How the Koala Moon Reached the Sky 🐨 🌕 Cozy Bedtime Stories For Kids

Hello and welcome back to Kuala Moong, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids, designed to make bedtime a dream. Now then, I do know this is coming out really quite late but it's as soon as we could manage and it's for a little girl called Sienna G who is now 11 and she was 11 on January the 11th. And for her birthday she got a subscription to our podcast. Welcome to the Cocoa Club Sienna G and thank you for listening for a year I think it is and tuning in to all the stories. Enjoy all the extra ones you're going to get now and you can lie back, relax and listen with your sister Nyla as you both go to bed in Toronto. So happy birthday again. Now back to the story, I don't know about you guys but I love an origin story. I'm always so curious about the story behind the story, like with Spider-Man or Harry Potter. I love the parts where you find out how Peter Parker became Spider-Man or why Harry Potter is a wizard. We've already told you some origin stories about characters in Sleepy Forest and over on Koala Tots. You can also listen along to Hector and Sonny's first play date. You can also find out how Potato and Beans met during nap time at Kit and Kindergarten but there is a major character that you might be wondering about. Have you noticed that we've been talking a lot more about the Koala Moon recently? What's her story? Why is there a Koala Moon at all? Well if you've been wondering then tonight is your lucky night because Coco and Kira are going to find out. Yes they are discovering one of the greatest tales of all. The story of how the Koala Moon came to be. From a kind silver koala in a nameless forest to a glowing guardian in the sky we'll uncover how friendship, curiosity and a magic tunnel between worlds shaped the koala kingdom itself. But first you need to lie back in bed, you know the drill. Relax your whole body. Just make it go floppy and heavy whilst you close your eyes. Perhaps take a nice breath in and sigh it out just to help everything along. That's it relax some more. Breathe, wonderful. It's time for me to tell you all about How the Koala Moon Reached the Sky by Luke Prendegast. 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. But now here's a quick word from our sponsors. Deep in the heart of a far away forest stood a cozy wooden cabin. Inside the cabin lived a family of koalas. Coco lived there with his parents and his grandparents and his little sister, Kira the Panda. And at the beginning of the year each member of the family had made a New Year's resolution. There were resolutions to eat healthily, to read more, to spend more time out in the beautiful forest. Kira said she was resolved to be more selfless and help other people out. And what about Coco, you ask? What was his New Year's resolution? Well, his was to learn more about the world he lived in, the koala kingdom. How it came to be, how it worked, how all the pieces slotted together. He was resolved to be more curious about the world around him. And so for a whole year he had gone around asking questions. How did the bees get pollen out of the flowers? How come birds could fly and fish could swim, but not really the other way round? And how did Papa Praline, who ran the Sleepy Forest Chocolate Factory, develop a recipe for chocolate that was so delicious that it beat any other kind of chocolate Coco had ever tasted? As Coco went about asking all of his curious questions, he noticed another curious thing happening. The more questions he asked, the more questions he wanted to ask. Curiosity, it seemed, was not something that could be exhausted. Like a bamboo shoot, the more you watered it, the more it grew. Everything that Coco laid his eyes upon, even the most mundane and ordinary objects that he had seen every day for his whole entire life without a single thought entering his mind, now seemed to leap out at him with the same set of questions. How does that work? What does that mean? How did that come to be? And so it was that one evening, when he sunk into a softly rustling beanbag in the kitchen of the cozy cabin, that Coco gazed out of the window and noticed the koala moon glowing up in the ink-black sky. Then he looked over at his sunset orange backpack, on which a moon-shaped patch also glowed, as though a piece of the moon had fallen from the sky and taken up home on his bag. Well, of course it wasn't the first time he'd noticed that. After all, the koala moon had shone every single night for as long as Coco had been alive, and even longer than that too, he bet. And whenever the koala moon was in the sky, the moon patch on his backpack glowed too. That the koala moon glowed in the sky, and the patch glowed on his backpack were facts as obvious and predictable, as grass being green and his mum being mad whenever he left muddy footprints over the freshly cleaned floor. But this was the first time Coco had noticed it, on account of his newfound curiosity. Mum, he said, pointing, What's that? His mum, who was busy stirring an iron pot of something on the stove, said, quite distractedly, That's the koala moon, honey. Coco let out a little chuckle. No, mum, he said. I know it's the koala moon, and I know what the koala moon does. I know she rises at night and watches over all of us. She sings us lullabies, and she makes sure that all of us who live in the koala kingdom are safe and happy. What I mean is, what is the koala moon? Who is she? And how did she get there? How did she come to be? And why does the little half moon patch that sewed into my backpack glow when the koala moon is in the sky? Ah, his mother sighed. Now, that is quite a story, a very long story indeed, and it's not only a story about the koala moon, it's a story about the koala sunshine too. Oh, Coco said excitedly, clapping his paws together, for there was nothing in the whole world that Coco loved as much as a story. