Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Kuala Moon, a podcast of
Speaker 1: original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime
Speaker 1: a dream. If you've been listening since episode one, thank
Speaker 1: you for coming back and choosing to listen while you
Speaker 1: fall asleep. Do you have a favorite story yet? We'd
Speaker 1: love to know or have you told your friends about it?
Speaker 1: They may enjoy falling asleep to it too. Personally, I
Speaker 1: think this one I'm about to read is very special.
Speaker 1: I've never been to the tropics before, but I like
Speaker 1: to imagine the jungle with all the different trees, the
Speaker 1: wonderful sounds, and the array of animals that live there.
Speaker 1: So for tonight's bedtime story, we'll travel to a tropical
Speaker 1: rainforest in the heart of Borneo. We'll hear how a
Speaker 1: kind hearted lumberjack meets a couple of friendly orangutangs, and
Speaker 1: how as the day goes on, the lumberjack finds out
Speaker 1: more about the beautiful animals and the peaceful forest that
Speaker 1: they call home. Before I start, let's fully relax to
Speaker 1: wind down your busy body and charge up your imagination.
Speaker 1: Take a few deep breaths in and out. Whilst you
Speaker 1: do that, wiggle your fingers and toes roll your neck. Now,
Speaker 1: snuggle down under your blanket or dove and nestle your
Speaker 1: head into your pillow. As you imagine a helicopter, a rainforest,
Speaker 1: and majestic flame colored animals. Close your eyes as I
Speaker 1: read you Tonight's When the Lumberjack met the Uranutang by
Speaker 1: Gillian Rogerson. On an early morning in May, a helicopter
Speaker 1: flew over a lush, green rainforest in Borneo. Inside the
Speaker 1: helicopter was a young man called Samuel Carter, who was
Speaker 1: training to be a lumberjack. He was going to spend
Speaker 1: a day in the forest looking for trees that could
Speaker 1: be felled and used for building materials. It was a
Speaker 1: beautiful day, and the sun shone brightly over the canopy
Speaker 1: of vibrant leaves. Samuel looked out of the window and
Speaker 1: saw the helicopter's shadow moving smoothly over the swaying treetops.
Speaker 1: Below the trees, he saw a river flowing gently through
Speaker 1: the forest. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw
Speaker 1: a flash of orange moving through the treetops. Could it be,
Speaker 1: Samuel smiled to himself. The forest below was home to orangutangs.
Speaker 1: Then he wondered if he had just seen one. His
Speaker 1: father was a lumberjack too, and when he was younger,
Speaker 1: Samuel had traveled with his father through many forests around
Speaker 1: the world, but neither of them had been lucky enough
Speaker 1: to see an orangutan. But maybe, just maybe, this would
Speaker 1: be his lucky day. The helicopter continued over the rainforest
Speaker 1: and flew over a large clearing. On the horizon was
Speaker 1: cloud Mountain. The top part of it was covered in soft,
Speaker 1: fluffy clouds, and Samuel thought it looked like the mountain
Speaker 1: was wearing a hat made of cotton wool. The pilot
Speaker 1: found somewhere to land and brought the helicopter down smoothly.
Speaker 1: Samuel collected his bag, thanked the pilot, and climbed out
Speaker 1: of the helicopter. He stood back a little and waved
Speaker 1: to the pilot. As the helicopter rose to the sky
Speaker 1: and flew away, the sound of its rotating blades echoed
Speaker 1: softly in the air for a few seconds. Samuel watched
Speaker 1: the helicopter until it disappeared from view. He slowly turned
Speaker 1: around and took in the beauty of his surroundings. The
Speaker 1: rainforest was spectacular. Tall, thick trees reached towards the sky.
Speaker 1: Rope like vines hung between moss covered trunks and moved
Speaker 1: gently in the tropical breeze. Leafy vines wound around branches
Speaker 1: like tinsel on Christmas trees. Sounds of nature filled the air.
