The Jupiter Twins’ Last Night at Leora Academy ✨🌙 Sleepy Bedtime Stories For Kids

[00:00:10] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtimes a dream. Now then, before I dive into the shout outs, and there are a few, I want to let anyone who is new here know that you can see a photo of me, a brand new photo up on Apple Podcasts. Or if you go to koalamoon.fm, you'll see one. Or in fact, on the Koala Kids Instagram too, there's loads of videos there.

[00:00:39] I'm very real, and I hope it's nice for you to put a face to the name. Okay, so flinging open my big human arms, I would like to welcome into the club a few more precious subscribers. We've got Lola, who's five, and Zaya, who's two, from New Zealand. Imogen, who's seven, and Alexander, three, from Melbourne, Australia. And finally siblings, Oshin, who's 11, Hannah, who's nine, and Sadie Sue, who's five, from Dublin, in Ireland.

[00:01:08] Welcome all of you. Thank you so much for supporting us, and enjoy all your ad-free listening and extra bonus content. Now, if you love descriptive writing and imagery, then you are going to love tonight's bedtime story so much. Luke has written an absolute gem. It's basically happy, sad, celebratory, and sensitive. All sorts of things, all rolled into one. It's an absolute belter.

[00:01:35] You see, the thing is, the Jupiter twins are facing a really tough reality that all great things have to come to an end. And that's very sad. But with endings come new beginnings, and that is exciting. At first, they feel very confused by all these emotions. And to make it harder, it feels like no one else really cares that they'll be leaving the Lior Academy. Until the final night when something very unexpected begins to unfold.

[00:02:02] At the centre of it all is something magical, of course. A gift that holds more than it first appears. And it might just help them carry their most important memories into whatever adventure comes next. Settle in for a really special listen. And don't worry if you drop off, just pop it back on tomorrow. Oh, I've just remembered, Kelly will also be sharing an update on the Jupiter twins over on Koala Shine.

[00:02:30] There's an exciting new four-part series on the way, and it's called The Jupiter Twins Banished from Magic. It's a mysterious new adventure packed with clues to uncover as Jake and Lily race to save their magic before it's lost forever. Be sure to tune in to Koala Shine on Saturday, May the 9th for the very first episode.

[00:02:51] But for now, this evening, I'm going to begin The Jupiter Twins, Last Night at the Leora Academy by Luke Prendergast. Before we begin, a quick message for the grown-ups. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad-free listening, unlock four bonus stories per month, and much, much more, you can join Coco Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes.

[00:03:19] But now, here's a quick word from our sponsors. Hey everyone, I'm Dylan Dreyer, co-host of the third hour of today and mom to three wild boys. I've learned a lot in my years as a parent, mostly that I don't have it all figured out yet. And I'm not the only one. This is my new podcast, The Parent Chat. Each week, I sit down with someone new for honest conversation and real-world advice about parenting. I am over here just like winging it. Hey, I'm just trying not to screw my own kids up. I'm not giving you advice on how to not screw yourself.

[00:03:48] Search The Parent Chat on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. One morning, when the Jupiter twins had left school to visit home for the weekend, their mom told them she had some news. It was breakfast time and she'd been up early making them pancakes, which now sat in a tall stack in the middle of the table, surrounded by their favourite toppings.

[00:04:16] Bananas and chocolate sauce, blueberries, lemon juice and sugar. What's that, mum? Lily asked, drizzling maple syrup onto a pancake. Well, said their mum, the good news is I've got a new job. It's a job I've wanted for a very long time and I'm very excited indeed. Oh, congratulations, said Lily.

[00:04:44] And she hopped off her seat and ran around the table so that she could give her mum a hug. Well done, mum, Jake said as he squeezed lemon juice onto his pancake. He loved watching how the little granules of sugar fizzed and dissolved when the juice hit them. But if that's the good news, he added, then what's the bad news?

[00:05:09] Well, their mum said, speaking slowly, as though she were choosing her words very carefully indeed. This new job is in a lovely little village called Lower Starry Skies, which is very far away from here. Which means that we'll have to be leaving Leeds and you two will have to leave the Leora Academy of Magical Arts and started a new school in Lower Starry Skies. We'll be off in just a couple of weeks.