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. The clock face looked to him like a friendly cat, its whiskers ticking around slowly to tell him the time. It's not late yet, he said. Can't you tell me the story please? All at once there was a sound from above of little feet thundering across the wooden floor, and a moment later Kira appeared at the top of the staircase, swinging her head around the banister. Did I hear the word story? she asked. Their mum shook her head as if to say, what on earth am I going to do with the two of you? But there was a soft smile playing over her face, which told them the truth, that in reality their mum loved a story just as much as they did. And who, Coco wondered, wouldn't stories were what made life beautiful? All right, their mum said, here can be your bedtime story. And I think for a bedtime story this important, we all need a cup of Papa Praline's hot chocolate. So as Kira tottered down the stairs and cosied herself up on a lilac beanbag next to Coco's, their mum turned off the stove and from the saucepan poured the freshly made hot chocolate into three steaming mugs. She brought them over and handed one to Coco and one to Kira. At the same time the three of them took a slurp and let out a sigh of satisfaction. The hot chocolate was sweet and delicious and it sat in their bellies warm as hugs. Okay, their mum said, settling herself down in the armchair beside the fire's crackling flames. She slipped off her horn-rimmed glasses and laid them down on the side. Now I think we're ready. So settle down and get comfortable. This is one of the most important stories of all time, one of the great myths of our kingdom. The story of how the koala moon came to be. A long, long time ago a silver koala named Zellie lived in a nameless forest. This was long, long ago before anything was written down when stories were only whispered from ear to ear. Back then there was no moon and no sun but only the sky which turned from blue to black to blue once again as the days revolved into nights. Zellie was a much loved creature, one of the most kind and considerate creatures who lived in the nameless forest. Whenever there were any noisy disagreements, cats quarrelling with dogs, birds with beavers, lemurs with llama, it was Zellie who settled them. She helped her fellow animals understand each other and at night she sang bedtime stories under the branches of the lullaby tree and helped all of the forest creatures fall into deep and dream filled sleeps. When anyone felt the slightest bit troubled by anything whatsoever, they went to visit Zellie whose soothing voice and wise advice could calm any beating heart. She sprinkled peace over the forest as a gardener sprinkles water on a plot of earth. During the daytime Zellie liked to travel to a soft grassy field by the edge of the forest where an ancient hedgerow grew full of fluttering birds and buzzing bees. She would lie in the shade of the hedgerow and take long nags in peace. But one day rather unexpectedly she heard a noise from the forest. One day rather unexpectedly she heard a noise through the hedge, a scrabbling noise. Then a thump and lots of giggling and a voice saying, Oops! Hello, said Zellie curiously. She got up and peered through the hedge's dense weave of twigs and leaves and to her great surprise on the other side she saw the shape of a koala just like herself. Yes, though this creature might be a little smaller than her and younger and golden instead of silver, he was a koala as clear as day. The golden koala gave her a big grin through the hedge. Her grin that made her feel as though a brilliant light was pouring through her body. I tried to do a rolly-poly, he said, but it ended up more like a rolly plop. That made Zellie giggle. I didn't know there were any other koalas near here, the golden koala said. Shall we be friends? Zellie nodded and gave a little smile. I'm Zelenia, she said brightly, but everyone calls me Zellie. Hi Zellie, I'm Solly, but everyone calls me, well, Solly, the golden koala replied. Zellie pushed her paw through the hedge, trying to reach out and shake Solly's hand. Solly did the same, but no matter how far they stretched, they couldn't quite reach each other through the hedge. There seemed to be some magical force which kept their different lands, their different worlds, apart. That made them both giggle too. After that, Zellie went down to the hedge row every day to visit her new friend Solly. The two of them told each other everything about their lives. Solly was part of a circus. He performed magic tricks, walked the tightrope and told jokes to make the audience laugh. He juggled and dished out hugs. The world on the other side of the hedge sounded to Zellie like a strange one, a world where animals and humans lived alongside each other. The world that Zellie came from seemed equally strange to Solly's. He was constantly asking Zellie questions about the nameless forest she lived in. A lullaby tree? What's that? He'd ask. Or dragons? They actually exist where you're from? Or he'd gorput