The Jupiter Twins: A Magical Bedtime Collection 🔮💤 | 2 Hour Compilation of Bedtime Stories

[00:00:13] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Tonight we're heading back to the magical halls of Leora Academy, where two extraordinary siblings are always discovering that the greatest adventures often begin with the smallest spark of magic.

[00:00:36] Jake and Lily Jupiter have been on some unforgettable journeys, and tonight we've gathered four of their favourite adventures together into one extra long bedtime collection. This extended two-hour compilation is perfect for getting cosy beneath the covers as you drift into a world of magical creatures, enchanted places and wonderful friendships. So, let yourself get nice and sleepy.

[00:01:02] And let's begin with The Jupiter Twins and the Sleepy Igloo by Luke Prendergast. One afternoon, deep in the frosty heart of winter term at the Leora Academy of Magical Arts, something rather strange was occurring. Down at the end of the long field that stretched to the bottom of the school grounds, figures in white were on the move.

[00:01:32] Snow had been falling thickly for a number of weeks, leaving a soft blanket across the earth and snowy caps on the tops of trees and castle turrets. All this snow meant that those white figures moving around were so well camouflaged that they were almost indistinguishable from the wintry landscape around them.

[00:01:53] It was only when the sun was setting and the pale yellow sunlight swept low across the ground that Lily and Jake, the Jupiter Twins, standing at the top of the field outside the school buildings, saw them. But still they had to squint. They look like icy sprites, Lily said. No, Jake replied, shaking his head. They look to me more like abominable snowmen.

[00:02:24] Abominable snowmen? Lily repeated. That's impossible, Jake. There's only one abominable snowman. And there are at least seven of those creatures moving around down there. Maybe they're some kind of gnome. Well, whatever they are, said Jake, they look like they're all carrying big blocks of ice. Jake was right about that.

[00:02:51] Whatever the white, shimmery creatures were, they carried massive ice cubes aloft above their head, transporting them across the bottom of the field before disappearing into the densely growing tree trunks of the winding woods. How peculiar, Lily sighed. I wonder what it is they're up to. There are always peculiar things going on around the Lure Academy, Jake said.

[00:03:22] I'm sure it won't be long before we find out what it is. It wasn't often that Jake was right about something two times in a row. But this time, Lily had to admit it. He was right again. For it was only a few hours later, after they'd finished their dinner, that an enchantment in the form of a snowy owl flew into the grand dining hall,

[00:03:46] opened its beak wide, and announced that the head teacher, Dr. Howard, would like to see the Jupiter twins in her office. After the enchanted owl had finished delivering its message, it dissolved into thin air, leaving only a handful of snowflakes to drift gently to the floor. The Jupiter twins knew better than to keep Dr. Howard waiting. And besides, they already felt the tingles of excitement running through them.

[00:04:15] What could their head teacher want to talk to them about at this late hour? So they picked up their plates, placed them on the side table where they promptly disappeared, whisked off by some magic back to the kitchens, and made their way across the school to Dr. Howard's office. Come in, the head teacher called, hearing their knock at the door. At this time of the year, Dr. Howard's office was particularly plush and cosy.

[00:04:44] Puffy cushions were arranged in a semicircle on the floor, and a warm fire crackled in the grate. Dr. Howard herself stood up from her desk, her eyes glittering behind her horn-rimmed spectacles, and smiled down at the Jupiter twins. Thank you for coming, she said. I have something rather delightful to tell you about. Please, please take a seat.

[00:05:12] The twins plopped themselves down on a couple of the cushions, and Dr. Howard told them that for some time now, she had been busy organising a little surprise. The surprise was to be for all of the students of the Leora Academy. But this evening, she needed just a couple of students to try it out, to take the surprise for a test run, so to speak. And who better, she figured, than her favourite students, Lily and Jake, Jupiter.

[00:05:41] So would they be willing to help her out, and take a trip to the bottom of the school grounds, and into the winding woods, where the surprise would be awaiting them? Lily and Jake didn't have to think for very long, before giving Dr. Howard their answer. Of course we will, they said, hauling themselves up off the cushions, and standing by the office door smiling. Dr. Howard brought her hands together. Oh, wonderful, she said.

[00:06:09] I knew I could count on you. As they turned to go out the door, Lily paused. Dr. Howard, she asked. Does this have anything to do with those strange magical creatures, carrying blocks of ice at the bottom of the field? Behind her glasses, Dr. Howard's eyes twinkled. With her thumb and forefinger, she mimed zipping up her lips, and throwing away the key.

[00:06:40] I'm not going to ruin any surprises, she said. Now, off you go, down to the winding woods. And don't worry about getting lost, you'll know which way to go. Outside, the snow crunched satisfyingly beneath their feet. Silvery moonlight gleamed on the snowy ground. The air was sharp and nippy, prickling on the Jupiter twins' cheeks.

[00:07:09] But with their thick robes wrapped tightly around them, they barely felt the cold. They didn't speak as they crossed the field. But at the edge of the winding woods, Lily said, I wonder which way we're meant to go. That way, I guess, said Jake, pointing between the trees. Following the direction of his finger, Lily saw that one of the woodland paths

[00:07:35] was illuminated on either side by dozens of hovering fireflies, glowing like strings of fairy lights strung up to guide them on their way. Oh, Lily sighed. How beautiful. And together, they crunched down the pathway. Icicles hanging from the branches of trees shivered and let out sweet musical notes.

[00:08:01] And the fireflies let out a low, almost imperceptible humming, as though light itself had a faint sound that you could hear if only you listened out very closely. Who could say how long the Jupiter twins walked the twisting pathways of the winding woods? They had no fear, of course. They remember Dr. Howard reassuring them that they would not lose their way.

[00:08:29] They simply followed the glowing route of the fireflies, their eyes peeled wide to take in the beauty of the wintry wonderland, until, at last, they stepped around a bend and caught their breaths. For a few moments, neither of them could speak. Then Jake let out a low whistle. Wow-wee, he said.

[00:08:56] In front of them stood one of the most spectacular structures the Jupiter twins had ever seen in their lives. It was, Lily supposed, a giant igloo, but that description didn't quite do it justice. It looked more like a cosy woodland cottage made out of ice, set upon a mound of snow with orange glowing windows, and pointed ice turrets,

[00:09:24] and shelf-like steps in the snow leading up to a wooden door. Around the outside of the igloo, snaked what appeared to be an icy slide, twisting around to the rear of the building and disappearing. Well, Lily said, giving Jake a little grin. At least we now know what those creatures were doing, transporting blocks of ice earlier today. Yep, said Jake.

[00:09:53] And this must be the surprise Dr. Howard's prepared for us. Come on, Lily, let's go and take a look. They approached the igloo and climbed the steps until they stood before the door. Jake peered through the tiny window, then reached out and gave the door a rap with the large brass knocker. But there was no sound from within, and the door stayed firmly shut.

[00:10:22] Hmm, Lily hummed, looking down at her feet. They were standing on a doormat that read the words, Welcome to Sleepy Igloo. She nudged at the bristly doormat with her toe and noticed that there was a lump under one corner. What was this? She crouched down, and out from underneath the doormat drew an old-looking metal key.

[00:10:48] The handle formed into the shape of an intricate snowflake. Maybe we can try this, Lily suggested. She slipped the key into the lock, twisted, and the door creaked open. The Jupiter twins stepped inside and found themselves in what seemed to be a comfy wood-panelled ski chalet. Neat stacks of firewood were piled by a gently flickering

[00:11:18] fireplace. Mugs hung above a ceramic sink. Knit blankets were folded over the backs of two wicker rocking chairs. Two pairs of skis leant against the wall, and in the middle of the room was a round wooden table, on which Lily spotted a handwritten note in spiralling green ink. Welcome to the sleepy igloo, the note read, repeating the message from the doormat outside.

[00:11:48] A cosy refuge in the middle of the wintry wood. Pause and enjoy each of the sleepy igloo's chambers as you wish, but do not linger too long, for a true prize awaits you. Crack the clues and solve the puzzles to find the keys to take you to the igloo's soft and squishy heart. Oh, Lily said gleefully.

[00:12:17] It's like one of those magical escape rooms I've read about, where you have to solve clues to get to the next room, then the next room, and then, hopefully, out. I've always wanted to do one of these. Jake had plonked himself down on one of the rocking chairs, and was now swaying hypnotically back and forward. Me too, he said. So, what's the clue?

[00:12:46] It's written right here, Lily said. It says, In winter, Jack Frost might nip your feet. Right. You'll find me where toes can keep their heat. Hmm. Lily scratched her chin thoughtfully, trying to crack the clue. Then a thought occurred to her, and she walked over to the fireplace.

