A Lovely Maileg Bedtime Story to Delight Young Children

Welcome to A Lovely Maileg Bedtime Story to Delight Young Children.

This is a tale written for children who love to hear about the secret lives of bunnies, rabbits, mice and little dinosaurs.

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Once upon a time there was a little bunny called Bobbin.

Bobbin loved to play hide and seek with her friends – some playful mice, some very loud rabbits, more beautiful bunnies, dinosaurs and a very sweet baby Rhinoceros called Oli.

One day the friends decided to play a game of hide and seek inside the home that belonged to Mrs A.Pickle-Bottom.

To begin, the friends each picked a carrot. The friend who picked the shortest carrot would be the seeker.

Wilbur Rabbit, a sailor rabbit, drew the shortest carrot (although we suspect he may have secretly nibbled his carrot to make it shorter, what do you think?)

Wilbur loved carrots. He also loved to count. He began to count very loudly.

“1 … 2… 3… 4… 5…

All the friends scrambled around the house giggling and shrieking, looking for the best place to hide.

They hid in in baskets, prams and mini luggies. They hid behind star cushions. The triplets hid in a match box. The Big Sister Mouse and her Little  Sister and hid in their bed under the blankets. The baby dinosaurs hid in their eggs.

Bobbin Bunny found a super hiding spot. She climbed inside Mrs Pickle-Bottom’s old brown suitcase. It was so cosy and dark, like her burrow, that she quickly fell asleep.

 

“6… 7… 8… 9… 10…

“Coming, ready or not,” shouted Wilbur, extra loudly.

Then, peculiarly, he stood still and silent. His ears twitched this way and that.

Wilbur was a clever Rabbit. He knew if he was quiet he would hear his friends giggling and whispering.

“Tee hee,” laughed Little Brother Mouse. He was the first to be found.

“Shhh, I think he’s coming,” said a little sister mouse to her big sister.

Wilbur crept up to the sounds. “Ha!” he shouted.

“Aaaah,” shrieked the friends. And they ran out of their hiding spots to gather for a party.

Wilbur looked behind cotton reels, finding more friends. In a pram, in chari bags and in teepees.

“Found you!” Wilbur yelled. “Aaaah,” screamed the friends

All the friends gathered for the party to munch on macaroons and little cakes, cheeses and baguettes.

Except for Bobbin.

During the game, Mrs Pickle-Bottom had been doing a massive Spring clean around the house.

She grabbed the old brown suitcase. It was the perfect thing to sell at an old market when she was able to get out of the house.

She put it rather roughly out near the door.

Bobbin awoke with a thump. She tried to open the case but it was jammed shut.

She grew frightened and began to cry.

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Wilbur loved counting. And he counted his friends at the party.

“1 … 2… 3… 4… 5… 6 … 7… 8… 9… 10 … someone was missing.

“Where is Bobbin?” he shouted. All friends looked up startled.

“Where is Bobbin? a little panda started to cry, dropping little pandery tears into the party food.

“There, there,” Baby Oli said kindly. “We’ll find her. She can’t have gone far.”

Wilbur asked everyone to be still and silent. Wilbur was a clever rabbit. He knew if they sat quietly it would help him work out how to solve problems, like how to find his friend Bobbin Bunny.

His ears twitched this way and that.

They all looked at each other. Big Rose began to giggle.

“Ssssh!” The friends hushed.

Then, very softly, they heard the whimpering of a little bunny.

“It’s coming from the suitcase.”

They all listened.

Being the biggest, Jack Rabbit pried it open.

There inside was Bobbin. Looking very sorry for herself.

‘Oh,” she cried. “I thought I was going to be tossed out.”

The friends gave her a big hug and ran back to the party to munch on macrons, tea cakes (some tasting like Panda tears), cheeses and baguettes.

But Wilbur sat for a moment silently nibbling his carrot. Then he laughed.

For, despite having a very loud voice, he knew that it was in the quiet moments that he was a very clever rabbit.

The end.

How to Play Hide and Seek

This lovely game can be played with two friends or more.

One friend closes their eyes and counts to 10 or 20 – the number is up to you.

The friend begins counting and all the others in the game hide.

When the friend has finished counting they call out: ‘Ready or Not, Here I Come’ and begins to search for the hidden friends.

When all the friends have been found the game is over.