The Secret Mice of the Cuckoo Clock 🕰️🤫 Kids Sleep Stories

[00:00:10] Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream.

[00:00:22] Coco and I are shifting up right now to make room for two more fresh Coco Clubbers tonight. Welcome Emma Allen from Vancouver Island and Sean from Brisbane.

[00:00:32] Hugs and high fives to you both. Thanks for joining us. Now make yourselves comfy, there's a little space over there. And just get ready to listen. You've got loads of stories now coming your way and all blissfully ad-free.

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[00:01:09] If you loved the time-travelling antics of Potato and Beans in the Wild Wild West, I've got a great new podcast for you.

[00:01:17] It's called Mysteries About True Histories, and it follows best friends Max and Molly on thrilling time-travelling quests.

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[00:01:51] Hello, Koala Moon listeners. If you have babies and toddlers in your family, then this announcement is for you.

[00:01:58] I'd like to tell you about my other sleep show, Koala Tots.

[00:02:01] It's got all the magic of Koala Moon, but it's made especially for the littlest of listeners, babies and toddlers.

[00:02:08] Koala Tots is packed with soothing stories and calming rhymes, perfect for helping babies and toddlers sleep like a dream.

[00:02:16] Not only are the stories incredibly relaxing, but they have easy-to-understand language and gentle repetition,

[00:02:23] designed to help with babies' cognitive development as they drift off to sleep.

[00:02:28] There's even appearances from some of the Koala Moon star favourites,

[00:02:32] alongside the cutest episodes like How to Hug a Hedgehog and Nugget's Cozy Night.

[00:02:39] So search Koala Tots on your favourite podcast player and hit follow so you can find it easily night after night.

[00:02:49] Now in tonight's story, we're heading back to lower starry skies where yet another new face is coming to town.

[00:02:56] And you could say that he's bringing many new faces with him.

[00:03:00] Ooh, cryptic.

[00:03:02] But it's true because this lovely gentleman is a clockmaker and clocks have faces.

[00:03:10] But of course, like many people in lower starry skies, he's not just any old clockmaker.

[00:03:17] His shop has an air of mystical wonder and mystery about it.

[00:03:22] So much so that the residents of lower starry skies are peeping through the windows,

[00:03:29] hoping just to catch a little glimpse of him and his secret little helpers,

[00:03:34] who aid him as he creates the most magnificent and complicated cuckoo clocks.

[00:03:40] But who are they?

[00:03:43] Soon you'll be ready to find out.

[00:03:45] But first, let's lie back in bed and relax, ready to listen.

[00:03:53] And then let a lovely big sigh escape.

[00:03:59] Ah.

[00:04:01] Now, as we've mentioned faces, let's relax our faces.

[00:04:08] Starting at the top, wiggle your eyebrows and scrunch up your forehead and your eyes.

[00:04:17] Everything up there.

[00:04:18] And then let it rest.

[00:04:23] And now wiggle and squish up your nose.

[00:04:27] Maybe flare your nostrils.

[00:04:29] And then let it all stop and rest.

[00:04:35] Now move onto your mouth.

[00:04:38] And just open and close your jaws and smoosh your lips from side to side.

[00:04:44] Wiggle it all around.

[00:04:46] Make as much movement as you can.

[00:04:48] And then let it all just relax to stillness.

[00:04:54] Lovely.

[00:04:55] Keep breathing nice and steadily.

[00:04:58] As I begin The Secret Mice of the Cuckoo Clock.

[00:05:04] By Jane Thomas.

[00:05:05] For as long as anyone can remember, even Aunt Tilly and she can remember back a terribly long way,

[00:05:20] the shop just down the hill from where there's a wool there's a way in lower starry skies has stood empty.

[00:05:27] It has a dark purple door and dark purple paint around the window.

[00:05:33] And faded letters show that once upon a time it was a place where people could go if they wanted to buy a home in the village.

[00:05:41] But it wasn't long before it went out of business.

[00:05:46] Once people move to lower starry skies, they never want to leave.

[00:05:51] So once all the cottages and shops and little squares of land were sold, their job was done.

[00:05:58] They shut up shop and moved away.

[00:06:01] Waving to the inhabitants who shouted thank yous out of their windows as they went.

[00:06:07] But someone has moved into the flat above the store.

[00:06:12] Midnight blue curtains have replaced the others that had been fading in the sun over the years.

[00:06:17] A brand new doormat waits proudly on the pavement with

[00:06:22] Welcome scrawled across it in big black letters.

[00:06:27] And a fresh coat of paint has been added to make the dark purple shine once more.

[00:06:33] One afternoon, a very small, very round little man appeared and worked his way slowly up the steps of a ladder.

[00:06:42] Armed with a pot of paint and a paintbrush and a very determined look on his face.

[00:06:49] Taking care, he added some new letters above the shop window, spelling out its new name.

[00:06:56] Rise and chime, it says in big gold letters.

[00:07:01] Underneath, in smaller, wispier letters, it says

[00:07:04] Mr. Time Love & Co.

[00:07:07] Master Clockmakers

[00:07:10] Over the following weeks, crates and boxes began to appear outside the purple door.

[00:07:17] People heading up the hill to upper starry skies tripped over packages.

[00:07:22] And people heading down the hill to lower starry skies tripped over parcels.

[00:07:29] Little Mr. Time Love dashed in and out as quickly as he could, steaming up his tiny round glasses and wiping sweat from his head with a huge spotted blue handkerchief.