[00:13:14] Surely you'd warm your toes by a fireplace? But, peering through the orange flames, she could see no key at all. She scratched her chin again. Oh, she said to herself. That must be it. And she went over to the igloo's door, where a pair of fur-lined snow boots sat side by side. She picked them up one by one and turned them over. But, alas, there was nothing in them.

[00:13:44] Oh, I really thought the key would be in there, she said, frowning. She turned to her brother, who appeared to be distracted, pulling a pair of woolly socks decorated with polar bears over his feet. Jake, she said a little grumpily. Aren't you going to help me solve the clue? Yes, I am, Lily, he said. These socks just look so soft and warm. I wanted to...

[00:14:14] Oh, he exclaimed. Ouch! There's something in this sock. And Jake stuck his hand down into the woolly tube and pulled out a bright golden key. Oh, Jake, said Lily. Well done, you found it. Now I bet it opens this door here. Shall we go through to the sleepy igloo's next chamber? One moment, Jake said. He pulled the newly empty sock over his foot,

[00:14:45] gave his toes a wiggle so that the polar bears on them appeared to boogie and dance, then nodded with satisfaction. That's better, he said. All right, let's go. Lily slipped the golden key into the door at the far end of the chalet and pushed it open. The next chamber of the sleepy igloo was darker and cooler than the previous one. It took a few moments for their eyes

[00:15:13] to become accustomed to the gloom, and then they saw that they were not in a room at all, but standing on the plain of a snow-covered tundra. Crops of towering fir trees grew here and there, and above them, in a star-studded sky, a wondrous display was occurring. Huge curtains of light, green and pink and blue, hung and danced and shimmered.

[00:15:41] It was breathtakingly beautiful, as though there were invisible cracks in the sky that let the multicolored curtains pour through from unimagined realms beyond. How have they managed to fit a whole tundra into a sleepy igloo room? Jake asked, his voice brimming with awe. Lily shrugged.

[00:16:09] That's the power of magic for you, she said. But how, if we're not in a room, do we move into the next chamber? They looked all around them, and Jake saw that in the trunk of a nearby fir tree, there was a door. He walked over to it, Lily trailing behind him, and thought how lucky it was he'd put on those polar bear socks in the previous igloo chamber,

[00:16:39] because the snow beneath his feet was actually pretty chilly. The door in the fir tree bore an engraved inscription. Jake peered close and read it. Dancing in the sky on all these cold, dark Arctic nights, come, whisper the Latin name of the glorious Northern Lights.

[00:17:06] Jake looked up at the curtains of light in the sky. Of course, he whispered. We're in the Arctic, and those are the Northern Lights. But a Latin name? How are we supposed to know Latin? We're kids. We're only just getting to grips with English. Speak for yourself, said Lily, grinning at him.

[00:17:33] I know English and Latin. Jake blinked at her, wide-eyed. How? he asked. Because, Jake, she said a little primly, some of us actually read the books our teachers ask us to read. And with that, Lily approached the tree, lent in close and whispered the Latin words

[00:18:00] she'd once read in a book called Supernatural Celestial Phenomena, all about sky magic. Aurora Borealis. Jake shivered. But it wasn't a shiver from the cold. It was a familiar shiver, one that came whenever he heard the sound of ancient magic. Even the snow falling softly through the air

[00:18:29] seemed to pick up Lily's words and whisper them back. The door in the tree gave a satisfied click and swung open. Lily smiled at Jake and stepped back to let him through first into the sleepy igloo's third chamber. Oh, that's better, Jake said once she'd joined him.

[00:18:56] I much prefer being in a room that actually looks like a room. Yes, they were now out of the wide expanse of the Arctic tundra and had found themselves instead in another cabin. But this one wasn't plush and warm and cosy like the ski chalet. It felt ancient and mysterious and tingling with magic. The floorboards were worn and covered with whirls

[00:19:25] just like the ones Jake and Lily had on their fingertips. In the corner, a single window was frosted over and sparkled with starlight and ivy grew through cracks in the walls and climbed across the beams of the ceiling. Strangest of all, though, was that in the centre of the room grew a small tree that looked as though it was made out of ice

[00:19:52] and at the foot of the tree spread a small frozen pool. Some force, some magical attraction, like a magnet tugging on their heartstrings, made the Jupiter twins walk towards this frozen pool. The floors of the cabin creaked under their steps. Closer up, they could see that the ice tree was covered in frozen fruit,

[00:20:20] little ice blue cherries dangling from its frosted branches. They gazed, mesmerised at the tree, before dropping their eyes to the frozen pond, in which they could see their reflections blinking back at them, as though they were looking into a mirror. And below their reflections, deeper down in the frozen water, they saw... It's a key, Jake whispered.

[00:20:50] Yes, Lily said. I can see it, but it's buried deep down there in the ice. How are we supposed to get it out? I suppose we'll have to melt the ice, Jake said, and find it. He placed his warm palm on the surface of the frozen pond, but he could only keep it there a few seconds before it became too cold to tolerate, and he withdrew it.

[00:21:18] His hand's warmth hadn't seemed to melt even a millimetre of ice. Hmm, he said. He'd been thwarted. But then he had another idea. They weren't trained in magic, after all, weren't they? Hey, Lily, he said. We could melt through the ice with a flame-summoning charm. Can you help me with it? Lily placed a warm hand on her brother's shoulder.

[00:21:48] Of course I can, Jake, she said. Together they knelt by the frozen pool and began to mutter the words of the spell underneath their breath. In a few moments, two licks of flame appeared in their cupped hands, and they lowered the flames to the surface of the ice to let the heat thaw it. It took a little while, and every now and then, Lily had to sluice the ice away with a hand.

[00:22:18] But soon enough they'd done it, and Jake reached into the cold water and pulled out the key. Nice work, Jake, Lily said, looking around for the door to the next chamber. But it was only then that she realised there was no other door. Aside from the door that they had stepped through from the tundra chamber, the only other break in the walls of the cabin was the frosted window.

[00:22:48] Stepping over to it, she lifted the latch, pushed it open, and peered out. Oh, Jake, she said. This is going to be fun. Jake peered out beside her, and saw that the window opened directly onto the frozen slide they'd spotted from outside, curving away around the side of the sleepy igloo. He grinned at Lily.

[00:23:16] I guess this is the only way, he said. Jake clambered up to the window, hopped down to the slide, and let go. Soon enough, he was sliding smoothly down the ice slide, feeling the cool air outside ripple through his hair. He raised his hands in the air as he slipped in loops around the side of the igloo,

[00:23:44] until the slide deposited him in front of a wooden door that stood at the back of the icy building. A moment later, Lily appeared, red-cheeked beside him. Ooh, she said. A secret door? This must be what the key is for. Want to try it, Jake? She didn't need to ask him twice. He slipped the key into the lock,

[00:24:13] it fitted perfectly, and opened the secret door. As soon as they stepped inside, the words from that first letter Lily had found, the one written in green ink and left on the table in the ski chalet chamber, came back to her. The sleepy igloo's soft and squishy heart, she was sure this was it. They had made it.

[00:24:42] The sleepy igloo's final chamber was a room that was a bed, but not any old bed. It was a bed made out of marshmallows, pink and white, stretching from one wall to the other. The softest and squishiest looking marshmallow she'd ever seen. And all around the walls hung candy canes and toffee apples

[00:25:10] and freshly baked cinnamon cookies. Wow, Jake whispered. All of this is making my mouth water. Me too, Lily agreed. But more than making my mouth water, do you know what this marshmallow bed is making me feel? What's it making you feel? Her brother asked her.

[00:25:39] Sleepy, she said simply. Well, Jake would have to agree. Just hearing Lily say the word sleepy made him realise how tired he was too. He let out a big yawn, which she had to partially cover with the back of his hand. It was a yawn so big that it made his eyes close and his whole body stretch and shake.

[00:26:09] When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Lily had already lain down on the huge marshmallow mattress and was now taking a marshmallow pillow from a pile of marshmallow pillows to arrange beneath her head. Oh, Jake, she said. You won't believe just how comfy marshmallows are. You've got to try it.

[00:26:35] So Jake lay down on the soft and squishy marshmallows too and felt his weight sink into it as though a large and kind and puffy creature were wrapping him in a gentle hug. I think, Lily said, that this is the prize part of Dr. Howard's surprise. The chance to have a lovely rest in the sleepy igloo in the heart of the wandering woods.

