Potato & Beans: Chimpkin's Sleepy Stories 🐔✨ 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. Sunny and I are blowing the big birthday horn over here especially for Joy as it's her special day today. Not only has she joined the Coco Club, woohoo, but she's also become a year older. What a day! Happy birthday Joy!

[00:00:37] We'd also like to warmly welcome into the clubhouse Eliza in Mexico and Luke from Largs, Australia. Thanks to you and your grown-ups for joining up for the year. Your subscriptions as you know really help us making the show and we're pretty confident you'll love all our bonus stories and ad-free listening too.

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[00:01:16] Hey Koala Moon listeners, especially all the families and parents tuning in. As a mum, I talk to a lot of parents, but I've never heard them talk about a new kids' product the way they talk about this.

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[00:03:03] Hello Koala Moon listeners.

[00:03:05] If you have babies and toddlers in your family, then this announcement is for you.

[00:03:10] I'd like to tell you about my other sleep show, Koala Tots.

[00:03:13] It's got all the magic of Koala Moon, but it's made especially for the littlest of listeners, babies and toddlers.

[00:03:20] Koala Tots is packed with soothing stories and calming rhymes, perfect for helping babies and toddlers sleep like a dream.

[00:03:28] 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.

[00:03:40] There's even appearances from some of the Koala Moon star favorites alongside the cutest episodes like How to Hug a Hedgehog and Nugget's Cozy Night.

[00:03:51] So search Koala Tots on your favorite podcast player and hit follow so you can find it easily night after night.

[00:04:00] Now, if any of you listening are fans of writing your own stories, reading newspapers, cats or just being curious,

[00:04:10] then tonight you will be very satisfied because this story has it all.

[00:04:15] Soon we're going to meet a little chicken named Chimpkin who lives in the middle of nowhere, not so far from Potato and Beans' diner.

[00:04:22] Chimpkin wants to be a writer and decides to write her own newspaper about all the kooky folk who live in the valley.

[00:04:31] And luckily enough, she finds stories all around her.

[00:04:36] Okay, as you know, we never go straight into the story.

[00:04:41] Before we get started, you gotta jump into bed and start to wind down your busy brains and bodies.

[00:04:47] So, take a breath in and focus on breathing it all out.

[00:04:56] Whoosh.

[00:04:57] And again.

[00:04:59] Breathe in and out.

[00:05:04] Until your lungs are empty.

[00:05:07] Lovely.

[00:05:08] One more time.

[00:05:09] Breathe in.

[00:05:11] And this time sigh it out.

[00:05:15] Nice.

[00:05:15] Gently circle your wrists and your ankles and maybe wriggle around a little bit in bed to get comfy.

[00:05:24] Okay, now let your body settle quietly, and your mind too, as I begin Potato and Beans.

[00:05:34] Chimpkin's Sleepy Stories by Susanna McLaughlin.

[00:05:44] In the desert, tucked under a golden rocky canyon, between prickly pears and yucca trees,

[00:05:50] there lived a little chicken named Chimpkin.

[00:05:54] Chimpkin was at that gawky age, between kid and teenager, where her legs were a little too long for her body,

[00:06:01] and her feathers were still fluffy and disarrayed, no matter how many times she brushed them.

[00:06:07] Chimpkin went to boarding school in the city.

[00:06:10] But in the school holidays, she would come home to spend the summer with her mama out in the desert,

[00:06:16] where the skies were endless and blue, and even the tumbleweed was too lazy to move across the plains in the warm, sleepy sun.

[00:06:27] It was her favourite place to be.

[00:06:31] Hiking the canyons, reading on the porch, putting on her cowboy boots and going line dancing under the moon.

[00:06:38] At school, she spent her time in stuffy libraries, poring over stacks of books,

[00:06:45] and talking about history and astrology with her friends.

[00:06:49] Out here, she had endless space and fresh air,

[00:06:54] and time to think freely and watch the world move by around her.

[00:06:59] Her life was a perfect balance of yin and yang, city and desert, and she loved it that way.

[00:07:09] This one afternoon, in autumn break, Mama had cooked up some Mexican corn,

[00:07:15] and she and Chimpkin were pecking at their cobs while swinging back and forth on the rocking chairs on the porch.

[00:07:22] They had gotten onto the subject of school,

[00:07:26] and Chimpkin had been talking about how well she'd been doing in English,

[00:07:30] writing stories and articles and reports that were coming back with gold star after gold star stuck on the front.

[00:07:40] I'm awfully proud of you, my little Chimpkin, Mama said.

[00:07:44] What do you think you'll be when you grow up?

[00:07:48] Will you write novels?

[00:07:49] Will you write one about me, do you think?

[00:07:54] Chimpkin grinned, blinking through her milk bottle glasses, and considered the question.

[00:08:01] A book about her mama would sure be interesting.

[00:08:05] She was always getting up to hijinks and sticking her beak into everyone else's business.

[00:08:11] She'd be a powerful protagonist, but...

[00:08:16] No, Chimpkin said.

[00:08:17] I don't want to write books.

[00:08:21] I want to be a journalist.

[00:08:24] I want to report on the news and investigate things and get the scoop and crack the cases and interview the president and...

[00:08:36] Mama chuckled.

[00:08:39] She said.

[00:08:40] Well, that's a noble dream, she said.

[00:08:44] And I think you'll be marvellous at it.