Speaker 1: Brightly colored insects buzzed through the tropical air. Exotic birds
Speaker 1: cooled out to each other. Unseen animals shuffled through the
Speaker 1: thick undergrowth. The sound of running water came from somewhere nearby,
Speaker 1: perhaps a stream or waterfall. The sun was warm on
Speaker 1: Samuel's back, and the fragrance of wild flowers and lush
Speaker 1: vegetation drifted towards him. On the warm air, The air
Speaker 1: was fresh and clear, and Samuel took some deep, refreshing breaths.
Speaker 1: Relaxation and peace flowed easily through him, making him smile.
Speaker 1: Samuel walked away from the clearing and into the trees.
Speaker 1: The sun sun's rays flowed through gaps in the trees
Speaker 1: and caused shadows to dance across the forest floor. Samuel
Speaker 1: wandered between the trees, his footsteps light and carefree. Even
Speaker 1: though he'd been to other forests, this rainforest was more
Speaker 1: beautiful than any other he'd visited. There was a magical
Speaker 1: feel to it, as though it was enchanted somehow. Samuel
Speaker 1: felt like something amazing could happen at any moment. The
Speaker 1: leaves were greener than any others he'd seen, the air
Speaker 1: was fresher, the surrounding sounds mingled together to make a
Speaker 1: soothing song of nature. He sighed happily and continued walking.
Speaker 1: It was wonderful to be outside on such a beautiful
Speaker 1: day and in such a peaceful place. Samuel became lost
Speaker 1: in the magnificence of the forest, and it wasn't long
Speaker 1: before he realized he'd forgotten which direction he was supposed
Speaker 1: to be going in. He had planned his route through
Speaker 1: the rainforest days before, but he hadn't followed it to
Speaker 1: talk to day, and had let his feet guide him along.
Speaker 1: But it didn't worry him at all. He was happy
Speaker 1: to be lost in such a delightful place. Soon, Samuel
Speaker 1: came to a gently flowing river. He lowered himself at
Speaker 1: the side of it and cupped his hands into the
Speaker 1: crystal clear water. He trickled the cool liquid over the
Speaker 1: back of his neck. It felt refreshingly cool. He looked
Speaker 1: down stream to see where the river was heading, and
Speaker 1: that was when he saw them. A mother orangutan and
Speaker 1: her baby were sitting further along the river bank under
Speaker 1: the watchful eye of his mother. The little one was
Speaker 1: cupping his hands into the water, just as Samuel had done,
Speaker 1: and then he poured it over the back of his
Speaker 1: neck and let out a cheerful noise that sounded like
Speaker 1: a giggle. The joyful sound made Samuel smile. He didn't
Speaker 1: want to draw any attention to himself, so he stayed
Speaker 1: as still as he could and continued to watch the
Speaker 1: mother and her baby. The mother's fur was a glorious
Speaker 1: orange color with hints of red running through it. Her
Speaker 1: baby's fur was a lighter orange, and tufts of fluffy
Speaker 1: hair stuck up at all angles around his face, making
Speaker 1: him look even more adorable. A cheeky look came over
Speaker 1: the baby orangutan's face, and he reached into the river again.
Speaker 1: He collected some water in his little hand and then
Speaker 1: playfully sprinkled it on his mother's arm. She laughed and
Speaker 1: gently tickled her son on his tummy. Samuel could have
Speaker 1: stayed watching the beautiful orangutans forever, but the mother became
Speaker 1: aware of him and looked his way. Samuel expected her
Speaker 1: to pick up her baby and move back into the trees,
Speaker 1: but she didn't. To his amazement, the mother picked up
Speaker 1: her baby, placed him on her back, and then walked
Speaker 1: slowly over to him. So careful and slow were her
Speaker 1: steps that it looked like she didn't want to scare
Speaker 1: Samuel away. Samuel stayed as still as a statue. The
Speaker 1: beautiful orangutans moved closer. The baby peeped over his mother's shoulder,
Speaker 1: his brown eyes wide in wonder. Mother and baby stopped
Speaker 1: in front of Samuel. The lumberjack and the orangutan looked
Speaker 1: softly at each other. The orangutan's eyes were amber with
Speaker 1: flecks of orange in them. There was a gentle smile
Speaker 1: on her face. There was a knowing smile, too, as
Speaker 1: though though she had been waiting to meet him. Samuel
Speaker 1: smiled at her. She felt familiar somehow, as if she
Speaker 1: was an old friend or a family member. A warm
Speaker 1: feeling of recognition flowed through him, making him smile even more.