[00:27:05] I think you're right, Lily, Jake agreed. He yawned again and turned on his side, resting his head on a lump of mallow. I can almost feel myself drifting off already. Let's sleep here for now. But from the sound of it, Lily had already fallen asleep. Jake could hear the telltale sound

[00:27:35] of her deep breathing that told him she'd drifted off into the land of Nod. Night, night, Lily, he whispered, even though he knew she wouldn't answer. He stretched his limbs, he closed his eyes, and laying on a bed of marshmallow, the snow falling once more in shimmering drifts through the window,

[00:28:03] and the trees of the wandering forest watching over him and his sister, Jake Jupiter fell asleep. And as he slept, he dreamt of candy canes and marshmallows, of toffee apples and cinnamon cookies. And how lovely it would be, after a long nap in the sleepy igloo, to wake up

[00:28:32] and have a delicious snack of so many of his favourite treats. This is The Jupiter Twins and the Mischievous Mouse Plants by Luke Prendergast. Lily Jupiter

[00:29:00] absolutely loved going to school. Every morning when she woke up in her purple upholstered bed in her dorm at the Leora Academy of Magical Arts, a big sunny smile would spread across her face at the prospect of all the learning the day had in store. She loved spellcraft, where they learned how to cast enchantments on the most mundane of objects and make them come to life.

[00:29:29] She loved cure of magical maladies, where they learned how to put magic to all kinds of medical uses. And she loved climbing the narrow winding stairs to the rooftop to gaze at the stars with her astrology teacher and learn about the mysterious effects each of the constellations had on the humans going about their daily business below, utterly unaware. There was, however, one subject

[00:29:59] that Lily wasn't so fond of. Plant magic. Or rather, it wasn't that she wasn't fond of it. It was more like she just wasn't very good at it. She enjoyed walking down to the greenhouses in the afternoon, standing in their warm, damp chambers where droplets of water trickled down the glass and the air was drenched in the sweet aroma of flowers.

[00:30:27] And magical plants, she granted, could do a great many unbelievable and wondrous things and were beautiful to look at too. But try as she might, she couldn't make them grow. She supposed she just didn't have that special touch, the knack for coaxing little seedlings into full bloom. Any plant she touched quickly began to look rather unhappy

[00:30:57] and wilty so that their teacher, Professor Greenfingers, a very small, very ancient man whose floor-length grey beard was always littered with stray petals and bits of soil and fragments of leaf, would have to come and give her a quick helping hand. Sometimes, her brother Jake would peer at the measly little shoot in Lily's plant pot and then, he would look around

[00:31:27] at the other pots, including his own, whose plants had grown big and green and leafy or had beautiful sharp-toothed flowers in the shape of lion's heads growing on them. Oh, Lily, he would chuckle, I wonder what's gone wrong there? She would be wondering the same thing. I guess it's no bad thing, Jake would continue,

[00:31:55] that there's one subject where you aren't, like, light years ahead of me. Well, Lily couldn't argue with that and she would chuckle too and give her brother a hug. But still, she did often wish she could develop the knack for plant magic. One afternoon, after lunch in the banquet hall, Lily and Jake made their way down to the greenhouses for a plant magic lesson.

[00:32:25] It was high summer, the sun hot in the sky, which meant that they were in the middle of imp season. The little flying creatures with their cheeky faces kept flying overhead and dropping grass bombs on them so that Lily and Jake had to cover their heads and run. Not that it particularly helped. Grass still got all in their clothes and in their hair and right up their noses.

[00:32:54] I'll be glad to get to the greenhouses, Jake called out, where the wildlife isn't so mischievous. They opened the great glass door and stepped into a warm, wet world where all plants turned the sunlight a hazy green. magical butterflies fluttered around their heads, sparkling gold dust falling from their wings, landing

[00:33:24] in a fine dust on Jake and Lily's shoulders. Welcome, Jupiter twins, Professor Greenfingers said, pulling a little twig from his beard and tossing it away. You're just in time. I was just about to tell the class about today's new assignment. Lily and Jake took up their normal places behind a long wooden workbench. Professor Greenfingers hopped up on his tree stump at the front,

[00:33:54] which he stood on so that he could see the whole class. Now then, all righty, he said, surveying the rows of blinking faces. Today, we're going to start getting to know an entirely new species of magical plant and a very, what's the word, cute one at that. I suppose all of you have heard of house plants? The students continued blinking at him.

[00:34:24] A few of them nodded. Yes, house plants, Professor Greenfingers insisted. Just the thought your parents have in their living rooms. You know, the ones they water with their watering cans and spritz and spray? Yeah, sure, you've all heard of house plants, but... And now Professor Greenfingers reached for a small terracotta pot that he had waiting ready beside him. The pot

[00:34:54] was filled with soil and had a few sprouts of longish grass poking out of it. I bet you've never heard of mouse plants. plants. The professor's eyes skittered around the room. Seeming satisfied with the expressions of confusion and curiosity on the faces of all the students, he grasped the sprouts of grass firmly with one hand

[00:35:22] and gave it a tug. The whole plant, roots and all, was pulled from the soil. Professor Greenfingers held it dangling in the air. so that everyone could see that at the plant's end, where there should have been a nice round bulb, there was instead an adorable fluffy mouse. The mouse gave a squeak. It looked around the

[00:35:52] greenhouse, blinking its little button eyes at everyone. It didn't look scared, more like it had been unceremoniously disturbed from a rather peaceful sleep. Sighs of awe and coos of affection filled the greenhouse. One girl even exclaimed, so cute. The mouse looked at her and nodded, as though he

[00:36:22] quite agreed. said Professor Greenfingers, is a mouse plant. They're no common kind of vegetable. They are, as you can see, the floofiest, acutesiest, most itsy-bitsy creatures you'll find in the whole wide world. The professor seemed overcome with just how adorable the mouse plant was and had to take a few seconds to

[00:36:51] collect himself. Now, he said when he'd recovered, you'll each of you in your pairs find a mouse plant in the pot in front of you. And for the next few weeks, our plant magic lessons will be focusing purely on the raising of your mouse plants. First off, re-potting. Each of the mouse plants needs a bigger spot to call home.

[00:37:21] Off you go. The sound of shuffling feet and squeals of excitement sprung around the greenhouse as the students began to investigate the pots on their work benches. Jake slid their pot along the bench until it stood between them and looked at Lily. You do it, she said. So Jake, copying what the professor had done before, gripped the shoots of

[00:37:51] grass in his hand and pulled their mouse plant clean out of its soily bed. Ah, nice, said Jake. Ours is a particularly cute one, Lily had to agree. The little creature, blinking blearily around at the world, had a pink button nose and a fuzzy white coat with big splodges of black, as though someone had

[00:38:20] accidentally tipped an inkwell over it. It gave a quiet kind of squeak before appearing to fall right back to sleep, dangling there in the midair. Right, said Jake, let me go and get a bigger pot and some fresh soil. Here, Lily, you hold our mouse plant for a minute, I won't be long. And before Lily could say a word,

[00:38:50] he had handed the mouse plant over to her and disappeared across to the other side of the greenhouse. Lily eyed the mouse plant a little nervously. It certainly was cute, its tummy rising and falling in time with its breath. its ear twitching as though it were on some dream adventure. And surprisingly enough, it seemed content to stay sleeping

[00:39:20] peacefully while Lily held it. In fact, Lily was just beginning to think that she was beginning to develop this knack for looking after magical plants, when quite abruptly, the mouse plant opened its eyes and gave an almighty loud squeak. Then, suddenly the little thing was scribbling and scrabbling as though it wanted nothing more than to get itself out of Lily's grip.

[00:39:51] She had to hold on tight to stop it jumping right out of her hands. What have you done? Jake asked, reappearing beside her with a pot full of soil. Me? Lily replied. I haven't done anything. I've barely moved a muscle. The mouse plant was perfectly happy sleeping for a while, and then it woke up and started kicking up this fuss.

[00:40:21] Here, said Jake, let me take it. And of course, when Jake took it back, the mouse plant stopped its struggling and looked happily around the greenhouse again. Jake raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say, are you sure you didn't do anything? But he didn't say anything out loud, just plunged the mouse plant into its roomy new pot of soil.