a description of the fairies that hid in the not-holes of ancient trees, and only came out when a passerby needed guidance or the aid of a magical spell. That simply can't be true, Solly said. You've got to be pulling my leg. Zellie smiled and shook her head. I promise you, I'm not, she said. In fact, I can show you if you like. How? asked Solly. Well, Zellie replied. He'll have to come through here. As soon as she spoke the words, attention formed in the air. He was as though the whole world was holding its breath. The wind made no sound in the trees, and even the birds appeared to stop their twittering. For many moons, Zellie and her golden friend had stood on either side of the hedge between worlds, talking and laughing. But never before had they thought about passing through the hedge. The suggestion seemed wondrous, impossible, and irresistible too. Solly crouched down low and crawled through the hedge. Zellie held her breath. There was a tinkling sound in the air, as though some unfeelable wind were moving some invisible chimes. The green leaves of the hetero glowed silver and gold. And the next moment Solly was through. It was the first time they'd been next to each other, the first time they'd been side by side in the same world. They peered back through the little tunneling hole that had been formed in the hedge. Then they gave each other a hug and headed off into the forest. Zellie showed Solly all that the nameless forest had to offer. Sparkling rivers, banks of clouds that hung so low to the ground, you could climb atop them as though clambering into bed. Trees, whose leaves were in fact beautifully coloured butterflies, who flapped their wings and took off into the air only to resettle on the branches in new configurations. But what she wanted to show him most of all was the lullaby tree. When they reached the sacred spot, darkness was already settling over the forest. The sky high above them had turned the colour of a ripe plum. And Solly was delighted to discover that they were not the only ones there. Forest creatures had gathered by the lullaby tree at dusk. There were raccoons and hedgehogs, unicorns and long-tusked woolly mammoths. They congregated there every night to hear the lullaby tree sing. And they were very pleased these forest creatures to meet a new friend in Solly. He told jokes that made them clutch their bellies, and told the tale of how he had crawled bravely through the hedgerow to meet Solly, with the leaves changing gold and silver, and the air twinkling with music in such a way that made his audience gasp. Then Zellie took over the story, and she told them in her familiar gentle tones about how they had wandered around the forest, taking in the sights, riding on clouds, and eating snoozeberries from the bushes. And I had never had a snoozeberry before, Solly added. Solly added, In my world we have blueberries and raspberries and strawberries and even gooseberries, but no snoozeberries. Then night fell. The sky turned black, and Zellie whispered, It's time. A beautiful sound started to echo across the forest. The sound of a sweet voice singing a bedtime song. It was the lullaby tree. All the forest creatures settled down on the soft ground amongst the curving roots of trees, resting their heads on patches of moss or on pillows of fallen leaves. They sang along, but before the lullaby tree could even finish its song, everyone had fallen asleep. Such was the power of the lullaby tree. In fact, so deep and peaceful was the sleep they enjoyed that Solly overslept. Oh dear, he said, I'm going to be late for my circus show. What will I do? How about you come back to my world with me and make sure everything will be okay? With a smile, Zellie agreed. Solly took her back into his world with him, through the tunnel in the hedgerow. But what happened on the other side is a story for another time. It might seem obvious to say, but after that Zellie and Solly became the best of friends. They tunnelled through the hedge every day to visit each other. Zellie taught the circus folk about the value of peace and softness and a good night's rest. And Solly taught the forest creatures what fun a thrilling tale could be, and boosted everyone's energy. And all the creatures in the forest made a rather wonderful discovery. The combination of Solly with his exciting jokes and tall tales, and Zellie with her soothing bedtime stories made for the perfect night's sleep. It was a match, as they say, written in the stars. And it was not only the forest creatures who observed this fact. One evening, as a purple twilight settled on the nameless forest, the sky spoke to the two koalas. I have seen the goodness the two of you have spread around the land, the sky said. You have sowed the seeds of joy and peace and harmony, and I have seen the garden grow. The creatures of the forest have never been happier, and it seems to me, he added with a hearty chuckle, that it should remain this way forever more. How, the koalas asked, smiling up at the sky. Well, the sky said. I have a plan. Why don't the two of you come and join me up here, as guardians of all the creatures in the land. Be the silver-glowing koala moon, who shines her gentle light down on rest or sleepers at night. And you, you be the golden, gleaming koala sunshine, who sends his bright beams down on merry people in the day. What do you think of that? Zellie and Solly wore matching smiles on their faces. Their eyes were glittering. That sounds like an honour, whispered