[00:08:48] Maybe once you've done all that, you can come back here and start the paper.

[00:08:56] The Middle of Nowhere Express.

[00:08:58] The Desert Daily.

[00:09:00] The Chimpkin Gazette.

[00:09:03] I don't know.

[00:09:05] There's a lot of stories to be told out here, as sleepy and idyllic as it is.

[00:09:12] Chimpkin nodded and said that, yes, one day she would.

[00:09:18] As the next few days drifted by, though, her mama's request kept popping up in her head.

[00:09:25] A paper for everyone who lived spread out across this dreamy desert.

[00:09:32] It was a good idea.

[00:09:34] It wasn't only the big city folk who had stories to tell.

[00:09:39] And why wait until she was older?

[00:09:43] Why couldn't she do it now?

[00:09:46] By the time Wednesday morning had come, Chimpkin had made up her mind.

[00:09:52] This school break, she was starting her own paper.

[00:09:56] The Middle of Nowhere Gazette.

[00:10:00] Chimpkin told her mother.

[00:10:02] And her mother returned from the nearest store an hour later with a notepad that she'd brought just for her and her new project.

[00:10:09] A blue one covered in silver stars.

[00:10:12] And a pen with a lilac puff of feathers on top.

[00:10:17] Chimpkin hugged her mama, put the notebook and pen into her bag and hopped onto her bicycle,

[00:10:24] vowing she'd have her first story by tea time.

[00:10:29] She knew exactly where to go.

[00:10:32] To find stories, you needed to find people.

[00:10:36] And what better place to find people than in the little diner in the middle of the plains,

[00:10:43] on the road that ran directly through the middle of nowhere.

[00:10:49] It wasn't too long before Chimpkin was coming up on the bright red sign that read,

[00:10:55] Potato and Beans is Diner.

[00:10:57] Glasses fogged up from the exertion of cycling so fast in the midday sun.

[00:11:03] She lent her shiny red bike against the diner wall and headed into the diner.

[00:11:09] She plopped down on a bar stool, said hello to the roller skating diner cats,

[00:11:16] ordered an iced lemonade, taking her notepad out of her bag and placing it on the counter.

[00:11:24] Potato placed the lemonade in front of Chimpkin with a furry paw and twitched her whiskers.

[00:11:32] What are you working on there in your notepad?

[00:11:35] She asked.

[00:11:37] Or are you just doodling?

[00:11:39] I love to doodle.

[00:11:43] Chimpkin grinned and said,

[00:11:45] No, she wasn't the doodling type.

[00:11:48] She preferred writing.

[00:11:50] And today, she wanted to write an article for her brand new paper,

[00:11:56] The Middle of Nowhere Gazette.

[00:11:58] All she had to do was find her first story.

[00:12:03] Potato clapped her paws together.

[00:12:05] A paper, how cool.

[00:12:08] So, you're a real life journalist?

[00:12:12] She asked Chimpkin.

[00:12:14] Chimpkin nodded, as even though she hadn't started writing yet,

[00:12:19] she had decided that, yes, she was a journalist in her heart.

[00:12:25] Potato called Beans over and filled her in on Chimpkin's plans.

[00:12:31] So, all you need is stories?

[00:12:34] Beans said.

[00:12:36] That's easy.

[00:12:37] This area's full of them.

[00:12:40] There's not many people living out here,

[00:12:42] but the ones who are, they're fascinating.

[00:12:47] Chimpkin grinned.

[00:12:49] She thought as much.

[00:12:50] But how to get started?

[00:12:55] Potato pointed at the door with a furry paw.

[00:12:59] Look who's coming, she said.

[00:13:02] It's the perfect person to help you out.

[00:13:06] The diner door swung open, letting a blast of warm air come in

[00:13:12] and dissipate amongst the cool air inside.

[00:13:16] There, strolling up to the counter and saying hello to everybody on the way in,

[00:13:22] was a Dalmatian in smart clothes with a badge clipped onto his belt.

[00:13:29] Chimpkin knew who it was, and he knew everyone.

[00:13:34] The cats were right.

[00:13:36] This was the perfect person to ask.

[00:13:40] It was Detective Hash Brown.

[00:13:44] The detective took his regular seat at the counter,

[00:13:48] wished Chimpkin and the cats a good morning,

[00:13:51] and ordered a sandwich.

[00:13:54] As soon as this was out the way,

[00:13:56] Potato began filling Hash Brown in on Chimpkin's plans

[00:14:00] to begin the middle of nowhere's first ever newspaper.

[00:14:05] Beans asked him if he might have any ideas

[00:14:08] what kind of stories Chimpkin should put in the first edition.

[00:14:14] I think it would be good to start with something historical,

[00:14:20] Chimpkin said.

[00:14:21] Like, maybe a story from someone who's lived here a really long time,

[00:14:29] who knows this area better than anyone?

[00:14:33] Do you know anyone like that, Detective?

[00:14:37] The detective nodded.

[00:14:40] I know someone exactly like that.

[00:14:45] In fact, I know the person who's lived here the very longest.

[00:14:51] Her name is Tallulah Sparkles.

[00:14:56] Potato and Beans gasped and grinned.

[00:15:00] They assured Chimpkin that Hash Brown was right.

[00:15:04] Tallulah was the perfect person to talk to.