Speaker 1: The baby smiled too, and let out another delightful chuckle.
Speaker 1: He waved at Samuel. The lumberjack was completely lost in
Speaker 1: the magic of the moment and the enchanted situation. He'd
Speaker 1: found himself in, and he wasn't at all surprised when
Speaker 1: the mother orang at hand began to talk to him.
Speaker 1: Good morning to you, she said, isn't it a beautiful day?
Speaker 1: It certainly is, Samuel said, without any hesitation, as if
Speaker 1: talking to orangutans was something he did every day. The
Speaker 1: orangutans smile grew bigger. Who don't seem surprised to hear
Speaker 1: me talking, Samuel shrugged. Anything seems possible to day. I
Speaker 1: feel like I'm in an enchanted forest. He stopped talking
Speaker 1: and looked closer into her lovely eyes. Although, of course
Speaker 1: I could be dreaming, and if I am, this is
Speaker 1: a wonderful dream. The baby said loudly. I had a
Speaker 1: dream last night. It was great. I found one hundred
Speaker 1: and fifty berries and I ate them all up. They
Speaker 1: were yummy. He grinned cheekily. Oh you can talk, too,
Speaker 1: Samuel said to the baby. The mother laughed. He never
Speaker 1: stops talking. Even when he's asleep. He talks. Sometimes he
Speaker 1: sings in his sleep. I love singing, the baby declared.
Speaker 1: He opened his little mouth and began to sing something
Speaker 1: about tall trees and the flowing river. It was a
Speaker 1: beautiful song, and one Samuel had never heard before. The
Speaker 1: mother said it was the song of the rainforest, and
Speaker 1: all orangutans knew it. She looked over her shoulder and
Speaker 1: said softly, hush now, please, Ressie, save your song for later. RESSI,
Speaker 1: is that your son's name, Samuel asked, it is. I'm Kira.
Speaker 1: Samuel gave his name. When little Resie heard his name,
Speaker 1: he began to sing a song about Samuel and his
Speaker 1: green bag. When Ressie had finished his song, Samuel said,
Speaker 1: thank you, that was wonderful. He looked over Kira's shoulder
Speaker 1: and into the trees beyond, a small frown on his face.
Speaker 1: Are you lost, Kira asked. Samuel said he was and
Speaker 1: asked if she knew the way to the clearing at
Speaker 1: the entrance to the forest. Kira nodded and said do
Speaker 1: you need to go there now? No, not yet. I
Speaker 1: want to know my way out when it's time for
Speaker 1: me to leave later on, he smiled, I'm having a
Speaker 1: wonderful time wondering through the forest. I'm not ready to
Speaker 1: leave just yet. Kia asked if he'd like to spend
Speaker 1: the day with her and Ressie. She said he could
Speaker 1: meet the other orangut hans too. Really, wow, that would
Speaker 1: be wonderful. Thank you, Samuel said, this way, Kira said,
Speaker 1: we'll be eating soon. You can share our food. Thank you,
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Samuel couldn't believe his good luck.
Speaker 1: His day was becoming more magical by the minute. Ressie
Speaker 1: leapt from his mother's back and landed gently on Samuel's chest,
Speaker 1: wrapped his fury little arms around him, and rested his
Speaker 1: head against Samuel's neck. The little orangutan was warm and
Speaker 1: smelled of forest leaves. Samuel had never held a baby
Speaker 1: of any kind before, but holding Ressie against his chest
Speaker 1: felt as natural as breathing. He put his hand gently
Speaker 1: on the baby's back. Kira picked up Samuel's green bag
Speaker 1: and set off through the forest. Samuel followed her, trying
Speaker 1: to keep his steps as smooth as he could, because Ressie,
Speaker 1: who was now asleep and snoring lightly in his ear.