[00:07:42] All the time, mumbling and muttering his apologies and trying to move things more quickly than they appeared.

[00:07:50] The window started to fill up with all sorts of clocks and cogs.

[00:07:58] And if you pressed your face to it and peered to the back of the shop, you could see a tall grandfather clock standing solemnly to attention.

[00:08:08] Pendulums swinging slowly back and forth, back and forth.

[00:08:15] To celebrate the arrival of their new neighbour, Mrs. Woolingworth of the Woolshop has knitted a statue of Big Ben that stands three feet tall in her shop window.

[00:08:27] The famous London clock has become something of a hit in lower starry skies, and she's sold out of the pattern five times over.

[00:08:37] And the bookshop, neither up nor down, has put a whole load of books about clocks in its window.

[00:08:45] On top of all that, Uma of the Dimple Dumpling Cafe has taken to creating cakes in the shape of clocks.

[00:08:54] So, when the day comes around when Mr. Time Love first turns the sign hanging on his door from closed to open,

[00:09:05] there's a queue of eager people waiting to get inside.

[00:09:09] Lower Starry Skies has, in the space of a few weeks, gone quite crazy for clocks.

[00:09:17] Clocks fly off the shelves.

[00:09:20] Some people want those ones with two bells on top and a small hammer that rushes to and fro between them to set off an alarm.

[00:09:29] Others want fancy digital clocks that can project the time onto the ceiling,

[00:09:35] so they don't even need to bother rolling over in bed to see what time it is.

[00:09:42] Watches held on chains are suddenly extremely popular.

[00:09:45] And there's barely a birthday in the village that doesn't see a special engraved fob watch get unwrapped.

[00:09:54] And, of course, people start bringing in their clocks to get repaired too.

[00:10:01] Everyone climbs up into the attic and rummages around in long abandoned boxes,

[00:10:08] looking for the clocks their grandparents and great-grandparents handed down

[00:10:13] and that haven't worked for years.

[00:10:16] Each one gets special attention and admiration from Mr. Time Love.

[00:10:23] Hmm, he'll say seriously, turning over the clock in his hands

[00:10:29] and peering at it through a special microscope that slots neatly around his eye.

[00:10:36] What a beautiful piece you have here, he'll add, and the customer beams.

[00:10:45] Yes, I think I can fix it.

[00:10:49] I'll certainly give it a jolly good try.

[00:10:53] Come back in a few days and I'll let you know, says Mr. Time Love.

[00:10:59] He always fixes them.

[00:11:03] However mangled and broken and shattered and battered a clock may look,

[00:11:09] Mr. Time Love can put it back together and have it tick-tocking away again.

[00:11:15] He gets through the work so quickly,

[00:11:18] but always after dark when the shop is closed and the lights are off

[00:11:23] and only the soft glow of a lamp shines from beneath the closed door at the back

[00:11:29] and people start to wonder how he does it all.

[00:11:34] If anyone asks, Mr. Time Love just smiles

[00:11:38] and draws their attention to the name of the shop

[00:11:41] and the small lettering underneath.

[00:11:46] He will say, clearing his throat,

[00:11:49] It does say Mr. Time Love and Co.

[00:11:53] No, I don't, you know, work entirely alone.

[00:11:59] Which is a perfect explanation.

[00:12:02] Until people in the village start talking in that way people in villages do

[00:12:08] and they realise that they've never, ever seen anyone else go into that room

[00:12:15] right at the back of the shop.

[00:12:18] It becomes something of a joke

[00:12:21] that the clockman must himself lose track of time

[00:12:25] and end up working through the night.

[00:12:28] But there's a feeling that this isn't the whole answer.

[00:12:34] After he's been working in lower starry skies for a few weeks,

[00:12:39] something extraordinary happens.

[00:12:41] Well, it isn't so much the thing that happens, which is extraordinary,

[00:12:47] as the timing of it.

[00:12:49] It's such a strange coincidence.

[00:12:53] There's a clock on the end of the church, you see,

[00:12:56] and everyone always sets their watches by it.

[00:13:01] The clock means the bells know when to chime,

[00:13:04] and these ring out day and night

[00:13:07] to let everyone know where they are in the day

[00:13:10] and what they should be doing now.

[00:13:13] Without the clock and the bells,

[00:13:15] well, the village would be quite lost.

[00:13:19] And that is exactly what happens.

[00:13:23] The clock that has never stopped

[00:13:26] and the bells that have never ceased ringing on the hour,

[00:13:31] every hour,

[00:13:32] suddenly go silent.

[00:13:34] More than that,

[00:13:36] the clock takes it upon itself

[00:13:38] to fall off the wall

[00:13:40] and smash onto the pavement far below,

[00:13:43] breaking into more pieces

[00:13:46] than anyone cares to count.

[00:13:49] Now, that clock has been in place

[00:13:52] for hundreds of years

[00:13:54] and has never missed a beat.

[00:13:59] Isn't it odd

[00:14:00] that it just so happened

[00:14:02] to meet its end

[00:14:04] right when a clockmaker

[00:14:05] had moved into town?

[00:14:08] But that isn't the story.

[00:14:11] That is just a coincidence.

[00:14:13] One of those things that happens in life

[00:14:16] that we sometimes give an awful lot more credit

[00:14:19] than it's due.

[00:14:19] No, the story begins with how on earth,

[00:14:25] short and round,

[00:14:27] neat and tidy Mr. Time Love

[00:14:29] managed to get a clock back up

[00:14:32] onto that church wall.