[00:15:08] Tallulah was as old as the hills,

[00:15:11] Tallulah was the perfect person to talk to her.

[00:15:14] Tallulah was the perfect person to talk to her.

[00:15:19] Tallulah was the perfect person to talk to her.

[00:15:20] She said she'd never heard of a lady named Tallulah Sparkles,

[00:15:24] and a shout came from the kitchen.

[00:15:26] It was Mrs. Pig,

[00:15:28] sticking her head through the serving window.

[00:15:32] Tallulah Sparkles?

[00:15:34] She said.

[00:15:35] Oh,

[00:15:36] she's a star.

[00:15:38] A real,

[00:15:39] true,

[00:15:40] star.

[00:15:41] If you were my age,

[00:15:43] you'd know her.

[00:15:45] Chimpkin asked what she meant,

[00:15:47] but Mrs. Pig just gave her a wink

[00:15:50] and said she'd see.

[00:15:54] Detective Hash Brown wrote down Tallulah's address on a napkin,

[00:15:58] and off Chimpkin went.

[00:16:00] She hopped on her bicycle and took off across the plains,

[00:16:05] towards a cluster of trees on the horizon.

[00:16:09] When she arrived,

[00:16:11] she pushed through the trees and grinned.

[00:16:14] They were hiding a sparkling little oasis.

[00:16:19] On the surface of the water was a pink inflatable lilo,

[00:16:23] and on that lilo was an elderly possum

[00:16:27] with heart-shaped sunglasses on

[00:16:30] and curlers in her hair.

[00:16:32] In her paw was a glass of iced tea

[00:16:36] with a curly straw.

[00:16:38] Behind the oasis was a pink wooden cabin

[00:16:41] with window boxes full of flowers

[00:16:44] and a little shiny convertible parked in the driveway.

[00:16:48] The whole scene was very glamorous.

[00:16:54] Chimpkin smoothed down her tie-dye t-shirt

[00:16:57] and checked her glasses were straight

[00:17:00] before calling out politely,

[00:17:05] Hello, Tallulah?

[00:17:08] Hi, I'm Chimpkin.

[00:17:10] I'm a journalist

[00:17:11] and I would like to interview you

[00:17:14] for the Middle of Nowhere Gazette.

[00:17:17] The possum sat up on her lilo

[00:17:20] and pushed her glasses down her nose

[00:17:23] and called back

[00:17:25] with a southern drawl.

[00:17:27] Oh, hey, darling.

[00:17:30] Sure, pull up a seat,

[00:17:33] she gestured

[00:17:34] to a rubber ring by the poolside.

[00:17:37] There's lemonade on a table.

[00:17:41] Chimpkin smiled.

[00:17:43] That was easy.

[00:17:45] She poured herself an icy lemonade

[00:17:48] and plopped down in the rubber ring,

[00:17:50] thinking about getting into the pool,

[00:17:53] then deciding against it,

[00:17:55] not wanting to get her notes wet.

[00:17:58] Tallulah was chatty and kind

[00:18:01] and she had a sparkling smile.

[00:18:04] After some friendly chatter,

[00:18:06] Chimpkin began her interview,

[00:18:08] starting by asking how long

[00:18:11] she'd lived in the middle of nowhere.

[00:18:13] Tallulah replied that she was born here

[00:18:16] in a little rickety house

[00:18:18] not too far away.

[00:18:20] When she was old enough,

[00:18:22] she moved to Hollywood for a short while

[00:18:25] before coming right back again.

[00:18:28] She'd been in this pink little cabin ever since.

[00:18:32] Chimpkin scribbled away as Tallulah talked.

[00:18:36] Hollywood, she thought.

[00:18:38] What on earth was Tallulah doing there?

[00:18:42] And why did she come back?

[00:18:44] That was question two and three.

[00:18:48] Tallulah grinned teasingly

[00:18:50] and lowered her sunglasses.

[00:18:54] What was I doing there?

[00:18:56] Why, darling,

[00:18:59] have you never heard of Tallulah Sparkles?

[00:19:03] Chimpkin chuckled bashfully

[00:19:06] and admitted,

[00:19:07] no, she hadn't.

[00:19:09] Not until today, anyway.

[00:19:12] Tallulah explained

[00:19:14] that she had been a movie star

[00:19:17] many years ago,

[00:19:19] way before Chimpkin was born.

[00:19:22] She was one of the most famous actresses

[00:19:26] in the world.

[00:19:27] She was in black and white films.

[00:19:29] In the early days,

[00:19:31] they didn't have sound,

[00:19:32] but later on they did.

[00:19:34] And she played all kinds of roles,

[00:19:37] going on imaginary adventures

[00:19:38] all over the world.

[00:19:42] Tallulah then said that

[00:19:43] as much as she loved being a star,

[00:19:46] she much preferred being under them,

[00:19:49] on her porch,

[00:19:50] here,

[00:19:51] in the place she called home.

[00:19:54] So she left the bright lights of LA

[00:19:57] and returned here

[00:19:58] to float in her pool,

[00:20:01] grow her own vegetables

[00:20:02] and flowers to sell at the market,

[00:20:06] ride her horse,

[00:20:07] and watch movies

[00:20:09] rather than being in them.

[00:20:12] Chimpkin was wowed.

[00:20:15] She was in the presence

[00:20:17] of a real-life movie star.

