Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime a dream. Koko and Kira go to a Swifty concert by Luke Prendergast. Deep in the heart of a faraway forest stood a cosy wooden cabin. Inside the cabin lived a family of koalas. Koko the koala lived with his mum and his dad, his grandma and his granddad. Up until recently that had been the whole family and he was the youngest member of it. But a few months ago his parents
had announced a truly exciting surprise. There was to be a new member joining the family and soon enough Kira the panda arrived, Koko 's adopted little sister. Ever since then Koko and Kira had been having a whale of a time getting to know each other. Koko introduced Kira to his two best friends Camo the Chameleon and Prickles the Hedgehog and the four of them loved hanging out and playing in sleepy forest together. Koko thought it was a very interesting thing indeed to gain a little sister beca
use you found out just how much you had in common. Both he and Kira loved blueberry muffins for example and they both had great fun climbing trees and they both liked the way the tree bark in the forest smelled after a good long rain. There were other things they didn't have in common of course. Kira's absolute favourite colour in the world was purple for example while Koko's was blue and while Koko liked to get up quite early in the morning. Just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, it ofte
n seemed like Kira could sleep forever. Koko was always having to go and drag her out of bed by her paws. But Koko often thought to himself that he enjoyed discovering the things he and Kira didn't have in common more than the things they did. Without Kira, for example, Koko would never have tasted bamboo pancakes, which were, it turned out, completely delicious. And he also would never have heard about Swifty. And that would have been a real shame. Swifty was Kira's favourite singer in the whol
e entire world. When Kira arrived, she brought with her a purple MP3 player, and she would listen to music on it with a pair of bright purple earphones.
and dance around her room. What are you listening to on that all the time? Koko asked her one afternoon. Swifty, she said simply, as though that explained it. Koko raised an eyebrow. Who's Swifty? He asked. Kira stopped her dancing and took out one of her earphones. You mean, you don't know who Swifty is? She asked him a look of shock on her fac
e. Koko shook his head, nope. She's only the coolest singer in the world, Kira cried. Look. And from under her bed, Kira pulled a rolled up poster. She unfurled it and lay it flat on the ground. And then, as she and Koko stood looking down at it, she said, that's Swifty. The poster showed a golden bird with lustrous golden feathers and a big mass of curly blonde hair on her head. She was wearing a long dress with lots of sparkly sequins on it, sequins of every color of the rainbow. And in her ha
nd, she held a microphone. Just from one look, Koko could tell she was fabulous. Can I have a listen to some of her music with you? Koko asked Kira, for some reason, feeling a little shy. But Kira just threw her arms around him. Of course you can, she cried. Now, there was nothing that Koko and Kira liked doing more than putting Swifty on the radio and dancing around the cabin together. They stuck the poster of Swifty on the wall. They sang her songs in the shower. One evening, they even played
her to their granddad, who sat in his old armchair listening for a few moments before getting up and boogying around the room with them. Well, he said, grooving and jiving to the music. I have to admit, this Swifty is pretty good. Listening to Swifty together brought Coco and Kira closer than ever before. Coco was so glad that he had something he could bond with his little sister over. Staying up late, listening to the music and singing songs together as they strolled around Sleepy Forest. They
agreed that there was nothing they'd wish for more than the chance to meet Swifty in person. That would be a dream come true, Kira sighed. One afternoon, when Coco and Kira came home from a day of working hard at Sleepy Forest Elementary School, their granddad was waiting in the cabin for them. Come on, you two, he said. I've got a surprise for you. Coco and Kira exchanged a wide -eyed stare. They wondered what on earth the surprise could be. Their granddad pulled an envelope out of his pocket a
nd handed it to them. Open that, he said, and see. Coco said that Kira should open it and so she took a claw and slipped it under the seal. She tore open the paper, poured out its contents and gave a big squeal of delight. Its swifty tickets, she shouted, showing Coco the slips of paper in her hand. She's coming to sing in Sleepy Forest and the concert is tomorrow. Coco and Kira were both so overcome with joy and gratitude that they ran up to their granddad and threw their arms around him. Thank
you, they said. Thank you, thank you. That night, they were so excited that they didn't want to go to bed. They sat in their room, listening to swifty songs and discussing all their predictions about what would happen at the show tomorrow. Which songs would she sing? What instruments would she play? And would she do her famous concert move, spreading her big golden wings out wide and soaring through the air, swooping over the entire crowd as she sang her. her final number. In the end, their mum
had to come into their bedroom and insist that they go to bed. She switched off the radio, tucked them both in and gave them each a kiss on their furry foreheads. The sooner you get to sleep, she told them, the sooner tomorrow will come. And that means the sooner you'll get to the concert. While neither Coco nor Kira could argue with that, their mum certainly was very wise. The next day they had to concentrate very hard on their lessons and try very hard not to think about the concert that even
ing. They did their times tables and they did their spelling tests and they tried not to look at the clock. and count down the minutes until the big event. When the bell finally rang, signaling that it was the end of the day at Sleepy Forest Elementary School, Coco and Kira practically sprinted back home. There was so much they needed to do before the concert, and the most important thing of all, of course, was deciding what to wear. Coco and Kira emptied out their wardrobes, sifting through all