[00:14:35] He spent ages gathering up all the broken pieces,

[00:14:40] and yes, he did have to count them,

[00:14:42] so he knows there were exactly

[00:14:45] 5,483 pieces of glass and metal and cogs and wheels

[00:14:53] scattered onto the pavement.

[00:14:57] Every single one he placed with care

[00:15:00] into clear bags

[00:15:01] and carried them back to the room

[00:15:03] at the back of his shop,

[00:15:05] where he put them,

[00:15:06] one by one,

[00:15:08] onto his counter

[00:15:09] and started the long process

[00:15:12] of working out which bit went where.

[00:15:16] Of course,

[00:15:17] it would have been easier

[00:15:19] to just make a new clock

[00:15:21] and forget the old one,

[00:15:23] but Mr. Time Love

[00:15:24] is a big believer

[00:15:26] in hanging onto things

[00:15:28] if at all possible.

[00:15:31] There's more than enough stuff

[00:15:34] to go round in the world,

[00:15:36] he says to anyone who listens,

[00:15:38] and I don't like adding to it.

[00:15:42] Make do and mend,

[00:15:44] that's my motto.

[00:15:47] It was a motto handed down

[00:15:49] through his family

[00:15:50] and generations of clockmakers, actually,

[00:15:53] but he claimed it here as his own.

[00:15:56] It took many days and many nights

[00:15:59] for Mr. Time Love

[00:16:00] to piece the church clock back together.

[00:16:04] If you ever look inside the workings

[00:16:07] of a watch or clock,

[00:16:09] you'll see it's terribly complicated,

[00:16:12] with wheels turning one way

[00:16:14] and cogs turning another

[00:16:17] and little hammers

[00:16:19] moving here and there

[00:16:20] to make different bits and bobs happen.

[00:16:24] And once you have it set up,

[00:16:26] you have to check it's running

[00:16:28] at the right speed

[00:16:29] or time will be all out of sorts

[00:16:32] and you'll suddenly find

[00:16:34] it's three in the afternoon

[00:16:35] when really it's three in the morning.

[00:16:39] Nothing works when time is out of order.

[00:16:43] Imagine being sent up to bed

[00:16:46] at eight in the morning by mistake

[00:16:48] or eating your breakfast at tea time

[00:16:51] and going to school

[00:16:53] when the gates are supposed to be closing.

[00:16:56] Life would be very higgledy-piggledy indeed.

[00:17:00] But one day,

[00:17:02] Mr. Time Love emerged from the room

[00:17:04] at the back of his shop

[00:17:05] and finally turned the sign on the door

[00:17:09] from closed to open

[00:17:10] and announced to those who came in

[00:17:13] that his work was finished.

[00:17:16] He just needed to mount the clock

[00:17:19] on the church once more.

[00:17:22] There was quite a gathering that afternoon,

[00:17:25] all waiting outside the church

[00:17:28] to see the clock get reinstalled,

[00:17:30] an order restored to the village.

[00:17:35] Although everyone had their

[00:17:37] perfectly functioning clocks

[00:17:39] and watches in their homes,

[00:17:41] they'd felt out of sorts for days

[00:17:43] without the sound of the bells

[00:17:45] checking in on them every hour

[00:17:47] and without being able to glance up

[00:17:50] at the clock as they went past.

[00:17:53] Mr. Time Love emerged from his shop

[00:17:56] with a ladder

[00:17:57] and carried it down the street.

[00:18:00] He turned and said,

[00:18:01] good afternoon to one lady

[00:18:04] and accidentally swung the ladder

[00:18:07] and knocked the hat off another.

[00:18:09] When he rushed to turn

[00:18:11] and apologize to her,

[00:18:13] the ladder knocked over

[00:18:15] a plant pot behind him.

[00:18:16] By the time he reached the church,

[00:18:20] he'd dislodged three hats,

[00:18:22] four flowerpots,

[00:18:24] and alarmed a cat.

[00:18:26] He leaned the ladder up

[00:18:28] against the church wall

[00:18:29] and slowly, very slowly,

[00:18:33] started climbing it.

[00:18:36] He wasn't a huge fan of heights,

[00:18:39] truth be told,

[00:18:40] and the giddy heights

[00:18:41] of a grandfather clock

[00:18:43] were about as high

[00:18:45] as he ever wanted to go.

[00:18:47] But finally,

[00:18:48] he made it

[00:18:49] to the top of the ladder

[00:18:50] and he reached up

[00:18:52] with his fingertips

[00:18:53] to where the clock

[00:18:55] should hang.

[00:18:57] You may remember

[00:18:59] that Mr. Time Love

[00:19:00] is a very tiny,

[00:19:02] very round sort of man,

[00:19:05] and stretch and try

[00:19:07] as he might,

[00:19:08] closing his eyes

[00:19:10] and telling himself

[00:19:11] not to think

[00:19:12] about the possible fall

[00:19:14] into the lavender bush below.

[00:19:16] He just couldn't reach

[00:19:18] the point

[00:19:18] where the clock

[00:19:19] needed to go.

[00:19:21] He sighed to himself

[00:19:23] and slowly climbed back

[00:19:26] down the ladder,

[00:19:27] the whole village

[00:19:29] watching by now.

[00:19:31] He went back

[00:19:32] through the deep purple door

[00:19:34] of his shop

[00:19:34] and rummaged around,

[00:19:37] coming out a few minutes later

[00:19:39] with some lengths of rope.

