Koko Goes Rockpooling 🐨🐡 Story Meditation for Children

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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of




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Speaker 1: original children's bedtime stories and meditations designed to make bedtime




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Speaker 1: a dream. As you know if you've been listening to




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Speaker 1: Kuala Moon for a while, Coco's home of Sleepy Forest




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Speaker 1: is a truly unique place. It's home to a vast




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Speaker 1: melting pot of diverse and wonderful characters, and it has




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Speaker 1: a majestic river running through it. The river eventually runs




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Speaker 1: out to the sea, and tonight we're going to explore




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Speaker 1: the beach that fringes the ocean with Coco. But first,




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Speaker 1: before we head there, let me warmly welcome our newest




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Speaker 1: members of Coco's Club. Hello, and thank you for joining us.




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Speaker 1: Low And from Canada. Sloane and Porter from white Rock,




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Speaker 1: be Ce, Maggie and baby brother, Obie, Thomas and Eve




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Speaker 1: from Kildare, Ireland. Cora and Finn from Melbourne. It's great




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Speaker 1: to have you here with us, and I hope you




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Speaker 1: all enjoy the extra stories and free listening coming away.




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Speaker 1: As I was saying, Sleepy Forest is an enchanted place,




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Speaker 1: and tonight, as we relax and get lulled into deep rest,




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Speaker 1: we're going to join our friend Coco, who has headed




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Speaker 1: out of the forest and is enjoying a gentle seaside stroll.




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Speaker 1: Coco begins peering into rock pools and guess who he




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Speaker 1: finds there, Little Zen, the pufferfish. Zen is our friend




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Speaker 1: who knows exactly what to do to relax, and tonight




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Speaker 1: we're going to hear how he teaches Cocoa to properly




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Speaker 1: slow down and look closely so that he can really




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Speaker 1: see the beauty in the world. This is Coco Go's




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Speaker 1: Rock by Luke Prendergast. Settle down into your bed and




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Speaker 1: close your eyes. If you'd like to, pour the covers




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Speaker 1: up to your chin so you're nice and warm, and




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Speaker 1: tuck the pillow under your head so that you're extra comfy.




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Speaker 1: Give your arms and your legs, your hands and your




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Speaker 1: feet a little shake to release all the tension that's




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Speaker 1: built up in your body over the day. And now




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Speaker 1: give your fingers and toes a big squeeze and release.




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Speaker 1: That's it. Very good. Now I'd like you to imagine




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Speaker 1: a seashell, Picture it in your mind and hold it there.




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Speaker 1: That's it, What a beautiful seashell it is. Now inspect




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Speaker 1: the seashell more closely. What color is your seashell. How




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Speaker 1: is it decorated? Is it smooth as a pearl? Or




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Speaker 1: does it have riches down it? If you were to




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Speaker 1: lift the seashell delicately in your hand and hold it




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Speaker 1: to your ear, what would you hear? That's right, you'd




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Speaker 1: hear the sea, the gentle ebb and flow, the rush




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Speaker 1: and hush of the tide as it comes in and




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Speaker 1: goes out. Let's practice our deep breaths together in time




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Speaker 1: with the sound of the tide. Take a deep, big




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Speaker 1: breath in and then slowly let it out again, a




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Speaker 1: big breath in and slowly let it out. Small breathing




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Speaker 1: and very good. This evening, we're going to meet our




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Speaker 1: old koala friend Cocoa. But we're not meeting him at




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Speaker 1: his home, the little log cabin where he lives with




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Speaker 1: the rest of his family. No, today, we're going to




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Speaker 1: meet Coco at the edge of Sleepy Forest, where the




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Speaker 1: line of trees meets the ocean. Because this afternoon Coco




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Speaker 1: pulled on his weady boots and his bright blue annorak hand,




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Speaker 1: slung his backpack over his back, and set off for




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Speaker 1: the beach. And you hear the sound of the waves,




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Speaker 1: the hush and rush of the tide like the sound




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Speaker 1: of the earth breathing. That means that Coco is here, somewhere,




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Speaker 1: ah there he is picking his way across the pebbles




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Speaker 1: at the edge of the sea. Let's say hello to Coco. Hello, Coco.




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Speaker 1: Cocoa walks across the beach, hearing the shingle crunch satisfyingly.




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Speaker 1: Beneath his bright yellow wady boots, there is a gentle breeze,




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Speaker 1: and on it you can smell the salt of the sea,




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Speaker 1: and on the fur of his face he can feel




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Speaker 1: the little droplets of sea water that are carried on




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Speaker 1: the breeze. Coco's come to the beach to day to




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Speaker 1: go rock pooling. In amongst the rocks at the edge




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Speaker 1: of the water a small pools that get filled by




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Speaker 1: the sea water. Coco has learnt from his teachers at




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Speaker 1: Sleepy Elementary School that these rock pools become the perfect




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Speaker 1: homes for all kinds of sea creatures, animals and plants alike,




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Speaker 1: and that if you put on your wet weather gear




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Speaker 1: and go and peer into the rock pools, you may




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Speaker 1: discover some quite wonderful things. So this is exactly what




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Speaker 1: Cocoa has done. Now Cocoa reaches the rock pools, steps




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Speaker 1: carefully onto the rocks, for they are slippery with sea




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Speaker 1: water and algae, and peers down into the first pool.