Zellie. A privilege, Solly added. And a whole lot of fun, too, they both agreed. Won't you miss your world on the other side of the hedge? asked Zellie, and Solly shook his head. No, he said. I think my work there is done. It's time for me to spread joy around this world here, forever. Since it was evening, first it was Zellie's turn to make her journey. Solly watched happily as Zellie was lifted up on a soft cloud, rising gently to her place in the sky. There she became the koala moon, a glowing guardian with twinkly eyes, a velvety nose, and a soft glow. From there she began to do her work, watching over slumbering creatures, singing lullabies, telling bedtime stories, and guiding everyone through the night. And when morning came, and Solly awoke from his sleep, it was his turn to take the journey. Up he rose on his own sparkling cloud and took his place in the sky. He became the koala sunshine, a playful guardian with bright eyes, a cheeky grin, a radiant golden shine. From there he began his work entertaining people all day long, telling thrilling stories full of mesmerizing facts and hilarious jokes. Ever since then the koala moon and the koala sunshine have risen with the day and night. And as they cross paths in the sky, they smile at each other and hug and trade new and marvellous stories. And of course to this day they are still the best friends. When their mum had finished telling her story, Kira had fallen asleep, but Coco was still awake. Usually he would have fallen asleep too, somewhere in the middle of the tale, but this story seemed so important and so captivating that he stayed up through it, listening closely. Now that he'd heard it, Coco felt that he understood the world a little better now than he had before. That nameless forest where Zellie lived, he said, that's sleepy forest where we live now, isn't it? His mum smiled at him and nodded. Yes, yes it was. And the tunnel that Zellie and Solly made in the hedge, Coco went on. That's the same tunnel we can use to get through to lower starry skies and the world of humans, isn't it? Coco's mum nodded again. That's right, she said. They made the magical tunnel with the power of their friendship. And Coco started to say, but then he stopped. A little crease appeared on his furry forehead. Well, I understand how the koala moon and the koala sunshine came to be now, he said, and I understand how the koala kingdom and sleepy forest were born, but what I still don't understand is why it means that the moon patch on my orange backpack lights up at night. Ah, Coco's mum replied. You're right, I left that bit out. Well, you see, the koala moon is the kind and loving guardian of everybody in the koala kingdom, but she has a special relationship with you, Coco. She does, Coco asked, his eyes going wide. She does. The koala moon, or who was that silver koala named Zellie, is our ancestor. Why, she must be your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, or even more. And when you were born, she sent down a little piece of herself to be with you always. First I sewed that little patch on your cosy red baby blanket. Then when you grew a little older, I sewed it onto your backpack. Whenever the koala moon rises into the sky, your patch glows because she glows. She is reminding you that she's always there, looking after you, keeping you safe, reminding you that you are never alone. Coco gazed at his backpack on the floor, at the moon patch glowing silver. Then he gazed through the window up at the koala moon, who hung high over sleepy forest. So he was right. His patch was a little piece of the koala moon. She had sent it to keep him safe. The thought filled his tummy up with warmth, and even warmer warmth than the hot chocolate had. Now, Coco, his mother, whispered, It's time for you and your sister to get some sleep. She was right. Coco yawned. He was sleepy now. He was sleepy now. Learning about the world was satisfying, but tiring too. He got up and gave his mom a kiss goodnight. Then he gave Kira a little shake. She stirred and got up, rubbing her eyes. Is the story over? She asked, stifling a big yawn. Did I miss the ending? Yes, honey. Their mom said softly. But don't worry about that. I'm sure Coco will tell you how it ends tomorrow, once you've had a nice long sleep. Won't you, Coco? Yes, Kira. Coco said, wrapping an arm around his little sister's shoulders. I'll tell you tomorrow. I'll tell you all about the koala moon and the koala sunshine and the tunnel of friendship they made between the worlds. Coco and Kira. Their mom placed a kiss on each of their heads, and then Coco and Kira climbed the stairs up to their bedroom. Sleepily, they brushed their teeth and washed their faces and put on their coziest sets of pajamas. Then they climbed into bed. Kira fell asleep quickly. After all, she had barely woken up. And as Coco lay in his bed, listening to the sound of her gentle breathing fill the room, he took a look out of his window through the tiny gap between the curtains. There she was, the koala moon glowing softly, smiling down upon the koala kingdom. Just seeing her there made Coco feel so safe and happy. How wonderful it was to know that there was someone looking over not just him, but his family and his friends too, his mom and dad and Kira. They were all safe. They were never alone because the koala moon was there, watching over them. And so it was, the Coco turned over, letting his head fall heavily on his pillow and fell into a deep and dream-filled sleep.