their clothes, trying to choose the perfect outfit. They tried all sorts of things on. Shirts and dresses, skirts and scarves, top hats and bowling caps, baggy tees and cowboy boots. At last, Kira decided that she was going to wear her all -time favourite outfit, a sparkly purple dress with matching sparkly pumps, and she tied a big purple bow in her hair, too. That's perfect, Kira, Coco told her. You definitely chose the right outfit. In the end, Coco chose a blue t -shirt for himself, covered
in a pattern of flying birds. He put on his favourite pair of trainers, too, and a bright blue baseball cap. All set, he said. How do I look? Kira looked at her brother's outfit. Pretty cool, she said. When they went into the kitchen, they were surprised to find that their granddad had dressed up for the concert, too. He was wearing a bright golden waistcoat, covered in sequins, and he wore a black top hat and a pair of shiny black shoes. What do you reckon, kids? He said. I'm pretty trendy for
an old koala, aren't I? Very trendy, Grandad. Coco and Kira agreed. And so, making sure that they had their tickets secured safely in their pockets, Coco, Kira and their Grandads set off across Sleepy Forest. The concert was to take place in a clearing beside Sleepy River where a large stage had been set up especially for Swiftie's arrival. As the three of them approached it, they saw a large crowd gathering outside it. There must have been hundreds of animals there, all different kinds of crea
tures from across Sleepy Forest. They could see bears and tigers, birds and bumblebees. There was even a family of elephants wearing matching pink trousers. There's so many different people here," Coco said, looking around him. Yes, Kira agreed, but we've all got one thing in common. We're all here to see Swiftie. Coco looked at his little sister and smiled at what she'd said. She was absolutely right. Even though everyone here was different from each other, they all had things in common too. Co
co, Kira and their granddad joined the Kewa fans waiting to get into the concert, and before long they'd reached the front. They showed their tickets to the pelican in a blue uniform who inspected them and gave them a big, beaky smile. A welcome to the Swiftie tour, he said. Carry on straight forward, please. They passed through a low wooden tunnel, and when they reached the clearing for the arena, all three of them clapped their paws to their mouths. What an extraordinary sight. The clearing by
the river had been completely transformed. A large stage had been set up by the water's edge, and on either side of it, two huge banners of Swiftie herself were smiling down on them, with her big blue eyes, her curly locks, her golden feathers. The stage in the trees all around it were slung with twinkling fairy lights, and there were big stacks of speakers on the stage. In front of the stage, the crowd gathered on a huge grassy area. Some were eating, some were singing, some were hopping from
foot to foot in excited anticipation. Some sat on deck chairs, while others sat in circles on the grass, drinking fruit juices. and eating veggie dogs wrapped up in paper. What a big crowd, granddad said. This Wifty sure does have a lot of fans. He glanced around the arena and saw over to the side an area where food and drink was being served. We better get some grubbing before the main event, he said. What do you guys think? Coco and Kira wholeheartedly agreed. In fact, their stomachs were alre
ady gurgling. They made their way over to the food area, stepping over picnic blankets, picking their way through other fans. Every creature they passed gave them a glowing smile and waved and said hello or asked them if they were excited for the show. They even saw one grinning giraffe, dressed up as Swifty herself. in a blonde curly wig and a spangly dress. The giraffe gave them a big friendly wave. They couldn't believe just how friendly everyone was. For a few minutes they stood in front of
the food stands deciding what to order. Everything looked so delicious. Then Coco spotted a particular sign above a stall. Bamboo pancakes, he called out in joy. That's just what I want. At the same time, Kira spotted something she wanted. Oh yeah, she cried. They've got Yooka Lipta's curry. Coco and Kira looked at each other in surprise and delight. What a funny topsy -turvy world it had become. A koala eating bamboo pancakes while a panda bear ate Yooka Lipta's curry. The sun was dipping low i
n the sky, turning all the leaves of the trees dazzling reds and browns. Just as they were finishing off their delicious dinner, there was a rumble from the speakers. The show was about to begin. Coco, Kira, and their granddad went and took up their positions and watched as the lights on the stage began to flicker and flash. Kira felt excitement fizzing around her stomach like she'd drunk too much pop. She'd been waiting for this moment for so long. She took hold of her brother's hand and gave i
t a squeeze. "'I'm too excited,' she said. "'Me too,' Coco said. "'A single guitar' cord was strung. It echoed around the sleepy forest arena. Then, out of nowhere, Swiftie herself swooped onto the stage and the crowd let out a roar of cheers and applause. Swiftie sang. Swiftie danced. Swiftie soared. And Coco and Kira and their granddads sang and danced too, bopping their hips to the music, singing the words of all the songs. She was even better than they could have imagined. The minutes flew b
y as she played all her best numbers, opening her golden wings wide to give the audience an air hug and strutting and boogying across the stage. People in the audience passed out friendship bracelets made of beads spelling out things like I heart Swifty. All too soon, Swifty gave a toss of her tangly golden locks and said, thank you so much for having me, sleepy forest. What an amazing night it's been. And you, you guys, have been the audience of dreams. This is my final song. Hope you enjoy it.