[00:20:21] She asked Tallulah about her movies

[00:20:24] and they even acted some scenes out together.

[00:20:28] Tallulah pretending to be a superhero

[00:20:31] and Chimpkin her trusty sidekick

[00:20:34] and Chimpkin pretending to be the president

[00:20:37] whilst Tallulah was one of her advisors.

[00:20:41] Chimpkin was amazed by Tallulah's skills.

[00:20:45] She could step into a character's shoes so easily.

[00:20:51] What's your secret?

[00:20:53] Chimpkin asked,

[00:20:55] the last question of the interview.

[00:20:58] Tallulah said,

[00:21:00] acting wasn't so hard really.

[00:21:03] All you have to do

[00:21:04] is imagine you're the character

[00:21:06] and think about how they must feel

[00:21:09] in a certain situation

[00:21:10] and go from there.

[00:21:12] She said,

[00:21:14] the secret was empathy

[00:21:16] and that being able to imagine

[00:21:18] how other people feel

[00:21:20] was a valuable skill

[00:21:21] that not only helps you act

[00:21:24] but helps you be a kinder person.

[00:21:26] She said,

[00:21:28] the other secret

[00:21:29] was to relax

[00:21:30] and have fun

[00:21:31] and be confident.

[00:21:34] Then everyone will love watching you,

[00:21:37] whatever you do,

[00:21:38] because fun's contagious.

[00:21:42] Chimpkin scribbled all of this down

[00:21:45] in her notepad

[00:21:46] and grinned.

[00:21:47] That was her first story.

[00:21:50] Tallulah Sparkles,

[00:21:52] the secret star

[00:21:54] in the middle of nowhere.

[00:21:56] She took out her camera

[00:21:58] and asked if she could take a photo

[00:22:00] of Tallulah to go with her story.

[00:22:03] Tallulah beamed

[00:22:05] and said,

[00:22:06] yes,

[00:22:06] of course,

[00:22:07] and posed,

[00:22:09] lifting her lemonade

[00:22:10] towards the camera

[00:22:12] as if toasting the person

[00:22:14] looking at the photo.

[00:22:15] Perfect.

[00:22:17] Chimpkin gave Tallulah a hug

[00:22:19] and Tallulah wished her

[00:22:21] the best with her paper,

[00:22:23] saying she couldn't wait

[00:22:24] to read a copy.

[00:22:27] Before long,

[00:22:29] Chimpkin was pushing back

[00:22:30] through the doors

[00:22:32] of Potato and Beans Diner,

[00:22:34] where the cats

[00:22:35] were in the kitchen

[00:22:36] with Mrs. Pig,

[00:22:37] having a pancake-flipping contest.

[00:22:41] Chimpkin poked her head

[00:22:43] through the serving window,

[00:22:45] looking upon the scene

[00:22:46] and laughing

[00:22:47] at the flower

[00:22:48] coating Potato's nose

[00:22:51] and whiskers.

[00:22:52] I got too close

[00:22:54] to the mixer,

[00:22:55] Potato giggled.

[00:22:58] Chimpkin chuckled

[00:23:00] in her clucking way

[00:23:01] and watched

[00:23:02] as Beans

[00:23:03] flipped a pancake

[00:23:04] in the air

[00:23:05] and it made

[00:23:06] three whole flips

[00:23:08] before landing

[00:23:10] back in the pan

[00:23:11] the right way up.

[00:23:13] Then the cats

[00:23:15] came back

[00:23:15] into the diner

[00:23:16] followed by Mrs. Pig,

[00:23:18] who told Chimpkin

[00:23:20] she had found

[00:23:21] the next subject

[00:23:22] for one of her articles.

[00:23:24] Mrs. Pig

[00:23:25] puffed her chest up

[00:23:27] proudly

[00:23:27] as she said,

[00:23:29] It's my husband.

[00:23:31] He works

[00:23:33] at NASA,

[00:23:34] you know,

[00:23:35] the National

[00:23:36] Animals in Space

[00:23:38] Association.

[00:23:39] I thought

[00:23:40] you could write

[00:23:42] about his new project.

[00:23:44] He's helping

[00:23:45] to send

[00:23:46] a robot

[00:23:47] to Mars

[00:23:47] to see

[00:23:48] what's going

[00:23:49] on up there

[00:23:50] and I think

[00:23:52] people would like

[00:23:53] to read

[00:23:53] about it.

[00:23:56] Chimpkin

[00:23:56] beamed

[00:23:57] and said,

[00:23:58] Yes,

[00:23:58] please.

[00:23:59] She'd love

[00:24:00] to talk

[00:24:00] to Mr. Pig.

[00:24:02] She'd known him

[00:24:03] since she was little

[00:24:04] but she'd never

[00:24:05] really sat down

[00:24:06] and spoken

[00:24:07] to him

[00:24:08] about his job

[00:24:09] and every newspaper

[00:24:11] needed a science feature.

[00:24:14] And so

[00:24:15] Mrs. Pig

[00:24:15] jotted directions

[00:24:17] to Mr. Pig's office

[00:24:19] at the NASA headquarters

[00:24:20] on yet another napkin

[00:24:22] and Chimpkin

[00:24:23] was off again.

[00:24:26] She peddled

[00:24:27] across the wide

[00:24:28] open plains

[00:24:29] feeling the breeze

[00:24:30] in her feathers

[00:24:31] and watching

[00:24:33] an eagle swoop

[00:24:34] through the sky

[00:24:35] overhead.