[00:40:52] Lily shrugged. I think it's fair to say, she sighed, that as far as plant magic goes, I'm cursed. And things didn't get much better over the next few weeks. Whenever Jake was in charge of looking after the mouse plant, everything was as peaceful as peaceful could be. The mouse plant often dozed

[00:41:21] or curled up in the palm of his hand, or even snuggled down into the folds of his robes and fell asleep. Jake planted little kisses on the mouse plant's pink button nose, and the mouse plant would squeak merrily and nuzzle up to Jake's cheek. But whenever Lily was in charge, it was a different story. Then the mouse plant was full of

[00:41:51] energy. It scribbled and scrabbled and tried to leap from its pot plants. It would scurry off across the greenhouse, hopping around the stems of plants and hiding behind bursts of leaves. Lily would have to crawl after it calling, come back, mousy, mousy, mousy, but the mouse wouldn't come back to her. Eventually the whole

[00:42:21] class would have to get involved, crawling around and calling out, mousy, mousy, mousy. Professor Greenfingers meanwhile would stand there scratching his head. How curious, he'd say. I do wonder what is going on in that mouse plant's mind. On the way back up to the main buildings of the Leora Academy,

[00:42:51] Lily would almost be glad of the cheeky imps flying about, throwing their grass bombs. They, as far as she was concerned, were easier to deal with than a mouse plant. Then, one afternoon in plant magic, the mouse plant hopped right out of Lily's hands and scurried straight out through the greenhouse door, which had been left open just an inch or two. Lily and Jake

[00:43:21] exchanged a wide-eyed look. They said, off you go, Professor Greenfingers told them, go and catch it. We can't have a mouse plant running around the great outdoors willy-nilly. Off you go. Jake and Lily headed out of the greenhouse and spotted the mouse plant, or at least its tufts of leaves, which poked out above the grass,

[00:43:51] scampering across the wandering woods. Come on, Jake said, if the mouse plant goes far into those woods, we'll never find him. And so, the Jupiter twins hurried across the grass and dove through the winding tree trunks and into the wandering woods. When Lily had first heard about the wandering woods on the day she arrived at the Leora Academy, she thought they sounded

[00:44:21] pretty scary. But in fact, they weren't scary at all. They were a dense thicket of trees that grew next to the school. But like most things at the Leora Academy, they were no average set of woods. They were magical woods, of course. Venturing into them, you never discovered the same thing twice. Once Lily had gone in and found a glade full of strange

[00:44:50] animals who had rabbits bodies but the heads of sheep. Another time, she'd met a unicorn who let her pet it and feed it from a sack of oats. And another time, she'd found a perfectly still pond, which shows you the future when you looked into it. The wandering woods were a really fun place, actually. The only problem was that it was easy to lose track of space and time in there, and right

[00:45:20] now, they needed to concentrate on finding that mouse plant. Lily and Jake crept through the undergrowth, making their way through the wandering woods. Little spears of light came in through the leaves and lanced down onto the forest floor. Twigs and leaves snapped beneath their feet, and every now and then, they heard the chirrup of birds or the

[00:45:50] sound of centaurs' feet galloping in the distance. They reached a fork in the path and looked this way and that. Jake asked, which way do you reckon? Lily weighed up the options. She pointed, that way. They followed the way she'd chosen, and soon enough came to another fork in the path. You can

[00:46:20] choose this time, she told Jake. Which way do you think a mouse plant would have gone? Jake stroked his chin as though stroking a little beard, then pointed. This way, he said, and began to march up the path through the close knit of tree trunks. Lily was just following him when she heard a sound from nearby. Psst,

[00:46:51] it was the sound of a tiny voice. Lily looked around her and saw a little creature hovering in the air next to a particularly spindly nearby tree. The creature hung in the shade, so she couldn't see it properly. Lily. She squinted her eyes and said, Oh dear, are you an imp? Are you going to throw another grass bomb at me? Well, go ahead if you

[00:47:21] must. I'm no imp, the creature replied in a voice as clear and true as a tiny bell. Look. And she flew out of the shade and stopped in the air, right before Lily's eyes. I'm a fairy. Oh, I see, Lily replied. Well, I'm sorry for calling you an imp. I couldn't see you properly there and it really is

[00:47:51] imp season at the moment. The fairy gave her bright pink hair a shake and smiled at Lily. That's no problem, she said. I only gave you a pst because I heard you talking about mouse plants. Lily nodded and explained the predicament they'd found themselves in, how the mouse plant had escaped from the greenhouse and scampered off into the wandering woods.

[00:48:21] And then, as she'd started telling the story, she found herself telling the fairy the rest of the details too, how the mouse plant seemed to be perfectly at ease with Jake but not one bit with her. The fairy listened attentively, nodding and shaking her head at all the right moments. When Lily had finished, she said, well,

[00:48:49] that's just why I stopped you, because I happen to be something of an expert when it comes to mouse plants. Lily's eyes glinted brightly. You are? Oh, yes, the fairy said. In fact, I'm rather a dab hand at everything to do with flowers and vegetables. I've got the plant magic,

[00:49:19] you see. And then the fairy told Lily that the best way to make a mouse plant friendly and obedient was to stroke its belly with the feather plucked from a lullaby waterbird. There was nothing a mouse plant loved more than that. It made them so restful and happy. Plus, the feather of the lullaby waterbird had many nutritious properties too,

[00:49:50] so that being stroked by it made the mouse plant grow big and strong. Oh, said Lily delightedly, that's exactly what I need, except I don't know where to find a lullaby waterbird, let alone one of its feathers. That's where you're in luck, the fairy told her, and from behind her back she pulled out a beautiful

[00:50:19] pale blue feather. I have one right here, and you are welcome to it. I am, whispered Lily, and she watched as the fairy dropped the feather and let it flutter down to land in her outstretched hands. Of course, she said, us fairies are only here to help. See ya.

[00:50:49] And with that, the fairy disappeared in a puff of green smoke, how strange, Lily thought to herself, the things you stumble upon in the wandering woods. Strange, but undeniably helpful. Jake called from up ahead. Lily slipped the feather into the pocket of her robes and hurried to meet him.

[00:51:19] He was standing by the edge of a small clearing, half crouched, as if careful not to move even an inch, and pointing. Look, he whispered, there. It was the mouse plant, scratching its back on the root of a tree. It hadn't had any idea that either of them were there, but then it looked around dreamily

[00:51:49] and caught sight of them. Its ears pricked up and its pink button nose twitched. It looked as though it was about to scarper once more. But then Lily slipped the lullaby waterbird feather out of her robe pocket. The mouse plant looked curiously at her for a few moments. Then it scurried straight over to her and lay on its back, bearing

[00:52:19] its belly to the sky. Lily knelt down and stroked its belly with the feather, and the mouse plant gave a few appreciative squeaks. It suddenly looked very sleepy indeed. It rolled back onto its feet, climbed up Lily's robe, and fell promptly to sleep on her shoulder. Jake's mouth was

[00:52:48] hanging open. What have you done? What do you mean? Lily asked, keeping her face arranged in the perfect expression. of innocence. I haven't done anything. But the mouse plant seems to love you, Jake said. Lily looked at her shoulder, where the mouse plant was emitting little mouse snores.

[00:53:18] Huh, she said. So it does. Jake pointed at the feather. What's that? Oh, this, she said. Just a feather I found on the floor. And she slipped it back into her pocket. Jake gave her a curious look, as though he could tell that something was afoot.

[00:53:48] But he nodded. Then the three of them walked back the way they had come, out of the wandering woods, across the grass, and back into the greenhouse, where Professor Greenfingers was once again standing on his tree stump block. Ah, Jupiter twins, you're back, he said, giving them a twinkly smile. And I'm glad to see you found your mouse plant,

[00:54:18] and Lily, your mouse plant seems to have finally taken a shine to you. It looks like you might have the plant magic knack after all. Lily and Jake stood back behind their workbench. Professor Greenfingers told the class that it was time for the mouse plants to settle down. They needed their sleep if they were to grow big and

[00:54:51] us would have to coax their mouse plants into a dreamy sleep. And then, very carefully indeed, so as not to disturb them in their slumber, bury them back in their pots of soil. For Lily and Jake that was easy. Their mouse plant was already fast asleep. Lily was feeling a little bad that she hadn't told Jake the truth

[00:55:21] about the feather. The Jupiters were twins and there was almost nothing they kept from one another. So, while Lily told him all about the fairy she had met in the wandering woods and how she gave her the lullaby waterbird feather and how it helped to soothe the mouse plant.