[00:05:39] Lily's fork, which was halfway to her mouth, paused in midair. The squeezed half of a lemon in Jake's hand dropped onto his plate. Neither of them spoke. Their mum winced. How does that make you feel? she asked. It took a little while for both of them to find the words. It was Lily who spoke first. Well, it's a little confusing, she said.

[00:06:10] I feel different feelings all at once. On one hand, I feel very happy that you have a new job that you're going to love, but then I also feel sad about leaving Leora. Yes, Jake agreed. I feel sad to change schools and a bit scared too. But I also feel kind of excited because it's like starting a new adventure. He wrinkled his forehead. He shook his head.

[00:06:40] Oh, I don't understand, he said. I don't understand how I feel. Well, that's quite okay, their mum said with a warm, reassuring smile. You know, it's quite normal to feel different things at once, even the opposite things at once. Especially when it comes to a time in your life when things are changing. And you don't have to choose just one of those things to feel.

[00:07:09] You can feel happy and sad at exactly the same time. Did you know, she added, that there's actually a word for that? Is there? Lily asked. She blinked up at her mum. She loved learning new words almost as much as she loved learning new spells. Yes, their mum said. The word is bittersweet.

[00:07:35] Jake frowned and forked a segment of pancake into his mouth. As he chewed, he noticed how the bitterness of the lemon juice, which made his face go all squinched up, gave way to the lovely sweetness of the sugar dissolved in it. The overall effect was wonderful. It was, after all, why lemon juice and sugar was his favourite pancake topping.

[00:08:02] And suddenly, he understood how something could be bittersweet. Lily gazed at her own piece of pancake on her fork. I wonder what our last day at Leora will be like, she mused. Then she swallowed the pancake with a big gulp. When the Jupiter twins returned to the Leora Academy of Magical Arts on Monday, that bittersweet feeling came with them.

[00:08:31] Saying hello to the two stone lions who guarded the entrance, their hearts filled with a sudden sensation of missing the school already. But there was already a twinkle of curiosity about what the entrance of their new school would look like. They felt very sorry in potion brewing class to think that pink-haired Professor Bubbles would never read out a list of ingredients to them again.

[00:08:58] But couldn't help feeling a tingle of excitement about getting to meet some new teachers and discover who their favourites might be. We're going to miss you, Dr. Howard, they told their head teacher when they bumped into her in the corridor. And we you, Dr. Howard said promptly, before disappearing in a swish of her bright yellow robes. The Jupiter twins blinked after her, thinking that was rather odd.

[00:09:27] They knew that teachers shouldn't have favourite students, but secretly, they'd both believed that they were Dr. Howards. Hadn't there been dozens of adventures and missions she'd sent the two of them on? Hadn't they all helped each other many times in the past? But now, it seemed that Dr. Howard didn't care very much that they were leaving.

[00:09:51] Maybe there won't be any kind of party after all, said Lily, feeling just a tad glum. Soon, their final day at the Leora Academy arrived. And still, there was no sign of any real acknowledgement that they were leaving. Lessons went on as normal. Break times progressed without a ripple.

[00:10:15] In fact, it almost seemed that people were actively avoiding mentioning that it was their last day. When dinner was over, the purple blanket of twilight had settled over the school. Pixies sang their evening songs in the school grounds. A silver crescent moon hung in the sky. And the Jupiter twins climbed the stairs up to their dormitory alone. Their trunks were already packed with all their belongings.

[00:10:44] They sat down on their beds. Just then, there came a knock. And then, their friend Trevor snuck his head around the door. Hey, he said. Apparently, you left some books in plant magic. They've been left in the dining hall for you to collect. And before the Jupiter twins could even thank him, Trevor had disappeared. Hmm, sighed Lily.

[00:11:10] This is beginning to feel a little bit more bitter than sweet. They slipped off their beds and made their way through the silent corridors, catching glimpses through the gold-framed windows of the glimmering stars in the ink-dark sky. They went down the spiral staircase, which occasionally tricked you by turning into a spiral slide,

[00:11:36] crossed the floor, and pushed open the grand wooden dining hall doors. Surprise! Rung out a dozen voices. Hoo! said Lily. Golly! said Jake. For inside the dining hall, a surprise truly did await them. The long tables, where the students usually ate, had disappeared. Instead, the room had been transformed into a magical bedchamber.