[00:19:42] Into the church he went,

[00:19:44] walking round and round

[00:19:47] the tight spiral staircase

[00:19:49] that led to the top

[00:19:50] of the clock tower

[00:19:51] where the bells hang out.

[00:19:54] He brushed past the bells,

[00:19:57] banging them with his belly

[00:19:58] and making them ring

[00:19:59] for the first time in days.

[00:20:03] Finally,

[00:20:05] Mr. Time Love's

[00:20:06] very red and sweaty face

[00:20:08] appeared in the tiny window

[00:20:10] at the top

[00:20:11] and the length of rope

[00:20:13] was slowly lowered

[00:20:14] towards where the clock

[00:20:16] must hang.

[00:20:17] He secured it

[00:20:19] by tying a very complicated

[00:20:21] and very safe knot

[00:20:23] onto one of the big wooden beams,

[00:20:26] but that didn't stop him

[00:20:28] saying a quick prayer

[00:20:29] as he stepped out of the window

[00:20:31] and inched his way

[00:20:33] down the rope

[00:20:34] towards the necessary spot.

[00:20:38] With his legs

[00:20:39] wrapped around the rope

[00:20:41] and his arms

[00:20:42] holding on tight,

[00:20:44] Mr. Time Love

[00:20:46] brought to mind

[00:20:47] a sloth

[00:20:48] hanging onto a tree branch.

[00:20:51] The speed

[00:20:53] at which he moved

[00:20:54] was roughly

[00:20:55] the same too.

[00:20:57] Everyone below

[00:20:58] held their breath,

[00:21:00] waiting

[00:21:01] to see if he would manage it.

[00:21:03] But no,

[00:21:04] the rope

[00:21:05] was too short.

[00:21:08] Mr. Time Love

[00:21:09] inched his way

[00:21:11] back up the rope

[00:21:12] and through

[00:21:13] the tiny window,

[00:21:14] his legs shaking

[00:21:16] a little

[00:21:16] as he wobbled

[00:21:17] his way

[00:21:18] back down

[00:21:18] the spiral stairs

[00:21:20] and out

[00:21:21] into the bright sunshine.

[00:21:24] Don't worry,

[00:21:26] he announced

[00:21:27] to the crowd

[00:21:28] as he emerged.

[00:21:29] I have a plan.

[00:21:32] The

[00:21:32] and co

[00:21:34] of the shop

[00:21:35] will play

[00:21:36] their part

[00:21:37] in this one.

[00:21:38] I'll get them

[00:21:39] right on it

[00:21:40] later tonight.

[00:21:42] Nobody in the village

[00:21:44] really believed

[00:21:45] the

[00:21:46] and co

[00:21:47] existed.

[00:21:48] And most

[00:21:50] of them

[00:21:50] were determined

[00:21:51] to stay

[00:21:52] and see

[00:21:52] what happened.

[00:21:54] But

[00:21:55] one by one

[00:21:56] they slowly

[00:21:57] went home,

[00:21:58] drawn away

[00:21:59] by the promise

[00:22:00] of warm

[00:22:01] dinners

[00:22:02] and soft

[00:22:03] beds

[00:22:04] and peaceful

[00:22:05] sleeps

[00:22:06] and magical

[00:22:08] dreams.

[00:22:10] If the clock

[00:22:11] had been able

[00:22:11] to strike midnight,

[00:22:13] then it would

[00:22:13] have done so

[00:22:14] at exactly

[00:22:15] the moment

[00:22:16] Mr. Time Love

[00:22:17] returned.

[00:22:19] behind him

[00:22:20] on the pavement,

[00:22:22] the clock

[00:22:22] seemed to move

[00:22:23] by itself.

[00:22:25] Had anyone

[00:22:26] been around

[00:22:27] to watch,

[00:22:28] they would

[00:22:28] have seen

[00:22:29] that four

[00:22:30] tiny mice

[00:22:31] were carrying

[00:22:32] the clock,

[00:22:33] arms stretched

[00:22:35] above their heads,

[00:22:36] teachering forwards

[00:22:38] as quickly

[00:22:39] as they could.

[00:22:41] as they reached

[00:22:42] the church,

[00:22:43] they lowered

[00:22:44] the clock

[00:22:45] and each

[00:22:45] took a corner

[00:22:46] of it

[00:22:47] in their teeth.

[00:22:48] Then,

[00:22:49] scuttling up

[00:22:50] the wall

[00:22:51] of the building

[00:22:52] as if it

[00:22:53] was as easy

[00:22:54] as walking

[00:22:55] on flat ground,

[00:22:56] they carried

[00:22:57] the clock

[00:22:58] up to the

[00:22:59] rightful place.

[00:23:01] Mr. Time Love

[00:23:03] stood back

[00:23:04] a bit

[00:23:04] and waved

[00:23:05] his arms

[00:23:06] this way

[00:23:07] and that,

[00:23:08] indicating

[00:23:09] if the clock

[00:23:10] needed to go

[00:23:11] up or down

[00:23:13] and then

[00:23:14] realising

[00:23:14] it was

[00:23:15] completely

[00:23:15] upside down

[00:23:16] and asking

[00:23:17] them to

[00:23:18] spin it

[00:23:19] so that

[00:23:20] the twelve

[00:23:20] was where

[00:23:21] it should

[00:23:21] be,

[00:23:22] at the top

[00:23:23] and the

[00:23:24] six

[00:23:25] was where

[00:23:26] it needed

[00:23:26] to be,

[00:23:27] at the bottom

[00:23:28] and the mice

[00:23:29] did as they

[00:23:30] were told.