[00:55:50] Do you think we should help the others out? Lily asked Jake. Jake nodded. Yes? And so, Lily and Jake went around the classroom helping all of their classmates to send their mouse plants off to sleep with the pale blue magical feather. Soon enough, all the mouse plants were tucked into their pots of soil and the sky,

[00:56:20] visible through the top of the greenhouse, had turned dark purple. Even little stars could be seen twinkling up above. And time for all of you to be off to bed too. Good night and see you tomorrow. Lily and Jake walked slowly back

[00:56:50] up to the Leora Academy. They yawned sleepily, for it had been a long day. Seems that the imps have all gone to bed too, Jake said. He was right. The night time walk was peaceful. No grass bombs raining down on them from above. Lily and Jake climbed up to their

[00:57:19] dorms and got ready for bed. They whispered goodnight to each other and tucked themselves down beneath their duvets. Through the window, the soft light of the moon shone through. As though she were watching over them. And just as Lily was drifting off into a deep and peaceful sleep, she thought to herself

[00:57:49] that she was rather looking forward to plant magic tomorrow. This is The Jupiter Twins and the Weather Wizard by Gillian Rogerson. Jake and Lily Jupiter stood inside the clock tower of Leeds Town Hall

[00:58:19] and looked out over the busy streets below them. It was the start of summer and the weather had already turned much warmer. People strolled along the streets carrying their folded jackets over their arms, soft smiles on their faces. The city park was already full of office workers reclining on benches and enjoying a clock tower bringing with

[00:58:49] it a promise of many sunny days ahead. Lily said, It's days like these that make me want to visit the seaside. I hope we get to go there again soon. Me too, Jake replied. He cast a glance at the engraving on one of the stone columns behind him. Lily, are you sure you want to wake him up? He looked so peaceful in his sleep.

[00:59:20] Lily moved over to the column and crouched at the side of it. The engraving was of a small dragon who was curled up and fast asleep. The dragon was called Zavara which meant sleepy and not all that long ago he had been woken from his slumber to help the Jupiter twins with an adventure. Once he'd woken up, the dragon had grown in size and taken the twins through a magical portal

[00:59:49] to the secret land of dragons. The twins had been given valuable gifts from the dragons which they took back to their school the Leora Academy a school of magic that lay beneath the streets of Leeds. Once the gifts had been stored away in the school's cupboards Zavara had returned to his sleeping position on the column and he'd asked the twins to come by often to wake him up for a chat which was

[01:00:19] what the twins had done several times and were about to do again on that sunny day. Lily gazed fondly at the engraving and said I promised to wake him up again on the first warm day of summer. Zavara said it would be Jake crouched at Lily's side and grinned he said he's quite a nosy dragon

[01:00:49] isn't he? Lily grinned back and nodded she added that they were quite nosy too. She waved her hand slowly over the engraving and said wake up the dragon stirred in his sleep and opened his emerald green eyes he yawned unfurled himself and had a good long stretch he looked

[01:01:19] up at the twins and smiled at them he waved and said hello the twins waved back and said together hello Zavara the dragon flew off the column and up towards the twins he hovered in the air his little wings slowly flapping he said it's good to see you again is this a business call concerning a magical matter or are you

[01:01:49] here for a chat and a catch up just a chat today Lily explained everything has been quiet in the school lately we haven't been on any adventures since our Halloween one and we told you all about that Zavara smiled at the memory and gazed into the distance he said that had been a wonderful adventure for them his smile faded and a thoughtful look alighted on his face

[01:02:18] he said excuse me for a moment I need to check on something won't be the way around the outside of the clock tower the twins straightened up from their crouching position and watched him the dragon returned to Lily and Jake and said just as I suspected there's magic in the air

[01:02:48] and not the usual kind there's something wrong with the can took up positions on either side of the tower and asked what they were looking for

[01:03:17] Zavara called out anything unusual I'm going to fly to the top of the tower and scan the city Jake looked out at the clear blue sky and then down at the streets everything looked the same as it had a few minutes ago it was still sunny and people were still strolling around and enjoying the gentle warmth of the day he couldn't see anything unusual

[01:03:47] on the opposite side of the clock tower Lily looked out too it was sunny as before but she did see something on on on horizon she called out to the others I can see something strange coming this way well not strange more unexpected but there again this is England and these things happen all the time and it gives people something to talk

[01:04:27] the little dragon flew down to Lily and asked her the same question Lily pointed to the horizon and said rain clouds over there heading towards us that's not unusual on a sunny day Jake shrugged yeah you're right about that that that's a shame I was going to sit outside in the sun later on so Ara didn't say anything

[01:04:57] he was staring at the rain clouds and shaking his head he looked away from the clouds and told the twins there was something wrong with them they weren't full of rain but snow and heavy snow at that that's impossible Lily said it's far too warm for snow Zavara nodded and said she was right but

[01:05:27] those were definitely snow clouds with a touch of thunder and lightning around the edges too before Lily could say that's impossible again the dragon said something is wrong with the weather you need to tell your head teacher what's going on I'll stay here and keep a lookout whilst you two go back into the school the twins

[01:05:57] took one last look at the far away clouds which had now grown much bigger and hurried down the stairs and into the secret school of magic they rushed along a corridor and stopped outside their head teacher's office as if sensing they were there the door swung open and Dr Eleanor Howard stood there she gave them a small nod and said

[01:06:27] Jake Lily I can tell from your faces that something is wrong come inside and tell me everything Dr Howard opened the door wider and the twins stepped inside in a jumble of words the twins told their head teacher everything Dr Howard said she needed to take a closer look at the weather the twins

[01:06:56] thought she was going to go outside and look at the sky and were very surprised when something else happened instead Dr Howard moved over to the far wall of her office and waved her hand over it a brass lever appeared on the wall with the word up on it she moved the lever to the up position and the room began to

[01:07:26] shake slightly then it moved up and up as though it had turned into a lift when it came to a stop a window magically appeared and through it could be seen the streets of Leeds the twins moved closer to the window and peered out heavy snow was now falling fog it wasn't

[01:07:56] snowflakes as would be expected but tiny flakes of sparkling fog instead Dr. Howard opened the window and put her arm out she caught a falling flake on her open palm she pushed her arm back and examined the tiny foggy flake she sighed and shook her

[01:08:25] I had a feeling this would happen again one day the twins had seen their head teacher talking to herself before so they didn't interrupt her Dr. Howard shook her head again the sparkling foggy flake on her palm melted and

[01:08:57] this is magical weather it's been created by blizzard Lily asked who blizzard was Dr. Howard smiled and said blizzard is a wizard and yes that is his real name which is a wonderful coincidence because he's a weather wizard he's responsible for the

[01:09:27] weather in another world a magical world but it seems his weather has become mixed up and some of it has found its way into our world by mistake this happened once before and I was asked to track him down and find out what was wrong when I found him I discovered he hadn't been getting enough sleep he'd been working

[01:09:57] too many hours during the day and then staying up too late at night when I caught up with him and discovered how tired he was we had a long chat and he agreed to change his sleeping habits for the better which he did do but I had

[01:11:01] to twins shared a worried look Lily asked the head teacher if the weather wizard would take advice from them as they hadn't been at the school very long Dr. Howard placed a hand on each of the twins shoulders and said you too come from a long line of magical humans and everyone knows the

[01:11:31] name Jupiter furthermore you have a natural ability for magic and for helping those who need assistance I know you are more than capable of finding Blizzard and talking some sense into him she smiled in a kind way of course the twins still weren't sure about that but they gave Dr. Howard

[01:12:01] the most confident smiles they could muster up Jake asked where should we look for Blizzard follow the weather chaos their head teacher replied this will help you she clicked her fingers and a map appeared the map floated towards the twins and Lily caught it

[01:12:30] it's the map of weather chaos Dr. Howard explained the areas where the weather has become mixed up will shimmer and look like they're moving slightly on the map can you see where we are on this map and how this area is shimmering the twins examined the map and nodded Dr. Howard explained

[01:13:00] this means we're the only ones getting the wrong type of weather at the present time but I know this will change very soon follow the map and go to any areas on it that shimmer eventually you will catch up with blizzard along the way could you cast spells to reverse the peculiar weather that's taking place I'll show you how to do that now

[01:13:29] the head teacher moved closer to the window and the twins followed her she cast the weather reversing spell and the falling foggy flakes instantly vanished and the sun shone down brightly again the people on the streets carried on with their day as if nothing had happened although some of them

[01:13:59] did give the sky a suspicious look the head teacher asked the twins if they'd heard the words of the spell clearly they nodded she then asked them to cast a weather protective spell over themselves and their belongings because they were going to end up in the middle of all sorts of peculiar weather the twins had only learnt that

[01:14:28] particular spell the previous week but had practiced it several times since then the spell gave protection against any kind of weather and would ensure that their clothes and belongings remained entirely dry and warm no matter what Lily tucked the map into the inside pocket of her jacket and then at the same