Speaker 1: Through the lush, green forest they went, the lumberjack and
Speaker 1: the orangutans. Nature's orchestra of forest sounds surrounded Samuel like
Speaker 1: a comforting blanket. The rainforest felt somehow familiar to him,
Speaker 1: like a beloved home. He'd forgotten about. Kira leapt over
Speaker 1: a fallen branch that was covered in emerald green moss.
Speaker 1: Samuel carefully climbed over it, holding his hand against the
Speaker 1: back of the sleeping baby. They arrived at the place
Speaker 1: Kira called home, a small clearing set within the tall trees.
Speaker 1: A dozen or so orangutans were sitting in the shade
Speaker 1: of the trees. Some had sleeping babies on their laps,
Speaker 1: The resting around hans raised their fur covered arms in
Speaker 1: welcome towards Samuel, and again he had that wonderful feeling
Speaker 1: of meeting friends whom he'd known for years. Kira sat
Speaker 1: under a tree and put Samuel's bag down. He sat
Speaker 1: next to her. There was a quiet hush in the rainforest,
Speaker 1: and not a word was spoken between the peaceful orangutans.
Speaker 1: The lumberjack felt like he was the luckiest person alive.
Speaker 1: He couldn't stop smiling. Ressie mumbled something about Berrie's in
Speaker 1: his sleep. He let out a loud snore and his
Speaker 1: eyes opened. Who's snoring? He asked? It was you? His
Speaker 1: mother replied lovingly, are you ready for food? It was
Speaker 1: a magic word, and it woke the rest of the babies.
Speaker 1: Their little eyes opened. They stretched and yawned before jumping
Speaker 1: out of their mother's arms and moving towards their friends.
Speaker 1: Ressie was stir in Samuel's arms and asked the lumberjack
Speaker 1: if he'd like to help them find food. It's easy,
Speaker 1: Ressie said, I'll show you how to do it, and
Speaker 1: I'll let you use my stick too. It's a special
Speaker 1: stick and I always find the juiciest berries with it.
Speaker 1: Ressi got out of Samuel's arms and ran towards a
Speaker 1: leafy bush. The little orangutan rummaged about inside it and
Speaker 1: pulled out a stick that was bent in the middle.
Speaker 1: He waved it at Samuel, who said it looked like
Speaker 1: a very special stick. Indeed, Ressi returned to Samuel's side
Speaker 1: and asked him to follow him. The little orangutan headed
Speaker 1: into the forest, expertly moving the stick through the bushes.
Speaker 1: Samuel walked after him and looked at the bushes too,
Speaker 1: not sure what he was looking for. The rest of
Speaker 1: the baby urrangutans followed them. It felt a bit strange
Speaker 1: at first to be foraging for food in a rainforest
Speaker 1: in Borneo with young orangutans, but Samuel had a wonderful
Speaker 1: time and enjoyed himself very much. He was impressed with
Speaker 1: how easily hidden fruit was found, and astonished at how
Speaker 1: much fruit little orangutans could eat in one go. Ressie
Speaker 1: was happy to share his fruity feast with Samuel and
Speaker 1: even squashed a juicy fig to make it easier for
Speaker 1: the lumberjack to eat. Ressie told him his mother used
Speaker 1: to do that when he was a bit younger. The
Speaker 1: fruit was delicious, even the squashed pieces. Samuel was soon full.
Speaker 1: They collected more fruit from the forest and carried it
Speaker 1: back to the mother who were still resting beneath the trees.
Speaker 1: Ressie told Samuel he was going to play in the
Speaker 1: treetops with his friends and asked if he wanted to
Speaker 1: join them. Samuel looked upwards and saw a couple of
Speaker 1: young orangutans holding onto vines and swinging easily from tree
Speaker 1: to tree. Some were only using one hand. Samuel thought
Speaker 1: that even expert acrobats who had trained for years wouldn't
Speaker 1: move with such grace and beauty. Even though Samuel was
Speaker 1: good at climbing trees with the help of his lumberjacked hals,
Speaker 1: he wasn't sure he was ready to swing on vines yet.