[00:23:32] From tiny

[00:23:33] satchels

[00:23:33] they took

[00:23:34] it in turns

[00:23:35] to remove

[00:23:36] screws

[00:23:36] and slowly

[00:23:38] but surely

[00:23:39] fixed the

[00:23:40] clock

[00:23:40] in place

[00:23:41] just where

[00:23:42] it needed

[00:23:43] to be.

[00:23:45] The clock

[00:23:46] maker

[00:23:46] and his

[00:23:47] army of

[00:23:47] mice

[00:23:48] headed back

[00:23:49] to the

[00:23:49] shop

[00:23:49] to celebrate

[00:23:51] with wine

[00:23:52] for him.

[00:23:53] And cheese

[00:23:54] for them.

[00:23:55] It was

[00:23:56] another job

[00:23:57] well done.

[00:23:59] You might

[00:24:00] be surprised

[00:24:01] to hear

[00:24:02] that Mr.

[00:24:03] Time Love's

[00:24:03] assistants

[00:24:04] are a small

[00:24:05] family of

[00:24:06] mice.

[00:24:07] But it

[00:24:08] really isn't

[00:24:09] that strange.

[00:24:10] Have you

[00:24:11] ever heard

[00:24:11] the nursery

[00:24:12] rhyme

[00:24:13] Hickory

[00:24:13] Dickory

[00:24:14] Dock?

[00:24:15] I'm sure

[00:24:16] it must

[00:24:16] be familiar

[00:24:17] to you.

[00:24:19] Hickory

[00:24:20] Dickory

[00:24:20] Dock

[00:24:21] The mouse

[00:24:22] ran up

[00:24:23] the clock

[00:24:24] The clock

[00:24:26] struck one

[00:24:26] The mouse

[00:24:28] ran down

[00:24:29] Hickory

[00:24:30] Dickory

[00:24:31] Dock

[00:24:33] Did you

[00:24:34] never think

[00:24:34] it funny

[00:24:35] that the mouse

[00:24:37] ran up

[00:24:37] and then

[00:24:38] the clock

[00:24:39] struck the hour?

[00:24:41] It was a very

[00:24:43] old clock

[00:24:43] the mouse

[00:24:44] was running up

[00:24:45] and it had

[00:24:46] become so tired

[00:24:48] it no longer

[00:24:48] knew how

[00:24:49] to run

[00:24:50] so the mouse

[00:24:52] would make

[00:24:52] sure it

[00:24:53] did what

[00:24:54] it needed

[00:24:55] to on

[00:24:55] time.

[00:24:57] Mice are

[00:24:58] in fact

[00:24:59] excellent

[00:25:00] clockmakers

[00:25:01] and clock

[00:25:02] fixers

[00:25:03] and general

[00:25:04] clock experts.

[00:25:06] This has been

[00:25:07] known by the

[00:25:08] Time Love

[00:25:08] family for

[00:25:09] generations

[00:25:10] and they've

[00:25:12] never worked

[00:25:13] alone

[00:25:13] always

[00:25:14] passing this

[00:25:16] not so

[00:25:17] secret secret

[00:25:18] onto the

[00:25:19] next person

[00:25:20] who takes

[00:25:21] over the

[00:25:22] clock business.

[00:25:24] As it

[00:25:25] happens

[00:25:26] one person

[00:25:28] did see

[00:25:28] the mice

[00:25:29] and word

[00:25:30] soon got

[00:25:31] around the

[00:25:31] village.

[00:25:33] It was a

[00:25:34] little girl

[00:25:35] called Sandra

[00:25:36] who had

[00:25:37] dared to

[00:25:37] sneak out

[00:25:38] of her

[00:25:39] bedroom

[00:25:39] and hide

[00:25:40] in the

[00:25:40] largest

[00:25:41] of the

[00:25:41] lavender

[00:25:42] bushes

[00:25:42] alongside

[00:25:43] the

[00:25:44] church.

[00:25:45] She had

[00:25:46] a strange

[00:25:47] feeling that

[00:25:48] something would

[00:25:49] happen at

[00:25:50] exactly midnight

[00:25:51] and so

[00:25:52] she had set

[00:25:54] her clock

[00:25:54] one that

[00:25:55] looked like

[00:25:56] a large

[00:25:56] mouse with

[00:25:57] a bell

[00:25:58] that banged

[00:25:58] between its

[00:25:59] ears

[00:25:59] to wake

[00:26:00] up at

[00:26:01] five minutes

[00:26:02] to midnight.

[00:26:03] The family

[00:26:05] cat

[00:26:05] Tinkerbell

[00:26:06] had raised

[00:26:07] an eyebrow

[00:26:08] as Sandra

[00:26:09] tiptoed

[00:26:09] down the

[00:26:10] stairs

[00:26:10] and she

[00:26:11] had gone

[00:26:12] along with

[00:26:12] her to

[00:26:13] see that

[00:26:13] she was

[00:26:14] all right.

[00:26:16] Sandra

[00:26:16] told her

[00:26:17] parents at

[00:26:18] breakfast

[00:26:18] what she'd

[00:26:20] seen

[00:26:20] and Tinkerbell

[00:26:22] nodded in

[00:26:23] agreement

[00:26:23] in the

[00:26:23] background

[00:26:24] but her

[00:26:26] parents

[00:26:26] didn't

[00:26:27] really

[00:26:27] believe

[00:26:27] her.