[00:24:36] She thought

[00:24:37] that the sky

[00:24:38] looked so big

[00:24:40] and blue

[00:24:40] she might be able

[00:24:42] to cycle up

[00:24:43] into it

[00:24:44] and find herself

[00:24:45] next to him

[00:24:46] swooping

[00:24:47] amongst the clouds.

[00:24:50] The NASA headquarters

[00:24:52] grew bigger

[00:24:53] and bigger

[00:24:54] from the distance

[00:24:55] until Chimpkin

[00:24:57] found herself

[00:24:58] cycling up

[00:24:59] the dusty path

[00:25:00] towards its doors.

[00:25:02] She'd often

[00:25:04] seen the building

[00:25:05] from afar

[00:25:05] and had even

[00:25:07] sat with everyone

[00:25:08] else on the hillside

[00:25:09] to watch

[00:25:10] when rockets

[00:25:11] and satellites

[00:25:12] were launched

[00:25:13] from its yard

[00:25:14] into space

[00:25:15] but she'd never

[00:25:16] been inside.

[00:25:19] Chimpkin

[00:25:20] followed

[00:25:20] Mrs. Pig's

[00:25:21] instructions

[00:25:22] and made her way

[00:25:24] to Mr. Pig's

[00:25:25] office.

[00:25:26] She could hear

[00:25:28] him chatting

[00:25:28] as she walked

[00:25:29] down the corridor

[00:25:30] and entered

[00:25:31] his office

[00:25:32] to see him

[00:25:33] poring over

[00:25:34] some papers

[00:25:35] with Barbara

[00:25:35] another rocket

[00:25:37] scientist.

[00:25:39] Hey kiddo

[00:25:40] Mr. Pig

[00:25:42] said cheerily

[00:25:43] grinning wide.

[00:25:45] Chimpkin

[00:25:45] said hello

[00:25:46] to them both

[00:25:47] and explained

[00:25:48] her reasons

[00:25:49] for coming.

[00:25:50] Mr. Pig

[00:25:51] and Barbara

[00:25:52] were excited

[00:25:53] to talk about

[00:25:54] their project

[00:25:55] and loved

[00:25:56] the idea

[00:25:56] of sharing

[00:25:57] their work

[00:25:58] with their

[00:25:58] friends in the valley.

[00:25:59] They said

[00:26:01] they'd love

[00:26:02] to be

[00:26:02] in the middle

[00:26:03] of nowhere

[00:26:03] gazette.

[00:26:05] Mr. Pig

[00:26:06] explained

[00:26:07] with Barbara

[00:26:08] interjecting

[00:26:09] now and then

[00:26:10] that their

[00:26:11] project

[00:26:11] involved

[00:26:12] sending a

[00:26:13] robot

[00:26:13] to Mars

[00:26:14] in a big

[00:26:15] shiny rocket

[00:26:16] so that it

[00:26:17] could send

[00:26:18] us images

[00:26:19] and videos

[00:26:20] of what it

[00:26:20] was like

[00:26:21] up there

[00:26:22] on the

[00:26:22] red planet.

[00:26:24] Chimpkin

[00:26:25] began to

[00:26:25] scribble

[00:26:26] in her

[00:26:26] notebook

[00:26:27] as he

[00:26:27] talked.

[00:26:29] Mr. Pig

[00:26:30] and Barbara

[00:26:31] showed her

[00:26:32] blueprints

[00:26:33] and designs

[00:26:34] of the robot

[00:26:35] and explained

[00:26:36] that it had

[00:26:37] taken them

[00:26:38] years to

[00:26:38] make the

[00:26:39] robot just

[00:26:40] right

[00:26:40] so it

[00:26:41] could move

[00:26:41] and record

[00:26:42] on Mars

[00:26:43] where the

[00:26:44] ground is

[00:26:44] different,

[00:26:45] the air

[00:26:46] is different,

[00:26:47] even gravity

[00:26:48] is different.

[00:26:50] The robot

[00:26:51] looked like

[00:26:52] a kind

[00:26:53] of go-kart

[00:26:54] with a camera

[00:26:55] attached,

[00:26:56] not like

[00:26:57] the kind

[00:26:57] of robot

[00:26:58] Chimpkin

[00:26:59] had pictured

[00:26:59] in her

[00:27:00] head,

[00:27:00] with arms

[00:27:01] and legs

[00:27:02] and everything.

[00:27:03] It looked

[00:27:04] more like

[00:27:05] a microwave

[00:27:06] than a

[00:27:06] person.

[00:27:08] Mr. Pig

[00:27:09] and Barbara

[00:27:10] explained that

[00:27:11] they had

[00:27:12] already sent

[00:27:12] one robot

[00:27:13] up to Mars

[00:27:14] and had

[00:27:15] gotten some

[00:27:15] amazing pictures

[00:27:17] of the part

[00:27:17] of the planet

[00:27:18] it had

[00:27:18] landed on.

[00:27:19] They took

[00:27:20] some photos

[00:27:21] out of a

[00:27:22] drawer

[00:27:22] and showed

[00:27:23] Chimpkin.