[01:14:58] time as her brother she cast the weather protective spell over herself

[01:16:09] Comment could look at the map of weather chaos together she opened it up and they all looked closely at it Lily pointed to a small island at the bottom of the map and said

[01:16:39] This island looks like it's shimmering I think we should go here first Zavara confirmed he could take them there through a magical portal in the clouds He said he'd have to grow to his normal size first The little dragon flew out of the clock tower and hovered in the air

[01:17:07] In seconds, he had grown much, much bigger He moved closer to the twins and asked them to climb onto his back Lily put the map into her pocket and climbed onto the dragon's back Jake followed her

[01:17:30] Zavara rose into the sky and flew towards a single fluffy white cloud He went right through it with the twins securely on his back When they came out of the other side of the cloud The twins saw they were in a different world A world where the sky was pale purple and dotted with blue clouds

[01:17:59] The dragon took them towards the island they'd seen on the map It was a beautifully warm day And the sun shone brightly over the island As they flew closer The twins noticed the island was covered in pink grass There was a lake in the middle of the grass

[01:18:26] And the water was the same pale purple as the sky An animal was swimming in the water And when the twins got closer They recognized it as a penguin And as they got even closer They noticed folded wings on the back of the penguin They'd never seen a penguin with wings before

[01:18:56] Zavara landed on the pink grass And lowered his back to allow the twins to jump off He yawned and said I'm very sleepy I need to return to the clock tower for a nap You can use your magical orbs to travel to other places if you need to Tell me all about your adventures later

[01:19:24] Lily and Jake stood on the soft grass And waved goodbye to Zavara as he flew away The twins saw some winged penguins Huddled beneath the shade of a nearby tree When the penguins saw the twins They waved and asked them to come closer

[01:19:52] Lily and Jake jogged over to them and introduced themselves And told the penguins why they were there Jake smiled and said I can't see anything wrong with your weather though It's lovely and warm Penguin at the front of the group sighed and flapped her wings She said It's not supposed to be warm

[01:20:22] We're penguin fairies And our island is usually covered in snow That changed a short while ago The snow disappeared And the sun came out That lake over there used to be our ice skating rink We know the warm weather is great for some animals But we much prefer the snow

[01:20:51] She smiled at the swimming penguin fairy in the lake Well, most of us prefer the snow Bettina over there is having a marvellous time She loves this warmer weather Jake said to Lily Shall we change the weather back? Lily looked at the penguin fairies And asked if they would like the snow back

[01:21:21] The penguin fairies nodded And flapped their wings in joy One of the penguin fairies Flew over to her swimming friend in the lake And told Bettina the water Would be changing back into ice soon Bettina climbed out of the water She was wearing a gold swimming costume She waddled over to everyone And asked what was going on

[01:21:51] When an explanation was given Bettina sighed And said she'd had a great time in the warm lake And would treasure the memory forever Jake cast the weather-reversing spell And within seconds The air turned colder And snow began to fall The snowflakes were pale purple

[01:22:19] And when they landed on the ground They twinkled and shimmered The penguin fairies Thanked the twins And flew towards the frozen lake Ready to skate across it Apart from Bettina Who stayed with the twins And asked where they were going next We don't know yet Lily replied We need to look at the map again

[01:22:49] She opened up the map And saw a new shimmering island Bettina recognised the shape of it And told the twins It was a place called Paradise Shore She'd heard it was a very warm place And said she would love to take a holiday there One day Jake said Why don't you come with us now?

[01:23:19] We won't know what the weather will be like Until we get there though Bettina said she would love that And told the twins She could magically transport them there Using her penguin fairy magic Bettina focused on the map And flapped her wings three times A few seconds later

[01:23:47] The twins and the penguin fairy Were standing on the sandy beach Of Paradise Shore The sun was shining brightly In the clear purple sky Bettina smiled And raised her face to the sun What glorious weather I'm going to enjoy Staying here for a while

[01:24:17] She said goodbye to the twins And waddled towards An empty sun lounger The twins couldn't see Anything out of the ordinary With the weather And were about to look at the map again But then They heard someone Calling out to them They looked towards the sea And saw a mermaid Perched on a rock She waved to them

[01:24:46] And asked them to come closer The twins waded into the sea Knowing that their clothes Would stay dry Thanks to their weather protective spell When they got closer The mermaid said She'd seen them magically appear And asked if they were there To sort out the unusual weather Jake said they were

[01:25:16] Lily held up the map And explained how they'd been led to the area But they couldn't see anything wrong with the weather The mermaid pointed towards the sea And said It's the weather over there That's the problem It's raining under the water There's rumbling thunder too

[01:25:45] And flashes of lightning This has never happened before And everyone Is very confused Could you help us please? The twins nodded The mermaid asked if they would like To look at the underwater rain So they knew what they were dealing with The twins nodded again And used a spell

[01:26:14] To allow themselves to swim and breathe underwater Once the spell had been cast The twins swam with the mermaid Beneath the surface Showers of glittering silver rain Flowed down through the sea And drummed out a pitter-patter On the sandy floor

[01:26:40] Low rumbles of thunder echoed out Flashes of lightning Lit up the faces of the merpeople And sea animals Who were staring at the rain In utter confusion Lily and Jake Cast a weather-reversing spell And the rain vanished The thunder quietened down

[01:27:09] And the lightning faded away The sea was back to normal The mermaid thanked the twins And swam with them back to the surface She gave them some magical pearls From her necklace And said the pearls would transport them Anywhere on their map of weather chaos

[01:27:36] The twins swam back to shore And then continued on their quest They followed the shimmering clues on the map And travelled to different places Thanks to the mermaid's pearls They didn't need to use their orbs once They reversed the weather in each area They visited

[01:28:03] And then carried on with their journey After clearing a meadow That was full of tiny, twisting cyclones Jake sighed and said I don't think we're getting any closer To finding the weather wizard Lily grinned at her brother And told him

[01:28:31] To look at the far side of the meadow Jake did so And saw a man sitting in the grass And resting against a tree His eyes were closed He was wearing a long, flowing blue robe That had images of snow, rain, sunshine And rainbows on it Jake smiled and said

[01:29:00] That must be Blizzard At last The twins walked quietly over to the wizard Not wanting to disturb him But knowing they would have to The wizard opened his eyes Smiled at them And said Hello there I'm not asleep Just resting my eyes

[01:29:29] Oh I see from your uniforms That you're students from the Leora Academy And you can only be here for one reason Your wonderful head teacher Dr. Howard has sent you here With a message for me May I officially introduce myself? I am Blizzard The weather wizard

[01:29:56] The twins introduced themselves Lily held up the map of weather chaos And explained why they were there Jake finally found a use for his magical orb And magicked up images of the mixed up weather inside it To show the wizard what they had seen that day Blizzard shook his head at himself

[01:30:25] And said I wasn't even aware I'd been making any mistakes Dr. Howard is correct I haven't been getting enough sleep But I thought I was still performing my job correctly Alas From what you've told me That isn't the case You have my heartfelt thanks

[01:30:54] For correcting my mistakes Jake and Lily Lily And my apologies For creating this situation Lily said they didn't mind at all And it had been a great adventure She gave the wizard a bashful smile And asked if he knew how to get a good night's sleep And did he need any help from them

[01:31:23] Blizzard chuckled and replied I do know how to get a good night's sleep But I haven't been sticking to my nightly bedtime routine But I'll get back to that immediately And have an early night tonight I could do with your help with something Before you return to your school

[01:31:49] Could you cast my nighttime spells for me, please? I'm concerned I might get them mixed up Because I'm so tired You can cast the spells over that map you've brought with you And they will find their way across this world The twins said they would love to do that With Blizzard's help

[01:32:18] They cast nighttime spells over the map A spell to make the stars twinkle In the velvety dark sky A spell to make the moon shine Brightly across the land A spell to make the sea lap softly Upon the shore A spell to make the moon

[01:32:48] Drift towards people and animals In their slumber The last spell was cast And the sky above the meadow Turned dark And the first stars appeared Blizzard, the sleepy wizard Yawned And said he was ready for his sleep

[01:33:16] Lily and Jake yawned too The wizard said he would help them get back to school He summoned a moonbeam from above The softly glowing beam Floated towards the tired twins And wrapped around them Like a warm, soft hug

[01:33:43] The wizard thanked the twins for their help Blew softly on the moonbeam And then he vanished The moonbeam rose into the night sky And drifted through a cloudy magic portal And into the world where the school of magic was The sleepy twins