Speaker 1: He said no, thanks cue to Ressi and said he
Speaker 1: would wait at the bottom of the trees for him.
Speaker 1: Samuel joined the mothers. He gazed upwards and watched in
Speaker 1: wonder as the fluffy orange gorangutans moved happily through the
Speaker 1: tall trees. He heard their joyful calls as they flew
Speaker 1: as effortlessly as birds through the thick treetops. A few
Speaker 1: leaves fluttered down and landed as softly as snow at
Speaker 1: Samuel's feet. He picked one up and put it in
Speaker 1: his bag to keep as a souvenir of this magical day.
Speaker 1: He leaned back against the warm tree trunk. His gaze
Speaker 1: softened as he looked around found the beautiful trees and bushes.
Speaker 1: The resting orangutans smiled at him with tenderness in their eyes.
Speaker 1: Love and appreciation filled the young lumberjack's heart. Kira moved
Speaker 1: closer to him and they talked for a while about
Speaker 1: how beautiful the rainforest was. Kira asked Samuel why he
Speaker 1: was in the forest. He hesitated a moment before saying
Speaker 1: he was there to harvest trees. Kira smiled the gentle
Speaker 1: smile of hers. Humans often come here for that reason.
Speaker 1: When I was little, our forest reached all the way
Speaker 1: to Cloud Mountain. I remember one day, when I wasn't
Speaker 1: much older than Ressi, I told my parents I would
Speaker 1: travel through the tree tops until I reached Cloud Mountain,
Speaker 1: and I would do it without stopping. My parents thought
Speaker 1: I was too little to do that, and that my
Speaker 1: legs weren't strong enough for such a long journey, but
Speaker 1: I was determined to do it. I took it one
Speaker 1: tree at a time, and eventually I reached my goal.
Speaker 1: That sounds like it was an amazing journey. It was,
Speaker 1: Kira replied, the fond memory of her tree top journey
Speaker 1: in her eyes. Samuel, what will happen to the trees
Speaker 1: you take down? I'm not sure. I work for a
Speaker 1: large company, and I don't know what they'll do with them.
Speaker 1: Maybe they'll be used to make houses. Kira nodded. Trees
Speaker 1: make wonderful homes. We build a nest every night in
Speaker 1: the trees. We make them out of leaves and branches.
Speaker 1: If you decide to stay here tonight, I'm sure Ressie
Speaker 1: will show you how to make your own nest. Samuel
Speaker 1: thanked her warmly and said he would love to stay
Speaker 1: the night. They didn't talk anymore about his job, and
Speaker 1: instead they watched Ressi and his friends playing joyfully in
Speaker 1: their playground in the sky. Soon, rain clouds moved across
Speaker 1: the sun. Their little orangutans returned to their mothers, who
Speaker 1: pulled them closer and moved further under the shelter of
Speaker 1: the trees. A few drops of rain began to fall.
Speaker 1: Ressie gathered some leafy branches and held them out to Samuel,
Speaker 1: as though expecting him to know what to do with them.
Speaker 1: Samuel thought they were a gift and put them on
Speaker 1: his lap. Ressie giggled, took the branch's back, and climbed
Speaker 1: onto Samuel's lap. He started to weave the branches together.
Speaker 1: Samuel soon realized he was making a leafy umbrella. Ressie
Speaker 1: gave the green umbrella to Samuel and told him to
Speaker 1: hold it above his head. Samuel did, and just in
Speaker 1: time too, because the rain began to fall heavier. Ressie
Speaker 1: settled his head on the lumberjack's chest. Samuel could feel
Speaker 1: the gentle beat of Ressi's heart. It was in perfect
Speaker 1: rhythm with his own heartbeat. The rain pitter pattered on
Speaker 1: the surface of the leafy umbrella. The lumberjack and the
Speaker 1: orangutan stayed dry beneath it, cuddled cozily together like best friends.