[00:27:24] the pictures

[00:27:26] showed

[00:27:27] orange

[00:27:28] dusty

[00:27:28] landscapes

[00:27:29] of

[00:27:30] beautiful

[00:27:31] rich

[00:27:31] colours

[00:27:32] under

[00:27:33] orangey

[00:27:34] skies

[00:27:34] dotted

[00:27:35] with

[00:27:35] stars.

[00:27:37] Amongst

[00:27:38] those stars

[00:27:39] hung

[00:27:40] two moons.

[00:27:42] Chimpkin

[00:27:42] asked how

[00:27:43] it was

[00:27:44] possible

[00:27:44] that there

[00:27:45] were two

[00:27:45] moons

[00:27:46] on Mars

[00:27:46] and Barbara

[00:27:48] explained

[00:27:49] that the

[00:27:49] planets

[00:27:50] all have

[00:27:50] different

[00:27:51] numbers

[00:27:51] of

[00:27:52] moons.

[00:27:52] In fact,

[00:27:54] Jupiter

[00:27:54] has more

[00:27:55] than

[00:27:55] 50.

[00:27:57] She said

[00:27:58] that the

[00:27:58] two moons

[00:27:59] of Mars

[00:28:00] are called

[00:28:01] Phobos

[00:28:01] and Deimos.

[00:28:03] Chimpkin

[00:28:04] thought they

[00:28:04] were beautiful.

[00:28:06] She asked

[00:28:07] for a copy

[00:28:08] of the photo

[00:28:09] to put in

[00:28:09] her newspaper

[00:28:10] and Mr.

[00:28:11] Pig

[00:28:11] handed her

[00:28:12] one.

[00:28:14] By this

[00:28:15] time,

[00:28:16] Chimpkin

[00:28:16] had enough

[00:28:17] to write

[00:28:17] an article.

[00:28:19] But when

[00:28:19] Mr.

[00:28:20] Pig

[00:28:20] asked if

[00:28:21] she wanted

[00:28:21] to check

[00:28:22] out their

[00:28:22] astronomy

[00:28:23] room,

[00:28:24] Chimpkin

[00:28:24] still said

[00:28:25] yes,

[00:28:26] absolutely.

[00:28:28] She,

[00:28:30] Barbara

[00:28:30] and Mrs.

[00:28:31] Pig

[00:28:31] went into

[00:28:32] the astronomy

[00:28:33] room where

[00:28:34] countless other

[00:28:35] scientists

[00:28:35] were lounging

[00:28:37] on beanbags

[00:28:38] looking up

[00:28:39] at the

[00:28:39] ceiling.

[00:28:40] On it

[00:28:41] was projected

[00:28:42] the stars

[00:28:43] and the

[00:28:43] planets,

[00:28:44] a whole

[00:28:45] beautiful

[00:28:46] solar system.

[00:28:49] The stars

[00:28:50] twinkled as

[00:28:51] if they

[00:28:52] were real

[00:28:52] and every

[00:28:54] now and

[00:28:54] again one

[00:28:55] shot across

[00:28:56] the sky,

[00:28:57] pulling a

[00:28:58] glowing silver

[00:28:59] tail along

[00:29:00] behind it.

[00:29:02] A glowing

[00:29:03] golden comet

[00:29:04] rolled across

[00:29:06] one corner

[00:29:07] of the sky

[00:29:08] and the

[00:29:09] streak of

[00:29:10] a meteor

[00:29:10] flashed across

[00:29:11] the other.

[00:29:13] Chimpkin

[00:29:14] thought it

[00:29:15] was simply

[00:29:16] astounding.

[00:29:17] From the

[00:29:18] red planet

[00:29:19] Mars

[00:29:20] to the

[00:29:20] huge

[00:29:21] golden

[00:29:22] mass

[00:29:22] of

[00:29:23] Jupiter

[00:29:23] to the

[00:29:24] ringed

[00:29:25] planet

[00:29:26] Saturn,

[00:29:27] every bit

[00:29:28] of the sky

[00:29:29] was beautiful.

[00:29:31] The planets

[00:29:32] hung like

[00:29:33] heavy

[00:29:34] baubles,

[00:29:35] floating

[00:29:36] and spinning

[00:29:37] and drifting

[00:29:38] through

[00:29:39] space.

[00:29:41] Chimpkin

[00:29:42] could have

[00:29:43] happily wasted

[00:29:44] away the

[00:29:45] afternoon

[00:29:45] dozing under

[00:29:47] the starry

[00:29:47] ceiling,

[00:29:48] but she

[00:29:50] had a

[00:29:51] newspaper to

[00:29:52] write,

[00:29:53] so off she

[00:29:54] went back

[00:29:55] into the

[00:29:56] desert.

[00:29:57] This time

[00:29:58] she went

[00:29:59] not to the

[00:30:00] diner but

[00:30:01] to her

[00:30:01] home,

[00:30:02] where she

[00:30:03] thought she

[00:30:04] might find

[00:30:04] the material

[00:30:05] for her

[00:30:06] next article.

[00:30:08] Mama

[00:30:08] was in

[00:30:09] the kitchen

[00:30:10] rolling

[00:30:10] the pastry

[00:30:11] for a pie

[00:30:12] when Chimpkin

[00:30:13] got home.

[00:30:14] She

[00:30:15] told her

[00:30:15] Mama

[00:30:16] all about

[00:30:17] her day

[00:30:17] before

[00:30:18] explaining

[00:30:19] what she

[00:30:20] wanted

[00:30:20] from her.