The audience held their breath. The piano notes played. A drum crashed. And then, much to everyone's delight, Swifty spread her wings and took to the air. Around and around the arena she flew, singing her final song high above the heads of the crowd as her fans all clapped and sang. With a final flutter of her wings and a deep bow, Swifty left the stage. That was awesome, said Kira. Thank you, granddad. It really was, Coco agreed. I just wish it wasn't over. Their granddad looked at them both,
his eyes twinkling mischievously. Well, it isn't quite over yet, he said. What could he possibly mean? But their granddad only pressed a paw to his lips to indicate they shouldn't ask any questions and gestured for them to follow him. Instead of heading in the direction of the crowd out of the arena and back into the forest. Their granddad led them towards the stage. They walked around until they were in the backstage area. Ignoring the looks of confusion on Coco's and Kira's faces, their grandd
ad led them up to a golden door and gave it two knocks with his paw. Are you ready? he said, smiling down at them. And then Coco and Kira could not believe their eyes. Who should open the door but Swifty herself. Hello Kira. Hello Coco, she said. Your granddad told me you'd like to meet me. Thank you ever so much for coming to my show. Coco and Kira could barely speak. They were so overcome by happiness. Instead, they both gave Swiftie a big hug and thanked her for putting on such an amazing sho
w. Swiftie gave them both a signed picture of her and another hug just for luck. And then Coco and Kira made their way rather astonished back across the arena. How did you do that, Granddad? Coco asked him. Oh, their granddad replied, another twinkle in his eyes. I have my secret ways. So they made their way back across Sleepy Forest as night descended and the shadows lengthened across the floor. They spoke about the concert. What were their best moments? What did they think of all of Swiftie's
costumes? Kira said her favorite song was the one about Romeo and Juliet. And Coco said that his was the one about shaking it off. I just like the boogying, their granddad said. By the time they got home, Coco and Kira were rather tired. It had been a long day. Not only had they worked hard at school, but they'd spent the entire evening dancing and singing. It had all left them feeling very happy indeed, but also ready for bed. They gave their granddad an extra big squeeze that night, thanking h
im again for such an extraordinary surprise. And then they went up to bed. Kira took off her purple sparkly dress and put on her soft purple. pajamas. Coco put his blue baseball cap back in the drawer. They did their teeth in the bathroom sink side by side and then they each gave a big yawn. Come on, Coco said. Time for bed. Their mum came in to tuck them in as she always did. "'You'll sleep well tonight,' she said, and they agreed. It certainly felt like they needed a big, long sleep." Their mu
m gave them each a kiss on the head and then closed the bedroom door behind her. In the darkness, the two siblings gave out happy, tired sighs. Coco began to hum a swifty tune. And for a few moments, Keira sleepily joined in. Then she turned on her side so she could see the silhouette of Coco lying on his back in his bed. I can't believe we got to go to a Swifty concert, she said. I know, said Coco. And we got to see her fly around the whole arena. And, Kira added, we got to meet her in person.
We actually got to speak to her. Yeah, ooh, said Coco through a yawn. I still can't quite believe it. They lay on their backs for a few more minutes and Coco thought perhaps that Kira had fallen asleep when she started speaking again. It really was a dream come true to meet Swifty, she said. But do you know what's an even bigger dream come true? What? Coco asked her. To have got to do it with you. When she said these words, Coco was filled with a warm and cozy feeling, as though there was a hot
water bottle resting gently in his chest. He felt very lucky to have the family he had, his parents and his grandparents and Kira too. I love you, little sister, he whispered. Love you too, big bro, came the reply. And then, just like that, Coco and Kira fell into a deep, and dream fell asleep. Thank you. Thanks for watching! Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for watching! Thank you. Thank you. you Thank you. You you
Comments