[01:34:12] Settled down on the soft beam of light And closed their eyes In no time at all They were back at the clock tower Of the town hall It was night time And Dr. Howard was waiting for them With a gentle wave of her hands She magically transported the twins

[01:34:40] Into their soft, comfy bed Her whisper carried on a breeze towards them Thank you, Jake and Lily You have done a wonderful job Settle down and go to sleep Good night, sweet dreams See you in the morning

[01:35:11] This is The Jupiter Twins and Cranky the House Elf By Luke Prendergast The fact was that it took more than just teachers To run the Leora Academy of Magic As Professor Greenfingers sat in the greenhouses Teaching plant magic As Professor Twinkles gazed at the stars

[01:35:41] In her astrology tower And as Dr. Strongheart stood at the front of the lab Teaching cure of magical maladies All the while, throughout the school Other magical beings were hard at work The stone lions, for instance Who stood either side of the broad staircase That led up to Leora Academy Guarded the premises and kept the students safe

[01:36:09] A small army of pixies Who knew more than any other creatures in this world Or any other about the mysterious workings of nature Tended to the gardens and woodland trees on the school grounds And a huge team of house elves were busy throughout the building Making sure rooms were clean Tables were cleared And delicious meals were served for breakfast, lunch and dinner

[01:36:38] Lily and Jake Jupiter were very grateful for all the hard work These creatures put in to make their time at Leora Academy so enjoyable They always made sure to thank the stone lions whenever they passed them And compliment them on how shiny they looked And they always went to thank the chefs for the delicious meals And tell the pixies how lush and beautiful the gardens were But they had to admit

[01:37:08] That there was one creature they had a hard time being grateful towards all the time Cranky, the grumpy house elf Unfortunately for them Cranky was the house elf in charge of overseeing the Jupiter twins' dormitory and corridor And when they said he was grumpy, they weren't kidding He was seriously very grumpy

[01:37:38] Cranky grumpy Cranky grumbled about the tiniest speck of dust Or loose thread of fabric he might find on the floor He stumped in at the earliest hours of the morning Before the sun was even up And slammed the doors so loudly The twins' ears rang for the rest of the day And they were pretty sure

[01:38:02] He plucked leaves off of Jake's magical healing cabbage plant when they weren't looking Jake and Lily always tried to be friendly to him Giving him big, beaming smiles whenever they saw him And asking him how he was and how his day was going But Cranky would only scowl at them Or ask them in his extremely grouchy way

[01:38:29] How they thought his day was going Given as he spent it following around Cleaning up after a bunch of pesky kids Or else he would just shoot them a cold glare And then disappear For that was one of the magic skills that house elves possessed They could just vanish into thin air Other students at the Leora Academy were very close to the house elves who looked after them

[01:38:59] Sharing cups of hot chocolate with them in the evening Sitting cross-legged on their beds Chatting and laughing and joking And even exchanging gifts on birthdays and at Christmases But not the Jupiter twins It seemed that with Cranky they'd simply drawn the short straw They didn't see how it would ever be possible to crack his tough exterior

[01:39:28] They just had to accept it They'd never be friends Soon enough, the end of the first half of the school year arrived Classes were finished Magical tests had been completed And the students of Leora Academy had enjoyed their goodbye feast In the great dining hall Their beloved headmistress, Dr. Howard

[01:39:56] Had stood at the front of the hall Dressed in sky-blue robes And given a speech Congratulating them all on their hard work And wishing them an enjoyable week's break at home with their families The students had broken into applause Filled up their stomachs with delicious food And headed off to their dormitories to pack their suitcases

[01:40:24] Their parents would be arriving to pick them up the very next morning And of course, not a single one of them was packed early and ready to go Just like the others Jake and Lily Jupiter returned to their dormitories too They pulled their brass and leather trunks out from beneath their beds Threw them open and began to pack

[01:40:51] Their clothes and robes were folded and placed neatly within Alongside stacks of magical textbooks And a couple of treasured family photographs Jake packed all of his broomstick flying memorabilia The posters of famous flyers And trophies he'd won in school competitions And Lily made sure she'd packed the special food

[01:41:21] To feed her pet talking slug And as they packed They spoke about how excited they were to be heading back home They couldn't wait For their mum's delicious homemade hot cross buns And seeing all their old friends from home They couldn't wait to play in the park And have sleepovers And all in all

[01:41:48] Have a well-deserved relaxing break From all the hard schoolwork they'd been doing Then Lily suddenly remembered That she had lent a very special book Of magical folktales to a friend down the corridor She needed to go fetch it So that she could read the tales over the break So she scurried off And came back with the big dusty volume pressed to her chest

[01:42:19] She walked across the room Ready to pack the book away Looked down at her leather trunk And with a startled shock Discovered it was empty Everything she had packed in it Was taken out There it all was Thrown in a heap on her bed Lily turned around And stared at Jake Who was sitting on his own bed

[01:42:47] Folding a fur-lined cloak hood As though nothing in the world had happened In fact It looked to Lily like he was trying A little too hard to act nonchalant In fact It made him look pretty suspicious If you asked her Jake She said What was the point of doing that?

[01:43:15] Jake didn't even look up Doing what? He asked This She said A little exasperated now Pointing at the pile of her unpacked belongings Lying on her bed Why would you unpack My whole suitcase? Is it some kind of a joke? Now Jake looked over at her With an expression of befuddlement

[01:43:45] Clouding his face Well Lily thought to herself He was a pretty good actor She'd give him that What do you mean I've unpacked your whole suitcase? Jake asked I've been sitting here the whole time Then how? Lily asked Is all my stuff Now lying on my bed? Come on Jake

[01:44:14] I know you did it Jake Jake hopped off his bed And came over To see what Lily was talking about He peered into her leather trunk And had to admit That it was indeed empty All her stuff All her stuff was on her bed But it hadn't been him who did it I promise Lily He told her I haven't done anything with your stuff

[01:44:45] Then how do you suggest it happened? She asked Maybe you think it emptied itself By magic? Jake shook his head in resignation I don't even know a spell that could do that He said And as he turned around And went back to his own packing Lily Lily got set on refolding her clothes

[01:45:13] And putting them back into her suitcase Why Jake wouldn't fess up She just didn't know It wasn't like him to play a practical trick And then not even own up to it And have a laugh about it It was She thought Rather out of character Just as she was having these thoughts They came a groan From the other side of the room Oh Lily

[01:45:43] Jake said I said I didn't unpack your trunk You didn't have to get me back like this Lily looked over And saw that all of Jake's belongings Which had just a few moments ago Been neatly folded in his own trunk Were now scattered all over the bed And he was looking at her With accusation in his eyes Jake

[01:46:12] She said Putting both hands on her hips That wasn't me You've seen That I've been over here the whole time If this is some elaborate trick You're playing on me You should just quit it now Why would I place a trick on you That involves unpacking my own trunk He asked her

[01:46:41] Sounds like that would be More like playing a trick on myself You're better than me at magic I bet you know a spell That could have unpacked my trunk While I wasn't looking Well I don't Lily said And even if I did I wouldn't use it Unlike you I don't play silly tricks Like that

[01:47:09] And so the Jupiter twins Who usually got on in such perfect harmony Fell into bickering Each of them Accusing the other Of playing a dastardly trick upon them So absorbed in their quarrelling were they That at first Neither of them Noticed the strangest thing Starting to happen But then

[01:47:37] Jake caught sight of it Out of the corner of his eye And held up a hand To stop Lily speaking Look He whispered Pointing behind her She turned And saw That the t-shirts Which she had just diligently Refolded and repacked Into her trunk Were unfolding themselves

[01:48:06] Floating Up into the air And tossing themselves Back into a heap On her bed Do you think It's a ghost? Jake whispered Or maybe Our belongings Have been bewitched Lily ventured Or maybe Said Jake They're not Our belongings At all

[01:48:35] Maybe They're little people Who've been Transfigured into clothes And books And what not And now They're trying To flee Being trapped Inside the trunk That sounded A little ludicrous To them both And they stood there Stroking their chins Wondering What could be Causing Lily's stuff To be acting In such a peculiar way When

[01:49:05] There was a little Flicker in the air Like a glitch And for the Briefest second A familiar House elf Featured figure Appeared Before them Before promptly Disappearing again Oh no Lily exclaimed It's not It's not a ghost Or a strange Bewitchment At all It's Cranky

[01:49:33] He's the one Who's emptying All our stuff Out of our Trunks And with that The Jupiter twins Started chasing The invisible Creature Around the room Wherever they saw One of their Possessions Begin to levitate They knew that Cranky was behind it And they leapt Upon the spot Trying to catch him But they never could