[00:12:06] Velvet drakes in deep midnight blue swayed gently from the windows, even though no breeze touched them, and enchanted lanterns levitated in the air, casting a soft golden glow around the whole room. Giant cushions filled the room. Some hovered inches off the ground, cloud-soft and quilted, while others curled like crescent moons,

[00:12:34] covered in blankets stitched with twinkling constellations. Pillows hopped merrily, as though they had a life of their own. And in the middle of the room stood a small table with a curious green glass bottle on it. But all of that was nothing compared to who was gathered there. There was Dr. Howard and a couple of their other favourite teachers.

[00:13:01] There was Trevor, flushed with pride at having successfully tricked them, and more of their friends. Even Felicia and Felix Foxgloves, the Jupiter twins' number one rivals, had come. Though they stood there looking like they didn't care if they were there or not. And there were other magical creatures from adventures they had gone on. Cranky, their favourite house elf. Dominique the mermaid with her glistening silver tail. Goldie the hippogriff.

[00:13:30] A whole bunch of their favourite people were gathered in the room, dressed in their most whimsical pyjamas. Dr. Howard stepped forward in her night-time robes, which were canary yellow, just like her daytime ones. Welcome to your farewell slumber party, Jupiter twins, she said with a wry smile. Did you think we'd forgotten all about you? Jake and Lily both blushed.

[00:14:00] Yes, we had actually, Jake said. But this surprise makes it totally worth it, Lily added. Dr. Howard had known that the Jupiter twins would not be dressed for a slumber party, given that the celebration was a surprise. So she had magicked up some very special slumber party pyjamas for them. A pair of fluffy onesies with hoods in the shapes of fantastical creatures.

[00:14:29] They pulled them on and stood there admiring each other. You're a pixie, Jake said with delight, looking at Lily, whose onesie had magical sparkles that danced all over it. And you look like an ogre, Lily said with a giggle. But a very friendly snuggly one. Jake looked down at his green troll onesie and laughed too. All right, he said.

[00:14:58] Let's get this farewell slumber party started. This might come as a little bit of a surprise, but a slumber party held in an academy for the magical arts is rather similar to any other slumber party, just with a lot more magic. They played slippery sock races on the shining wooden floor.

[00:15:21] Except the socks were enchanted and had personalities of their own, which meant you could never be absolutely sure how they'd behave. For instance, Lily's socks decided they didn't want to move at all. So she just stayed stuck to the floor, unable to move. Meanwhile, their friend Trevor's socks decided they very much preferred the ceiling to the floor. And so he was sliding in circles around the chandelier.

[00:15:49] And as for Cranky, well, his socks obviously weren't getting along. They wanted to go in the opposite direction to each other. So the poor house elf ended up slipping around the dining hall while doing the splits. They had a gentle pillow fight, with pillows enchanted to transform into warm clouds just before they made contact, so that they'd just breeze smoothly over you.

[00:16:16] Dominique the mermaid used her tail to do some truly remarkable shadow puppetry on the wall. And then, of course, there was the magical midnight feast. The most delicious snacks like hopping chocolate rabbits and floating marshmallows and cookies that transformed into whatever flavour you asked them to. Lily spotted Felix and Felicia tucking into a tub of rainbow-flavoured ice cream.

[00:16:44] Well, she thought to herself, if an evening could make those two sourpusses smile, then it must be a pretty good one. In fact, the farewell slumber party was such a lot of merriment and fun that before long all of the guests had grown rather sleepy and were lounging around on the plush pillows, chatting and giggling and telling jokes.

[00:17:09] Jake, who was cuddling an adorable fluffy pink creature called a squishy puffball as though it were a comfort cushion, let out a big yawn. And, like a charm that spread around the room, suddenly everyone was yawning. Lily and the other students and even Dr Howard too. Now, she said, giving her yellow robes a shake.

[00:17:37] Before we all get so tired that we have to wind down the party and start focusing on the slumbering, I have something rather special planned for us all. Around the room, eyes that had been sleepy began to glitter with interest. What is it, Dr Howard? Lily asked.

[00:17:59] For an answer, Dr Howard gave a little cough to let the enchanted armchair she was reclining on know that she intended to get up, so that it should release the soft arms that had wrapped around her in a cosy hug. She walked over to the middle of the room and pointed to the little table with a curious green glass bottle sitting on it. This.

[00:18:26] Jake remembered noticing this strange item when they'd walked into the room, but had forgotten about it during all the fun of the slumber party. What is it? he asked. This, Dr Howard announced with a twinkle in her eye, is a Remem bottle. Unfortunately for Jake, this answer didn't shed any more light on what the bottle actually did.