[00:30:22] You're so

[00:30:23] full of

[00:30:23] advice,

[00:30:24] Mama,

[00:30:25] Chimpkin

[00:30:26] said.

[00:30:26] You're

[00:30:27] always

[00:30:28] telling me

[00:30:28] pearls

[00:30:29] of wisdom.

[00:30:30] I

[00:30:31] thought

[00:30:31] maybe

[00:30:32] you

[00:30:33] could have

[00:30:33] a column

[00:30:34] in the

[00:30:34] middle

[00:30:34] of nowhere

[00:30:35] Gazette.

[00:30:36] Mama

[00:30:37] Hens

[00:30:37] words

[00:30:38] of wisdom.

[00:30:39] I

[00:30:40] think it

[00:30:40] would work

[00:30:41] great.

[00:30:43] Other

[00:30:44] animals

[00:30:44] might have

[00:30:45] blushed at

[00:30:45] such a

[00:30:46] compliment,

[00:30:47] but Mama

[00:30:47] knew her

[00:30:48] talent and

[00:30:49] was confident

[00:30:50] in herself,

[00:30:51] so she

[00:30:51] just agreed

[00:30:52] and said

[00:30:53] it was

[00:30:53] indeed

[00:30:54] a good

[00:30:55] idea.

[00:30:56] For the

[00:30:57] next hour,

[00:30:59] Mama

[00:30:59] racked her

[00:31:00] brain and

[00:31:01] listed out

[00:31:02] some pearls

[00:31:02] of wisdom

[00:31:03] for Chimpkin,

[00:31:04] who noted

[00:31:05] them down

[00:31:05] in her

[00:31:06] pad.

[00:31:07] First,

[00:31:08] Mama

[00:31:09] said

[00:31:09] things

[00:31:10] like,

[00:31:11] the early

[00:31:11] bird

[00:31:12] catches

[00:31:13] the worm

[00:31:13] and

[00:31:14] every

[00:31:16] cloud

[00:31:16] has

[00:31:17] a

[00:31:17] silver

[00:31:17] lining.

[00:31:19] And

[00:31:19] then she

[00:31:20] began

[00:31:20] saying

[00:31:21] other

[00:31:21] things

[00:31:21] that

[00:31:22] were

[00:31:22] very

[00:31:22] true

[00:31:23] and

[00:31:24] that

[00:31:24] someone

[00:31:24] out

[00:31:25] there

[00:31:25] might

[00:31:25] want

[00:31:26] to

[00:31:26] hear,

[00:31:26] like

[00:31:27] how

[00:31:28] it's

[00:31:28] really

[00:31:29] good

[00:31:29] to

[00:31:30] give

[00:31:30] compliments

[00:31:31] to

[00:31:31] people

[00:31:31] out

[00:31:32] loud

[00:31:32] rather

[00:31:33] than

[00:31:33] in

[00:31:37] or

[00:31:37] how

[00:31:38] you

[00:31:38] should

[00:31:38] believe

[00:31:39] in

[00:31:39] yourself

[00:31:40] and

[00:31:40] do

[00:31:40] the

[00:31:41] things

[00:31:41] that

[00:31:41] you're

[00:31:41] a little

[00:31:42] nervous

[00:31:42] to

[00:31:43] do

[00:31:43] as

[00:31:43] everything

[00:31:44] always

[00:31:44] works

[00:31:45] out

[00:31:45] okay

[00:31:46] in

[00:31:46] the

[00:31:46] end.

[00:31:48] Chimpkin

[00:31:48] noted

[00:31:49] everything

[00:31:50] she said

[00:31:50] down

[00:31:51] and

[00:31:51] decided

[00:31:52] it

[00:31:52] would

[00:31:52] all

[00:31:53] go

[00:31:53] in

[00:31:53] the

[00:31:54] paper.

[00:31:55] Her

[00:31:55] mama

[00:31:55] sure

[00:31:56] was

[00:31:56] wise

[00:31:57] and

[00:31:58] more

[00:31:58] people

[00:31:58] should

[00:31:59] hear

[00:31:59] what

[00:31:59] she

[00:31:59] has

[00:32:00] to

[00:32:00] say.

[00:32:02] At

[00:32:02] the

[00:32:02] end

[00:32:03] of

[00:32:03] the

[00:32:03] day

[00:32:04] Chimpkin

[00:32:04] went

[00:32:05] to bed

[00:32:05] tired

[00:32:06] out

[00:32:06] from

[00:32:07] the

[00:32:07] busiest

[00:32:08] day

[00:32:08] she'd

[00:32:09] had

[00:32:09] all

[00:32:09] summer.

[00:32:11] As

[00:32:12] tired

[00:32:12] as

[00:32:12] she

[00:32:13] was

[00:32:13] she

[00:32:14] was

[00:32:14] equally

[00:32:14] happy

[00:32:15] because

[00:32:16] she'd

[00:32:16] started

[00:32:17] a new

[00:32:17] project

[00:32:18] project

[00:32:18] and

[00:32:19] she

[00:32:19] was

[00:32:19] already

[00:32:20] so

[00:32:20] proud

[00:32:21] of

[00:32:21] all

[00:32:21] she'd

[00:32:22] done.