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Speaker 1: The water sparkles like crystal, catching the pale light of




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Speaker 1: the early evening sun. Beneath the sparkling, the water is




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Speaker 1: deep and dark. Sometimes it looks blue, sometimes it looks green,




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Speaker 1: other times it looks black as ink. Sometimes, as the




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Speaker 1: water shifts, Cocoa can see silty sand and all kinds




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Speaker 1: of white and black and gray and brown sitting at




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Speaker 1: the bottom of the rock pool, but no other creatures




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Speaker 1: just yet. Cocos scrambles cautiously over the rocks until he




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Speaker 1: has reached the second rock pool. He peers down into




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Speaker 1: the shimmering water and sees more pebbles at the bottom,




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Speaker 1: but still no creatures, And so Cocoa scrambles to yet




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Speaker 1: another rock pool and peers into the water. This time




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Speaker 1: he sees something. It's a sparkling yellow shape beneath the




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Speaker 1: surface of the water. Before Cocoa can make out what




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Speaker 1: it is, the friendly face of a puffer fish pokes




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Speaker 1: up through the surface of the water. Hello, says the




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Speaker 1: puffer fish, Hello says Coco. Who is not so much




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Speaker 1: startled as glad to see the friendly face of a




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Speaker 1: creature swimming about the rock pool. Who are you? The




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Speaker 1: pufferfish tells him his name is Zen, and Coco introduces himself. Hello, Coco,




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Speaker 1: says Zen, the pufferfish, blowing up his body full of air.




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Speaker 1: Nice to meet you. Now, Can I tell you a




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Speaker 1: little secret? Ah? Yes, please, Coco replies, I love to




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Speaker 1: hear secrets. Well, the thing is, says Zen, I've been




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Speaker 1: watching you for a few minutes. Actually, I watched you




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Speaker 1: peer into that pool over there, and then into that




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Speaker 1: pool over there, and then finally into this pool here.




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Speaker 1: Can I ask you why did you move on from




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Speaker 1: each rock pool so quickly? Well, Coco explains, I moved




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Speaker 1: on because I couldn't find any little creatures in the




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Speaker 1: pools ah si, Zen, nodding wisely. I thought that might




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Speaker 1: be the case. But let me tell you one more thing.




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Speaker 1: The trick with rock pooling is that you have to




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Speaker 1: have some patience, and you have to look very closely.




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Speaker 1: A rock pool that, on a brief inspection might appear




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Speaker 1: to be empty is actually very often with a closer




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Speaker 1: look and a dash of curiosity teeming with all kinds




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Speaker 1: of wonderful and interesting things can I show you? Coco




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Speaker 1: is absolutely delighted at Zen the Pufferfish's offer to show




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Speaker 1: him the rock pulls. He nods his head happily and says, oh, yes, please.




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Speaker 1: Zen the pufferfish gives a couple of swishes of his




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Speaker 1: tail and sails around the side of the pool. Coco follows,




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Speaker 1: and when he reaches where Zen has come to rest,




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Speaker 1: the pufferfish tells him to look deep in the water.




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Speaker 1: Coco looks at the sparkling water, at the rocks at




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Speaker 1: the bottom, and the way the tide pulls at the pool,




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Speaker 1: and then releases keep looking. Zen encourages him, don't look away,




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Speaker 1: look harder, look deeper. Coco tries to do as Zen advises,




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Speaker 1: and then, to his great delight and surprise, he does




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Speaker 1: really begin to see things in the rock pool that




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Speaker 1: he hadn't been able to see before. First, he sees




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Speaker 1: that there are not only beautiful colored pebbles at the




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Speaker 1: bottom of the pool, but tufts of swaying seaweed too.




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Speaker 1: The seaweed is dark and silky. It billows in the




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Speaker 1: water in the same way that the leaves on the




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Speaker 1: trees in Sleepy forest billow in a gentle wind. That's it,




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Speaker 1: says Zen. Look even closer. Cocoa looks even closer, and




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Speaker 1: then he sees that the seaweed contains many different wondrous colors.




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Speaker 1: Sometimes the seaweed looks green, other times it looks almost purple.




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Speaker 1: As it moves back and forth in the water, it




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Speaker 1: sparkles blue and red too, a display so iridescent. It




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Speaker 1: seems that the seaweed may well be an underwater rainbow. Oh,




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Speaker 1: whispers Cocoa. You really can see many things if you




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Speaker 1: look very closely. That's right, replies Zen, nodding his head.




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Speaker 1: Do you want to find out what else you can see?




