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Tim’s Swimming Lesson

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Tim the TadpoleAll the pond life who live with Bertie the Frog agree that the silliest creature by far is Tim the Tadpole. Colin the Carp is always complaining about his silly questions. Even so, the creatures were amazed recently when Tim suggested that all the fishes, frogs, and tadpoles should have swimming lessons. In fact, Colin said that was the silliest thing he had ever heard. But as this brief tale goes to show, even the dumbest ideas can sometimes lead to good ones.

Read by Natasha. Duration 5.5 minutes.

As you know, Bertie used to be a handsome prince, but now he’s a frog. His little friend Tim the Tadpole has been has been asking him about his life in the palace when he was a prince.

“What did you do on Wednesdays, Bertie?” asked little Tim.

Bertie tried to remember. He was pretty sure that Wednesdays in the Palace began like most other days, with his feet in comfy slippers, a copy of his favourite comic on a silver tray, and toast dripping with lots of lovely honey. But what happened after that?

“Ah yes,” he said, “Wednesdays were for swimming lessons.”

Tim grew very excited at this; “What a wonderful idea. Can we have swimming lessons here on the pond?’

Colin the grumpy carp over-heard this suggestion of Tim’s and barged in, as is his way, with a rude comment. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard yet. Tadpoles don’t don’t know much, but at least they’re supposed to know how to swim.”

Tim swam around in circles for a bit and thought about this. After a minute or so, he caim up with another idea.

“Well can we have walking lessons then? I don’t know how to walk, and I think it would be a terribly useful thing to know how to. Please Bertie. Show us how to walk. Prince’s know everything, so I’m sure you can teach us how to walk beautifully.”

Colin was about to point out that the reason that Tim couldn’t walk was that he didn’t have any legs. But he was in a particularly grumpy mood that morning, and he thought to himself, “What’s the point? These creatures are too stupid for words. I might as well talk to stone - it would be more interesting.” So Colin sank down to the bottom of the pond to find a interesting stone he could talk to. A little later, he looked up through the water and saw that Bertie had hopped onto the bank of the pond.

“There you are,” Colin said to the stone. “That stupid frog is trying to walk. But his legs are too bendy. That’s why frogs don’t walk. They hop.”

And sure enough, Bertie found that walking wasn’t so easy as it was in the old days when he was a handsome prince. He tried to put one foot in front of the other, but he couldn’t. His legs just weren’t made that way anymore.

“Croak!” he said. “Walking is more difficult than I remembered.” A moment later, he bent both legs, and than sprang two feet in the air. Little Tim was mighty impressed and called out, “That was great. Go on Bertie! Walk again!”

This was too much for Colin. He rose to the top of the pond and stuck his mouth out of the water. “That’s not walking,” he said, “That’s hopping and not very good hopping at that.”

“Well,” said Bertie, “It’s true that Tadpoles and frogs are not so good at walking as Princes are. But one day, Little Tim will start to grow legs like all tadpoles do when they get older. Then he will turn into a frog like me and will be able to hop on land whenever he wants to, and swim in the pond whenever he wants to. That’s twice as clever as you. You’ll never be able to hop you grumpy old fish.”

“Pa! Pond Life!” said Colin. And he sank to the bottom of the pond to continue his conversation with his new friend the stone.

But one day, if enough children listen to Bertie’s stories, he’ll turn back into a handsome prince and he’ll be able show everybody how well Princes can walk, with straight backs, and holding their chins up high. He’ll have swimming lessons every Wednesday again, and perhaps he will invite his pond life friends to joining him in the pool and watch him dive-bomb Colin the carp with a big splash.

30 Comments

  • KM
    Posted August 11, 2006 at 5:42 am | Permalink

    How could I get the transcript of it?

  • Posted August 11, 2006 at 3:22 pm | Permalink

    KM, we don’t normally publish transcripts of the Bertie / Tim stories, on the basis that we plan to make them into books one day. As this is a shortie, I’ve made an exception and added the text to the post where you can find it now.

  • Alaina
    Posted September 20, 2006 at 5:48 pm | Permalink

    How come your trying to advertise the stories and making that more kids will listen? Pfft

  • Anonymous
    Posted May 12, 2007 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    wiegeht es

  • collin carp
    Posted May 25, 2007 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    fooy pooy!!!!

  • swapnil
    Posted November 2, 2007 at 11:21 am | Permalink

    it is a funniest story i ever heard!!!!!!!

  • MONIQUE BAMBI AND SAM
    Posted January 1, 2008 at 2:33 am | Permalink

    HEY BERTIE THAT WAS SO COOL AND I WILL KEEP READING ALL YOUR STORYS TO MAKE U TURN BACK INTO A PRINCE A HANDSOME PRINCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • MONIQUE BAMBI AND SAM
    Posted January 1, 2008 at 2:34 am | Permalink

    AND THANKS NATASHA FOR READING AND I LIKE YOUR ACCENT I REALLY LOVE THANK YOU FOR RETELLING THE STORIES AGAIN
    MONIQUE
    BAMBI
    SAM

  • WEN RUEY
    Posted February 23, 2008 at 9:00 am | Permalink

    GOOD STORY!

  • STORYNORY LOVER
    Posted March 3, 2008 at 8:43 am | Permalink

    THIS IS AN AWESOME STORY!!!!

  • Lucas
    Posted March 8, 2008 at 10:47 am | Permalink

    It was a good story it was funny and weird because a carp was talking to a stone.

  • Lisa
    Posted March 15, 2008 at 6:14 am | Permalink

    It’s not bad!

  • Lisa
    Posted March 15, 2008 at 6:17 am | Permalink

    It’s good!

  • Anonymous
    Posted March 17, 2008 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    apple

  • ang
    Posted March 28, 2008 at 9:30 pm | Permalink

    i found this story quite funny at the beginning

    please be sure to put more bertie stories on i love them

  • 姜泽俊
    Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    I like this story very much!!!

  • 姜泽俊
    Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:46 am | Permalink

    I like this story very much!It’s very nice.

  • zhu
    Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:50 am | Permalink

    I like this story very much!It’s very nice.

  • hi
    Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:52 am | Permalink

    GOOD STORY

  • steven
    Posted April 13, 2008 at 7:02 am | Permalink

    good!!!!!!!!!

  • pig
    Posted April 13, 2008 at 7:02 am | Permalink

    good!!!!!!!!!

  • mini
    Posted April 20, 2008 at 9:41 am | Permalink

    I’m not so good at English.
    study hard(here)
    thank you~
    Have a good day.

  • 徐沐元
    Posted April 28, 2008 at 11:56 am | Permalink

    I LOVE 时天蝉

  • Posted June 17, 2008 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    plzzz turn birddy back into a prince? thanks.

  • Posted June 17, 2008 at 5:40 pm | Permalink

    hi bill, I will turmn back into a prince if enough children listen to storys.

  • julia
    Posted June 26, 2008 at 11:28 pm | Permalink

    very nice, though i hoped that Birddy would turn back into a Prince soon, like right now :)

  • good boy
    Posted July 7, 2008 at 11:32 am | Permalink

    that was cool XD

  • e
    Posted July 7, 2008 at 12:24 pm | Permalink

    -_-

  • e
    Posted July 7, 2008 at 12:37 pm | Permalink

    :)

  • i
    Posted July 7, 2008 at 12:37 pm | Permalink

    :D

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