[00:32:23] In

[00:32:24] the

[00:32:24] next

[00:32:24] few

[00:32:24] days

[00:32:25] she

[00:32:25] would

[00:32:25] gather

[00:32:26] more

[00:32:26] articles

[00:32:27] and

[00:32:27] write

[00:32:28] her

[00:32:28] articles

[00:32:28] out

[00:32:29] and

[00:32:29] put

[00:32:30] the

[00:32:30] pictures

[00:32:30] in

[00:32:30] with

[00:32:31] the

[00:32:31] words

[00:32:31] and

[00:32:32] get

[00:32:32] everything

[00:32:33] printed

[00:32:34] on

[00:32:34] Mr.

[00:32:34] Pig's

[00:32:35] old

[00:32:35] printing

[00:32:35] press.

[00:32:37] Little

[00:32:38] did

[00:32:38] she

[00:32:38] know

[00:32:39] but

[00:32:39] she

[00:32:40] would

[00:32:40] meet

[00:32:40] a

[00:32:40] skunk

[00:32:41] named

[00:32:41] Silky

[00:32:42] in

[00:32:42] the

[00:32:42] diner

[00:32:42] who

[00:32:43] would

[00:32:43] share

[00:32:43] with

[00:32:44] her

[00:32:44] a

[00:32:44] step-by-step

[00:32:45] tutorial

[00:32:46] of how

[00:32:47] to

[00:32:48] a

[00:32:48] dream

[00:32:48] catcher

[00:32:49] which

[00:32:49] would

[00:32:50] go

[00:32:50] on

[00:32:50] page

[00:32:50] eight

[00:32:51] then

[00:32:52] she

[00:32:53] would

[00:32:53] write

[00:32:53] a

[00:32:53] review

[00:32:54] of

[00:32:54] potato

[00:32:55] and

[00:32:55] beans

[00:32:55] diner

[00:32:56] for

[00:32:56] page

[00:32:57] twelve

[00:32:57] which

[00:32:58] would

[00:32:58] include

[00:32:59] an

[00:32:59] exclusive

[00:33:00] interview

[00:33:00] from

[00:33:01] the

[00:33:01] cats

[00:33:01] themselves

[00:33:02] all

[00:33:03] about

[00:33:04] how

[00:33:04] to

[00:33:05] make

[00:33:05] the

[00:33:05] perfect

[00:33:06] cup

[00:33:07] of

[00:33:07] hot

[00:33:07] chocolate

[00:33:08] scrum

[00:33:09] write

[00:33:09] write

[00:33:10] about

[00:33:10] the

[00:33:10] new

[00:33:11] general

[00:33:11] store

[00:33:11] they

[00:33:12] were

[00:33:12] building

[00:33:12] in

[00:33:12] the

[00:33:13] next

[00:33:13] valley

[00:33:13] and

[00:33:14] about

[00:33:14] the

[00:33:15] rumours

[00:33:15] that

[00:33:16] dallas

[00:33:16] cassidy

[00:33:17] the

[00:33:17] local

[00:33:18] cowboy

[00:33:18] could travel in time.

[00:33:22] Ozzy, the diner's octopus dishwasher,

[00:33:25] would write an article

[00:33:27] recommending his favourite rock bands

[00:33:30] and their coolest songs.

[00:33:32] And soon,

[00:33:33] the first edition of the paper

[00:33:35] would be complete.

[00:33:38] Potato and Beans would sell the papers

[00:33:41] from a big stack on the diner counter

[00:33:43] and everyone would love it

[00:33:46] and write to Chimpkin

[00:33:47] with all their ideas

[00:33:48] for next month's paper.

[00:33:50] It would be awesome.

[00:33:53] But for now,

[00:33:55] all there was for Chimpkin to do

[00:33:57] was sleep.

[00:34:00] She brushed her teeth

[00:34:01] and blow-dried her feathers,

[00:34:03] almost falling asleep

[00:34:05] in front of the mirror

[00:34:07] as she did so.

[00:34:09] She took off her large, round glasses,

[00:34:13] resting them on the bedside table,

[00:34:15] and pulled the soft sheets

[00:34:18] up to her neck.

[00:34:21] And then,

[00:34:22] she let her mind drift

[00:34:24] to imagined pictures

[00:34:27] of her favourite place,

[00:34:29] of the rocky ravines

[00:34:31] and golden canyons,

[00:34:34] of the endless plains

[00:34:37] and prickly pears,

[00:34:38] of the long,

[00:34:41] straight road

[00:34:42] cutting through it all.

[00:34:46] She thought of the little diner

[00:34:49] with the neon sign,

[00:34:51] where everyone smiled

[00:34:54] and told you stories.

[00:34:57] She thought of the endless sky

[00:34:59] and how now

[00:35:02] it would be studded

[00:35:03] with silver stars,

[00:35:06] probably as many

[00:35:07] as there are grains

[00:35:09] of sand in the desert.

[00:35:11] And,

[00:35:12] she thought about

[00:35:14] how far,

[00:35:16] far away,

[00:35:17] on the red surface

[00:35:19] of Mars,

[00:35:21] a little robot

[00:35:22] was exploring

[00:35:24] under two

[00:35:25] perfect moons.

[00:35:27] And,

[00:35:29] with all that in mind,

[00:35:32] Chimpkin smiled

[00:35:33] a grateful smile

[00:35:35] and fell deep,

[00:35:38] deep asleep.

[00:35:40] Thank you.