[00:18:52] But Lily, with her mouth shaped in a little O of wonder, said, A Remem bottle? I read about those in a book in the library. You can use them to store memories in, so that you can revisit them whenever you like. Plus, she added, they're awfully rare. They are rare indeed, Lily, Dr Howard said.

[00:19:17] But this one here is a gift to you and Jake, for all the joy and adventure and kindness you've brought to the Leora Academy over the years. I thought everyone gathered here could place their favourite memories of you in it, so that you can have a peek at them in the future, when you're discovering a whole new world in lower starry skies. What do you think?

[00:19:44] Lily and Jake both found that they were rather lost for words. How could they ever find the right way to express their gratitude for such a thoughtful gift? Sometimes, they realised, words were not quite enough. So instead they both got up and gave Dr Howard a hug. Thank you, they whispered.

[00:20:11] You are quite welcome, Dr Howard told them with a smile. Now, everyone gather around in a circle. It's time we all share our favourite memories of the Jupiter twins and pop them into the Remem bottle. And so, like a group of friends sitting around a campfire trading stories,

[00:20:35] the guests of the farewell slumber party gathered in a circle around the bright green bottle. Who wanted to go first, Dr Howard asked them. And Dominique the mermaid held up her hand. Her silvery tail shone in the candlelight, and the shells on her necklace made little clicking sounds. Dr Howard handed her the Remem bottle. Dominique cleared her throat.

[00:21:05] My favourite memory of the Jupiter twins, she said, was when you visited us in our underwater citadel, the misty castle for an extravagant banquet. And when Neptune, the king of the mermaids, told you that his greatest wish was to try flying, you gave him some chewy sweets that let him grow wings. Oh yes, giggled Lily. That's right.

[00:21:35] The feathery flight fruit pastels that our mum gave us. Well, we were only happy that we could grant King Neptune his wish, sighed Jake, reminiscing. That is a good memory. It certainly was, agreed Dominique. And then something rather magical happened.

[00:21:59] A pale blue cloud slipped from between her lips, drifted through the air until it was hovering over the open top of the Remem bottle, and then dissolved into several purple droplets which dripped down into the bottle. It was Dominique's memory, and now it was stored safely in the Remem bottle.

[00:22:25] The mermaid handed the Remem bottle to Trevor, who sat beside her, and he recounted his most treasured memory of the Jupiter twins, the time they had become friends. The Jupiter twins had discovered some tea leaves that predicted something extremely wonderful in someone's future, and they'd used their wily detective skills to track Trevor down and tell him the good news.

[00:22:52] It's my favourite memory, he said, because I think it sums you both up perfectly. You're kind and loyal, and you love to solve a mystery. Lily and Jake exchanged a smile, nodding. It was true, they couldn't deny it. They did love to solve a mystery. They both shared a thought, in that curious way that twins sometimes do.

[00:23:21] Would they have any mysteries to solve when they reach their new home in lower starry skies? They certainly hoped so. The cloud of Trevor's memory, when it slipped out from between his lips, was a soft green like a tea leaf. It floated over to the Remem bottle, and dripped some green drops into the vessel.

[00:23:46] And so, the Remem bottle got passed around the group, and everyone shared their favourite memories. Cranky, the house elf, told them all about how he used to be terribly grumpy, because while all the students got to go home and relax during the holidays, he had to work all the time. How surprised he'd been when the Jupiter twins invited him to spend half-term with them and their family.

[00:24:14] Ever since then, they'd been some of his closest friends. But it didn't stop you being entirely cranky, did it, Cranky? Jake said with a wink. Cranky shrugged. Cranky by name, cranky by nature, he said. And a little purple puff of cloud slipped from between his lips and into the Remem bottle.