[01:50:02] He always Slipped Right out Of their grasp Then Finally The house elf Grabbed hold Of a whole Bunch of their Clothes Jumped out Of the door And ran down The corridor Lily And Jake Watched Panting a little As their clothes Seemed to fly Away from them Of their own accord And disappear

[01:50:30] Out of sight So It was Cranky All along Said Lily I'm sorry For ever Suspecting you Of playing a trick On me Jake Oh That's alright Replied her brother With a little Grin It is the kind Of thing I'd do But this time It wasn't me Now How are we going

[01:51:00] To get our Things Back I guess Said Lily We have to go Find Cranky Jake Nodded And then Frowned But how He asked Do we find An invisible An invisible Creature Who doesn't Want to be Found With this Question Still hovering Over them Like a Mischievous Imp The Jupiter Twins Headed down The corridor

[01:51:30] To search For Cranky They kept They kept Their eyes Peeled For any Clothes That seemed To be Flying around Unaided That would Be the sign That Cranky Was around But it Wasn't Cranky That the Jupiter Twins Found First In fact It was Dr. Howard Their Head Teacher Hello Lily Hello Jake She said Pausing

[01:51:59] Outside Her Office Door What Are you Two Doing Wandering Around The Corridors At this Time Shouldn't You Be Packing Up Your Trunks And Preparing To Head Home To Your Family Tomorrow And Lily And Jake Feeling Rather Relieved To Have Bumped Into Their Head Teacher Who They Were Sure Would Be Able To Help Them Out With Their Predicament Told Her The

[01:52:29] Whole Story How Cranky The House Elf Seemed Dead Set On Sabotaging Their Attempts To Pack It's Because He's Just So Grumpy Jake Explained And Wants To Make Life Difficult For Everyone So Dr. Howard Please Could Help Us And Order Cranky To Give Us Back Our Things At That Dr.

[01:52:59] Howard Gave A Gentle Chuckle She Took Off Her Glasses And Looked Down At The Jupiter Twins With Her Watery Kindly Green Eyes No Now She Said I'm Not Sure I Can Order Cranky To Do Anything At All This Seems To Be Something You Have To Resolve Between

[01:53:26] yourselves, but I can offer one small piece of advice. It seems to me that nobody is ever grumpy because they want to be so. Usually, we're grumpy because there's something going on under the

[01:53:47] surface. Don't you agree? So when you do find Cranky, which I'm sure you will, I recommend you show a little sympathy and try to see what's going on beneath the surface rather than simply being irritated with him. When Dr. Howard finished speaking, she gave a big yawn and promptly

[01:54:15] wished the Jupiter twins goodnight, disappearing into her office. Lily and Jake continued down the corridor, both thinking privately that Dr. Howard's advice sounded, as ever, rather wise indeed. Showing some sympathy towards Cranky? They wouldn't have thought of it themselves.

[01:54:45] But they could see right away that it was the right idea. Soon, they spotted a house elf up ahead, but it wasn't Cranky. It was a friendly young house elf named Mary, who waved at the twins and gave them a hug. Lily told Mary they were looking for Cranky, and Mary told them she knew just where he'd be.

[01:55:13] He's probably in the kitchen, she said, warming his feet by the fire. It's his favourite place to be. Lily and Jake had never imagined Cranky doing anything as cosy as warming his feet by the fire. But they followed Mary down to the kitchen, and when she swung open the door, there was Cranky,

[01:55:42] just like she'd said he'd be. He had his big house elf feet pointed towards the fire, toasting his souls, while beside him sat the pile of Lily and Jake's clothes. Cranky saw the Jupiter twins come into the kitchen, his eyes went wide, and he half jumped up,

[01:56:10] as though ready to flee once again. But Jake put up a peaceful hand and said, wait, Cranky. Don't disappear, we're not mad. We only want to talk to you. Cranky sat back down, though he still had his eyes narrowed at them suspiciously. Jake and Lily went over to him,

[01:56:36] to where the warm glow of the fire warmed their hands and lit up their cheeks. Cranky, Jake said. We just wanted to ask you. Is there a reason you are unpacking our trunks and taking our clothes? Not any reason you pesky kids would ever understand, he muttered.

[01:57:04] But Cranky, Lily said gently. If you explain to us, maybe we could try to understand. We're all ears. Try us. Cranky stared into the flickering flames, which made shadows twirl and dance all over his face.

[01:57:29] Cranky stared into the face. He looked deep in contemplation, but at last he sighed and said, It's not fair that you kids get to go home. Jake frowned. That wasn't what he'd expected Cranky to say. What do you mean? He asked. What I mean, Cranky said,

[01:57:59] Is that every half-term you get to pack up your stuff and go home to see your family. And you and Lily sit in your room talking about all the relaxing things you get to do. How you get to eat your mum's hot cross buns. How you get to hang out with your friends.

[01:58:26] And to be honest, all that talk makes me a bit, well, it makes me a bit cranky. What I would do for a little break. What I would do to be able to pack my things and go away for a week. I'm not really sure what a hot cross bun is, but I sure would like to try one.

[01:58:53] But no, all Cranky does is work, work, work. No break for Cranky. And no holiday for Cranky either. Because there's nowhere for Cranky to go. So, when I saw you packing your stuff into your trunks earlier, it made me think about how boring it's going to be around here.

[01:59:23] Working away, even when you pesky kids are gone. And so, well. And Cranky pointed at the pile of clothes. As Lily had listened to Cranky speak, a peculiar feeling was moving through her heart.

[01:59:45] It was like the flames of the fire were sending their warmth into her very core. Because with each word, Cranky said, Lily began to understand him better. And quite frankly, she sympathised. How tedious it must be to have to work all the time.

[02:00:14] And even though Leora Academy was a beautiful place to live and a really fun school to go to, she didn't think she'd be happy having to be here all the time with nowhere else to go. And no break to be had. No. She understood what Cranky was saying too.

[02:00:42] If she were in his position, she'd be pretty grumpy too. She held out a hand and the house elf slipped his cool palm into hers. Thanks for explaining that to us, Cranky, she said. You're right. Everyone deserves a break.

[02:01:09] And a hot cross bun, too. And we want to help you. If you're ready to give us back our things, I've come up with a little plan. Do you want to hear it? Cranky, the house elf, looked into Lily's eyes, with the same orange flames flickering in both. He nodded.

[02:01:37] Yes, please, he said. The next morning, when Lily and Jake, Jupiter's mum, arrived to take them home from the Leora Academy, the twins were stood ready in their dormitory, with their brass and leather trunks packed and locked. But they weren't the only ones there.

[02:02:04] Stood beside them was Cranky, the house elf, and he had a fully packed bag with him, too. What's going on here, then? The twins' mother asked, looking from Lily to Jake to Cranky and back again. Who's this? Mum, said Jake. Please meet our friend, Cranky.

[02:02:34] Nice to meet you, said their mum with a smile. Cranky works at the academy, Lily explained. But he sure is in need of a holiday. So we were wondering if he can come home with us for the break. Please? Can he, mum? Pretty please? The Jupiter twins' mum only had to think about it a few moments.

[02:03:05] Of course he can. Any friend of yours is always welcome in our home. Come on, Cranky. Off we go. Let's get you home. I've got a tray of freshly cooked hot cross buns just waiting to be eaten. And with that, the four of them, Jake and Lily Jupiter,

[02:03:35] their mum and their new friend, Cranky, left the aura academy and travelled back together to the Jupiter house. Cranky, as it turned out, loved hot cross buns. And he loved sleepovers. And he loved playing in the park, too.

[02:04:00] It was the first break he had enjoyed in a long, long time. With long lions in the mornings and lazy, fun-filled days. And when they all returned to the Leora Academy, Cranky felt very refreshed indeed. And the Jupiter twins did, too.

[02:04:27] Cranky became one of their closest friends in the whole school, waking them up when the sun rose with cups of tea, and popping over to hear how their days had gone once their lessons were all finished. And Cranky came back home with the Jupiter twins for the Christmas break, and then for spring and summer, too.

[02:04:56] He was always, after that, a welcome guest in the Jupiter household. Just as Jake and Lily's mum had said, he smiled and laughed and was a pleasure to be around. And Jake and Lily had to admit, even though he was still called Cranky the house elf,

[02:05:25] they couldn't describe him as grumpy anymore. Or, at least, not very often. this is a Dreau-Min. To be continued, And even though he's been able to escape from our home,