[00:26:29] Sandra

[00:26:30] told her

[00:26:30] friends

[00:26:31] at

[00:26:31] school

[00:26:31] but they

[00:26:33] didn't

[00:26:34] really

[00:26:34] believe

[00:26:34] her

[00:26:35] either.

[00:26:36] She

[00:26:39] and

[00:26:39] the

[00:26:39] man

[00:26:40] in

[00:26:40] the

[00:26:40] bookshop

[00:26:41] and

[00:26:42] nobody

[00:26:42] wanted

[00:26:43] to

[00:26:43] believe

[00:26:43] her.

[00:26:44] The

[00:26:45] only

[00:26:45] one

[00:26:46] that

[00:26:46] did

[00:26:46] was

[00:26:47] Aunt

[00:26:47] Tilly

[00:26:47] whose

[00:26:49] eyes

[00:26:49] sparkled

[00:26:50] when she

[00:26:50] heard

[00:26:51] Sandra's

[00:26:52] story

[00:26:52] and she

[00:26:53] said

[00:26:53] oh

[00:26:54] how

[00:26:55] very

[00:26:56] wonderful

[00:26:57] my dear

[00:26:58] and clapped

[00:26:59] her hands

[00:27:00] together.

[00:27:02] Since

[00:27:03] Aunt

[00:27:03] Tilly

[00:27:03] started

[00:27:04] telling

[00:27:04] everyone

[00:27:05] about

[00:27:05] the

[00:27:06] mice

[00:27:06] and

[00:27:06] the

[00:27:07] clock

[00:27:07] and

[00:27:08] since

[00:27:08] Aunt

[00:27:09] Tilly

[00:27:09] is

[00:27:10] the

[00:27:10] sort

[00:27:10] of

[00:27:10] person

[00:27:11] you

[00:27:11] automatically

[00:27:12] believe

[00:27:12] everyone

[00:27:14] soon

[00:27:14] knew

[00:27:15] for sure

[00:27:16] for

[00:27:17] sure

[00:27:17] that

[00:27:18] mice

[00:27:19] worked

[00:27:20] with

[00:27:20] Mr.

[00:27:21] Time

[00:27:21] Love.

[00:27:22] Sandra

[00:27:23] spent a

[00:27:24] few days

[00:27:25] feeling a

[00:27:25] little

[00:27:26] annoyed

[00:27:26] that

[00:27:26] nobody

[00:27:27] believed

[00:27:27] her

[00:27:28] but

[00:27:29] she

[00:27:29] supposed

[00:27:29] that

[00:27:30] it

[00:27:30] might

[00:27:31] have

[00:27:31] been

[00:27:31] because

[00:27:32] she

[00:27:32] once

[00:27:32] tried

[00:27:33] to

[00:27:33] convince

[00:27:34] everyone

[00:27:34] that

[00:27:34] she

[00:27:35] could

[00:27:35] fly

[00:27:36] and

[00:27:37] on

[00:27:37] another

[00:27:38] time

[00:27:38] she'd

[00:27:38] said

[00:27:38] she

[00:27:39] could

[00:27:39] run

[00:27:39] as

[00:27:39] fast

[00:27:40] as

[00:27:40] a

[00:27:40] cheater

[00:27:41] if

[00:27:41] she

[00:27:41] chose

[00:27:42] to

[00:27:42] which

[00:27:43] she

[00:27:43] didn't

[00:27:44] it's

[00:27:45] probably

[00:27:45] best

[00:27:46] not

[00:27:46] to

[00:27:47] tell

[00:27:47] lies

[00:27:47] she

[00:27:48] told

[00:27:48] herself

[00:27:49] or

[00:27:50] it's

[00:27:50] hard

[00:27:50] for

[00:27:51] anyone

[00:27:51] to

[00:27:51] believe

[00:27:52] you

[00:27:52] when

[00:27:52] you

[00:27:53] do

[00:27:53] tell

[00:27:53] the

[00:27:53] truth

[00:27:54] however

[00:27:55] crazy

[00:27:56] and

[00:27:56] improbable

[00:27:57] the

[00:27:57] truth

[00:27:57] might

[00:27:58] be

[00:27:59] now

[00:28:00] that

[00:28:00] the

[00:28:01] secret

[00:28:01] was

[00:28:01] out

[00:28:02] people

[00:28:03] started

[00:28:04] seeing

[00:28:04] the

[00:28:05] mice

[00:28:05] in

[00:28:05] rise

[00:28:06] and

[00:28:06] chime

[00:28:06] they'd

[00:28:08] always

[00:28:08] been

[00:28:08] there

[00:28:09] working

[00:28:10] away

[00:28:10] getting

[00:28:11] cogs

[00:29:44] wings

[00:29:44] and

[00:29:45] a

[00:29:45] flash

[00:29:46] of

[00:29:46] gold

[00:29:46] on

[00:29:46] its

[00:29:46] chest

[00:29:47] appeared

[00:29:48] almost

[00:29:48] immediately

[00:29:49] and

[00:29:50] came

[00:29:51] to

[00:29:51] Mr.