[00:24:39] Goldie, the hippogriff, told the tale of how Lily and Jake had helped her fall asleep when she was suffering from insomnia, by reading her a story from the magical lullaby book. And Professor Greenfingers, who taught plant magic, recalled the time when they had all been growing mouse plants. And Lily's furry little creature, with a long sprout of green leaves, had run off and disappeared into the forest,

[00:25:07] so that the Jupiter twins had to go and find it again. Mouse plants can be cheeky like that, he said. Even Felix and Felicia shared their own memory, though they shared it reluctantly, with their faces pinched up. They record the time when they had magicked themselves to look like the Jupiters, and the Jupiters had magicked themselves to look like the foxgloves,

[00:25:35] and they'd all caused double trouble around the school. Luckily, they didn't mention the bit where Lily and Felicia had to work together to wipe the memory of their potion-brewing teacher, Professor Bubbles. Alas, everyone had told their favourite memories. Everyone except for Dr. Howard, that is. And there was just enough space at the top of the Remem bottle for one last memory.

[00:26:04] What are you going to put in? Lily asked. Dr. Howard pressed a finger to her lips and thought for a few moments. Reflected candlelight flickered in her glass lenses. Then, without her saying a single word, a bright yellow cloud slipped from between her lips.

[00:26:28] It drifted above the Remem bottle and dripped its drops until the Remem bottle was full. Then, Dr. Howard took the cork, plugged the top of the bottle, and handed it to the Jupiter twins. Aren't you going to tell us what your memory is? Jake asked. Dr. Howard smiled. I think not, she said.

[00:26:56] I think I'd rather leave that one unsaid for now, so that when you're settled in your new home in lower starry skies, you can open up the Remem bottle and know that you have a surprise waiting. Well, as a couple of kids who love to solve mysteries, it was hard to accept not knowing something for a while. But, Lily thought to herself,

[00:27:24] it couldn't solve anything without there being a mystery in the first place. So, she slipped the Remem bottle into the pockets of her onesie, and reassured herself that she would discover what memory Dr. Howard had put in the Remem bottle all in good time. There would be so many things for them to discover in their new lives in lower starry skies. Now that the Remem bottle ceremony was complete,

[00:27:52] all the guests of the slumber party began to look awfully sleepy again. Yawns went around the room, eyes were rubbed, and tired limbs were stretched. Clearly enough, it was time for bed. And so, everyone chose a spot to nestle down for the night. There was a scuffed brown but immeasurably soft old armchair for Cranky,

[00:28:19] and for Dominique, a pink chaise longue along which she could lay her whole tail. The Jupiter twins chose neighbouring floating mattresses, with cushions that rearranged themselves around the shapes of their bodies to keep them extra snug. And Dr. Howard said she would do with just a patch of floor against the wall, with a simple cushion for a pillow.

[00:28:46] The sound of gentle music started drifting from some far-off corner of the enchanted slumber party chamber. A rocking music that made everyone feel light as air, and very sleepy indeed. Soon, the music was joined by other sounds, more yawns, and the gentle breathing of people, as one by one they fell asleep.

[00:29:14] Every now and then, Cranky even let out a little snore. But it was so soft a snore that it did not wake anybody up. Soon enough, only the Jupiter twins were left awake, and one other person, they hoped. Dr. Howard? Lily whispered, very low so as not to wake up the peaceful dreamers. Yes, Lily, came the murmured reply.

[00:29:45] We just wanted to say thank you for throwing us our farewell slumber party, she said. There's no room left in the remembottle for more memories, but I don't think that matters. I think we're going to remember this night just fine without it, forever and ever. In the darkness of the dining hall, they could almost hear the smile on Dr. Howard's lips.

[00:30:15] You're very welcome, both of you, she said. And thank you, added Jake, for everything you've done for us over the years. I know you're the only headteacher we have, but you're the favourite headteacher we have too. We're going to miss you terribly. And we will miss you too, Dr. Howard whispered.

[00:30:44] But just because you're moving, it doesn't mean goodbye. You're starting a new chapter in lower starry skies, and I'm sure from time to time myself and your friends will feature in it. I hope so, whispered Lily. Me too, whispered Jake. And once again, they felt that familiar feeling,

[00:31:12] which they had only lately discovered had a name. Bitter sweetness. How they would miss the Leora Academy. But how they looked forward to new adventures in lower starry skies. Both things could be true at once. With this happy, rather grown up idea in their heads, the Jupiter twins yawned and rolled over,

[00:31:41] and stretched their limbs and closed their eyes. And it didn't take long, no more than a few long seconds, before they had both drifted off to sleep. And all night long, they dreamed dreams about their beloved Leora Academy,

[00:32:04] and the adventures that might await them in their new home in lower starry skies. And the future of the Leora Academy is a great place. The Leora Academy is a great place to be a new home in the world.