friend, Titch the Giant. The sky and the dusk air darkened as they went,

[00:29:11] and thousands of stars blinked out in the inky sky. They chatted about this and that as they went, talking about all the things they'd discovered in Tiny Town. And Miggy and Bruce told Titch about how much they were looking forward to introducing him to their parents, and how they couldn't wait to see the looks on all the trolls' faces,

[00:29:40] when the two of them turned up back in town on the shoulders of a giant. Titch's collarbone became so comfy, and the flesh of his neck so soft, and the loping gait of his giant stride so soothing,

[00:30:06] the two young trolls found themselves drifting off. They yawned. They nestled down. They tried to stay awake. But soon enough, their eyes closed and they fell asleep. And so they never did get to see the looks on the trolls' faces as they strode back into town.

[00:30:37] And they didn't get to introduce their parents to their new giant friend. Although, they supposed Titch introduced himself. For they slept so soundly and so deeply. In dreams populated by big friendly beings who lived in tall houses and feasted on giant apples,

[00:31:06] that they didn't wake up until the morning, when they found themselves wrapped up so snugly in their beds, in their cozy cave in Rainbow Town.