[00:29:51] Time

[00:29:52] Love's

[00:29:52] aid

[00:29:53] he

[00:29:54] installed

[00:29:55] himself

[00:29:55] in the

[00:29:56] clock

[00:29:56] and

[00:29:57] on

[00:29:57] the

[00:29:58] hour

[00:29:58] every

[00:29:59] hour

[00:29:59] one

[00:30:00] of

[00:30:00] the

[00:30:00] mice

[00:30:01] rushed

[00:30:02] inside

[00:30:02] the

[00:30:03] clock

[00:30:03] and

[00:30:04] tapped

[00:30:04] the

[00:30:04] dozing

[00:30:05] cuckoo

[00:30:06] on

[00:30:06] his

[00:30:06] shoulder

[00:30:06] and

[00:30:08] he

[00:30:08] immediately

[00:30:09] popped

[00:30:10] his head

[00:30:10] out

[00:30:10] the

[00:30:11] right

[00:30:11] number

[00:30:11] of

[00:30:12] times

[00:30:12] and

[00:30:13] called

[00:30:14] out

[00:30:14] cuckoo

[00:30:15] each

[00:30:16] time

[00:30:17] he

[00:30:18] was

[00:30:18] in

[00:30:19] there

[00:30:19] for

[00:30:19] nearly

[00:30:20] a

[00:30:20] month

[00:30:20] before

[00:30:21] Bo

[00:30:21] was

[00:30:22] in

[00:30:22] the

[00:30:22] shop

[00:30:22] looking

[00:30:23] out

[00:30:24] for

[00:30:24] a

[00:30:24] clock

[00:30:24] that

[00:30:25] made

[00:30:25] no

[00:30:26] sounds

[00:30:26] at

[00:30:26] all

[00:30:27] because

[00:30:28] that

[00:30:28] is

[00:30:28] how

[00:30:28] he

[00:30:29] liked

[00:30:29] them

[00:30:29] best

[00:30:31] Bo

[00:30:32] was

[00:30:32] slowly

[00:30:33] turning

[00:30:34] a

[00:30:34] sundial

[00:30:35] over

[00:30:35] in

[00:30:35] his

[00:30:35] hands

[00:30:36] wondering

[00:30:37] if

[00:30:38] that

[00:30:38] was

[00:30:38] the

[00:30:38] answer

[00:30:39] to

[00:30:39] his

[00:30:39] problems

[00:30:40] when

[00:30:41] right

[00:30:42] by

[00:30:42] his

[00:30:42] ear

[00:30:43] a

[00:30:43] cuckoo

[00:30:44] suddenly

[00:30:45] blurted

[00:30:46] out

[00:30:46] its

[00:30:46] call

[00:30:47] four

[00:30:48] times

[00:30:48] in

[00:30:49] a

[00:30:49] row

[00:30:50] Bo

[00:30:51] almost

[00:30:52] dropped

[00:30:52] the

[00:30:53] sundial

[00:30:53] he

[00:30:54] was

[00:30:54] so

[00:30:54] surprised

[00:30:55] by

[00:30:55] the

[00:30:56] sound

[00:30:56] he

[00:30:58] turned

[00:30:58] his

[00:30:58] head

[00:30:59] just

[00:30:59] in

[00:31:00] time

[00:31:00] to

[00:31:01] catch

[00:31:01] the

[00:31:02] cuckoo's

[00:31:02] eye

[00:31:03] who

[00:31:04] disappeared

[00:31:04] back

[00:31:05] inside

[00:31:05] with

[00:31:06] a

[00:31:06] wink

[00:31:06] and

[00:31:07] a

[00:31:07] smile

[00:31:09] Bo

[00:31:10] spent

[00:31:10] the

[00:31:11] next

[00:31:11] hour

[00:31:12] pretending

[00:31:13] to be

[00:31:13] terribly

[00:31:14] interested

[00:31:15] in

[00:31:15] every

[00:31:16] clock

[00:31:16] in

[00:31:17] rise

[00:31:17] and

[00:31:17] chime

[00:31:18] when

[00:31:19] it

[00:31:20] reached

[00:31:20] five

[00:31:21] o'clock

[00:31:21] he

[00:31:22] faced

[00:31:22] the

[00:31:23] cuckoo

[00:31:23] clock

[00:31:23] and

[00:31:24] waited

[00:31:26] out

[00:31:27] the

[00:31:27] green

[00:31:28] headed

[00:31:28] gold

[00:31:29] chested

[00:31:30] cuckoo

[00:31:30] came

[00:31:31] five

[00:31:32] times

[00:31:33] in a

[00:31:33] row

[00:31:33] each

[00:31:37] different

[00:31:37] direction

[00:31:38] and

[00:31:39] winking

[00:31:39] at

[00:31:40] Bo

[00:31:40] who

[00:31:40] stood

[00:31:41] there

[00:31:41] giggling

[00:31:42] if

[00:31:45] you

[00:31:45] walk

[00:31:45] through

[00:31:46] lower

[00:31:46] starry

[00:31:46] skies

[00:31:47] in

[00:31:47] the

[00:31:47] night

[00:31:48] you'll

[00:31:49] see

[00:31:49] all

[00:31:49] the

[00:31:49] shop

[00:31:49] windows

[00:31:50] lit

[00:31:51] by

[00:31:51] rows

[00:31:52] of

[00:31:52] fairy

[00:31:52] lights

[00:31:54] there

[00:31:54] are

[00:31:55] cakes

[00:31:55] in

[00:31:55] the