Speaker 1: Just as suddenly as the rain had arrived, it abruptly stopped,
Speaker 1: and the sun shone brightly again. Glistening rain drops lay
Speaker 1: like jewels on the tips of leaves. The little orangutans
Speaker 1: returned to their games in the treetops, and the mothers
Speaker 1: tended to other matters. Samuel helped the mothers where he could,
Speaker 1: but had to keep stopping now and again to take
Speaker 1: in the wonder of his day. He felt so at
Speaker 1: home in the rainforest, and the orangutans were becoming as
Speaker 1: lovingly familiar to him as his family. He noticed how
Speaker 1: the gentle smiles never left their faces, and the kindness
Speaker 1: in their eyes continued to shine brightly. The time flew by,
Speaker 1: and all too soon the sky began to darken. Ressie
Speaker 1: came down from the trees and returned to Samuel's side.
Speaker 1: He said, it's nearly bedtime. Are you staying with us tonight?
Speaker 1: I am, Samuel replied. Ressie grinned happily and said, you
Speaker 1: need a nest. I'll help you make one. Are very
Speaker 1: good at making them come with me, and I'll help
Speaker 1: you find the strongest branches and the softest leaves. Samuel
Speaker 1: followed the little orangutan back into the surrounding trees, where
Speaker 1: they collected armfuls of fragrant branches and rain washed leaves.
Speaker 1: They went back to join the others who were already
Speaker 1: building their nests in various trees. Ressi chose one of
Speaker 1: the smaller trees for Samuel to climb. The little orangutan
Speaker 1: went up first and placed the branches he'd collected in
Speaker 1: the nook of the tree trunk. Samuel took some of
Speaker 1: his tools from his bag and used them to climb
Speaker 1: the tree. Under the darkening sky. Ressi showed Samuel how
Speaker 1: to make a leap nest that was strong and also
Speaker 1: very soft. The lumberjack found it easy to do, and
Speaker 1: a nest was soon made. The little orangutan made a
Speaker 1: smaller nest at the side of Samuel's and said he
Speaker 1: would sleep there. The lumberjack and the orangutan lay down
Speaker 1: on their soft green beds and gazed at the night sky.
Speaker 1: Ressie yawned and blinked his eyes tiredly. Samuel yawned too.
Speaker 1: The full moon was surrounded by thousands of twinkling stars.
Speaker 1: Samuel had never seen so many, and they seemed to
Speaker 1: be shining more brightly than ever before. Ressi stretched out
Speaker 1: his hand to Samuel. Samuel took the little hand in
Speaker 1: his and smiled at his new friend. Ressi began to
Speaker 1: sing a soft lullaby about the forest. The other Orangutans
Speaker 1: joined in too. Samuel listened to their words as they
Speaker 1: sang about the tall trees, the flowing rivers, and the
Speaker 1: rising mountains, their beloved home in the rainforest. Right there
Speaker 1: and then, Samuel knew he did didn't want to be
Speaker 1: a lumberjack anymore. He didn't want to take any trees
Speaker 1: from the beautiful forest. It was the orangutans home, and
Speaker 1: he was going to do all he could to protect it.
Speaker 1: He would do his utter best to save each and
Speaker 1: every tree. He wasn't sure how or how long it
Speaker 1: would take, but he would do it. And just like
Speaker 1: Ressi's mother and her tree top journey to Cloud Mountain,
Speaker 1: he would do it, one tree at a time until
Speaker 1: he reached his goal. The Orangutans song of the forest
Speaker 1: came to an end. Tired yawns came from all directions.
Speaker 1: Ressie smiled sleepily at Samuel and wished him good night.
Speaker 1: In a voice barely above a whisper. Samuel said, good night,
Speaker 1: little one, sweet dreams. And in a beautiful rainforest in Borneo,
Speaker 1: the lumberjack and the orangutan held hands as they drifted
Speaker 1: into a deep, RESTful, sleepy