[00:31:56] window

[00:31:56] of

[00:31:56] the

[00:31:56] dimpled

[00:31:57] dumpling

[00:31:57] and

[00:31:58] piles

[00:31:59] of

[00:31:59] soft

[00:32:00] warm

[00:32:00] wool

[00:32:01] rolled

[00:32:02] into

[00:32:02] balls

[00:32:03] in

[00:32:03] where

[00:32:04] there's

[00:32:04] a

[00:32:04] wool

[00:32:05] there's

[00:32:05] a

[00:32:05] way

[00:32:06] in

[00:32:07] the

[00:32:07] window

[00:32:08] of

[00:32:08] the

[00:32:08] bookshop

[00:32:09] called

[00:32:09] neither

[00:32:10] up

[00:32:10] nor

[00:32:11] down

[00:32:11] you'll

[00:32:12] have

[00:32:12] to

[00:32:12] peer

[00:32:13] right

[00:32:13] into

[00:32:14] the

[00:32:14] shop

[00:32:14] to

[00:32:15] see

[00:32:15] the

[00:32:15] books

[00:32:16] all

[00:32:16] gathered

[00:32:16] around

[00:32:17] the

[00:32:17] fireplace

[00:32:18] reading

[00:32:19] out

[00:32:19] their

[00:32:19] stories

[00:32:20] to

[00:32:20] each

[00:32:20] other

[00:32:22] and

[00:32:22] in

[00:32:23] the

[00:32:23] window

[00:32:23] of

[00:32:24] rise

[00:32:24] and

[00:32:25] chime

[00:32:25] you'll

[00:32:26] see

[00:32:27] rows

[00:32:27] and

[00:32:28] rows

[00:32:28] of

[00:32:29] gleaming

[00:32:30] clocks

[00:32:31] in

[00:32:32] all

[00:32:32] shapes

[00:32:33] and

[00:32:34] sizes

[00:32:34] but

[00:32:36] right

[00:32:36] at

[00:32:36] the

[00:32:36] back

[00:32:37] there

[00:32:38] is

[00:32:38] a

[00:32:38] door

[00:32:38] under

[00:32:39] which

[00:32:40] the

[00:32:40] soft

[00:32:41] glow

[00:32:41] of

[00:32:42] a

[00:32:42] lamp

[00:32:42] appears

[00:32:44] it's

[00:32:45] the

[00:32:45] only

[00:32:45] shop

[00:32:45] where

[00:32:46] a

[00:32:46] light

[00:32:47] remains

[00:32:47] on

[00:32:48] throughout

[00:32:48] the

[00:32:48] night

[00:32:50] and

[00:32:50] if

[00:32:52] you

[00:32:52] were

[00:32:52] to

[00:33:01] and

[00:33:01] four

[00:33:01] white

[00:33:02] mice

[00:33:02] sat

[00:33:03] by

[00:33:04] his

[00:33:04] side

[00:33:04] all

[00:33:06] of

[00:33:06] them

[00:33:07] polishing

[00:33:08] cogs

[00:33:09] and

[00:33:09] wheels

[00:33:10] until

[00:33:11] they

[00:33:11] gleam

[00:33:12] by

[00:33:12] the

[00:33:12] light

[00:33:13] of

[00:33:13] the

[00:33:13] moon

[00:33:13] that

[00:33:14] sweeps

[00:33:15] in

[00:33:15] through

[00:33:16] the

[00:33:16] window

[00:33:16] above

[00:33:18] we'll

[00:33:19] leave

[00:33:20] them

[00:33:20] there

[00:33:21] fixing

[00:33:22] the

[00:33:23] watches

[00:33:23] and

[00:33:24] the

[00:33:24] clocks

[00:33:25] and

[00:33:26] go

[00:33:26] and

[00:33:27] stand

[00:33:27] and

[00:33:28] look

[00:33:28] at

[00:33:32] a

[00:33:32] scent

[00:33:33] of

[00:33:33] lavender

[00:33:34] fills

[00:33:34] the

[00:33:34] air

[00:33:35] and

[00:33:36] trees

[00:33:37] rustle

[00:33:38] their

[00:33:38] leaves

[00:33:39] in

[00:33:39] the

[00:33:39] warm

[00:33:40] breeze

[00:33:40] of

[00:33:41] the

[00:33:41] night

[00:33:41] and

[00:33:43] slowly

[00:33:44] but

[00:33:45] surely

[00:33:45] on

[00:33:47] the

[00:33:47] hour

[00:33:47] and

[00:33:48] every

[00:33:49] hour

[00:33:49] the

[00:33:50] bells

[00:33:51] ring

[00:33:52] gently

[00:33:52] into

[00:33:53] the

[00:33:53] dark

[00:33:54] of

[00:33:54] the

[00:33:54] night

[00:33:54] sending

[00:33:56] out

[00:33:57] the

[00:34:02] time

[00:34:02] to

[00:34:03] be

[00:34:03] asleep

[00:34:03] time

[00:34:05] to

[00:34:06] be

[00:34:06] wrapped

[00:34:07] up

[00:34:07] warm

[00:34:08] and

[00:34:08] cozy

[00:34:09] in

[00:34:09] bed

[00:34:10] and

[00:34:11] dreaming

[00:34:11] dreams

[00:34:12] of

[00:34:13] all

[00:34:14] the

[00:34:14] magic

[00:34:15] yet

[00:34:15] to

[00:34:16] be

[00:34:16] found

[00:34:16] in

[00:34:17] the

[00:34:17] world