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Speaker 1: Coco says that he sure does, and then Zen shakes




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Speaker 1: his little tail and slips gracefully through a little gap




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Speaker 1: in the rock and into the next rock pool. Coco




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Speaker 1: himself scrambles back over the wet rocks, thankful that the




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Speaker 1: thick rubber treads on the bottom of his wellie boots




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Speaker 1: stop him from slipping bound straight into the water. When




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Speaker 1: he reaches the other rock pool, Zen the puffer fish,




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Speaker 1: is already there, smiling at him kindly. Payko look, Zen says.




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Speaker 1: Cocoa looks down into the gently rippling water. Beneath the surface,




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Speaker 1: Like before, he can see many small stones and pebbles,




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Speaker 1: white stones and red stones, black stones and blue stones.




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Speaker 1: Then his eyes are light on something else. Oh, says Cocoa,




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Speaker 1: what's that? I thought it was a pebble, and then




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Speaker 1: I thought it was a shell. But looking again, it




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Speaker 1: looks like something different. Coco points at the strange thing




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Speaker 1: below the surface. It looks like a shell, shiny brown




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Speaker 1: and white in color, and ribboned with sharp seeming grooves.




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Speaker 1: That says, then the puffer fish is an oyster. An oyster,




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Speaker 1: Cocoa whispers, what's that? Is it a kind of rock?




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Speaker 1: Zen gives out a tinkling little laugh. Oh no, he




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Speaker 1: tells Cocoa, an oyster isn't a kind of rock at all.




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Speaker 1: In fact, it's a kind of animal, an animal. Cocoa




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Speaker 1: can't quite believe his ears, But as he stares at




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Speaker 1: the oyster beneath the surface of the water, he sees




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Speaker 1: its shell opening up. Inside the shell, though Cocoa doesn't




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Speaker 1: know what it is yet, Cocoa can see something bright




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Speaker 1: and beautiful and sparkling, a perfect shiny white orb. Then




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Speaker 1: he hears a little voice, Hello, Cocoa. The voice says,




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Speaker 1: my name is Oily the Oyster. It's nice to meet you.




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Speaker 1: Cocoa tells Oily the Oyster that it is nice to




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Speaker 1: meet her too. Then he asks about the shining thing




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Speaker 1: hidden beneath the oyster shell. Oh, this asks Oily, and




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Speaker 1: she opens her shell to show Cocoa the pale, glowing orb.




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Speaker 1: This is my pearl, a pearl. Cocoa says, where did




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Speaker 1: you find it? Oh, says Oily the Oyster, with a




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Speaker 1: small giggle. I didn't find it. I made it. Let




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Speaker 1: me tell you the story. Oily the Oyster told Cocoa




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Speaker 1: then that oysters make pearls when a tiny grain of




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Speaker 1: sand or a little bit of grit makes its way




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Speaker 1: accidentally through the gap in their shells. This piece of




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Speaker 1: grit or grain of sand is as dull and unremarkable




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Speaker 1: as it sounds, just a tiny bit of dirt that




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Speaker 1: you wouldn't blink twice at. But quite unexpectedly, this remarkable




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Speaker 1: bit of grit is exactly what an oyster needs to




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Speaker 1: make a pearl. When a grain of sand made its




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Speaker 1: way inside oily shell, that's when she began to get




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Speaker 1: to work. Over many many months, Oily began to wrap




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Speaker 1: the little grain of sand in layer upon layer of




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Speaker 1: a special substance, the same substance that her shell is




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Speaker 1: made of. It's like wrapping a tiny ball in layers




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Speaker 1: and layers of silk, she explains. And then after a long,




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Speaker 1: long time and much hard work, the little bit of




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Speaker 1: grit is no longer a mere piece of grit. It




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Speaker 1: is a beautiful pearl. That is a wonderful story. Koco




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Speaker 1: tells her, thank you for telling it to me. And




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Speaker 1: you would not have been able to make a pearl




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Speaker 1: without the piece of grit, he asks, Oh no, Oiley




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Speaker 1: tells him, I would not, And that is the truly




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Speaker 1: important thing. We oysters know, how even something as dull




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Speaker 1: and unremarkable as a speck of dust can often be




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Speaker 1: the start of something indescribably beautiful. A thought occurs to Coco,




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Speaker 1: Just like the ducks on the sleepy River, he says,




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Speaker 1: who grow up and turn into beautiful swans. Yes, Oiley replies,




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Speaker 1: quite delighted, exactly like that. Zen the pufferfish asks Coco




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Speaker 1: if he's ready to discover more delights in the next




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Speaker 1: rock pool, and Coco says that he definitely is. He




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Speaker 1: thanks Oiley, the oyster once more for her wise and




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Speaker 1: wonderful story, before following Zen, who slipped through to another




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Speaker 1: rock pool. What can you find in here, Zen asks him.




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Speaker 1: Coco perches on a shelf of the dark rock and




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Speaker 1: peers into the water. The pool, he thinks, seems empty,




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Speaker 1: apart from the normal pebbles at the bottom. The sound




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Speaker 1: of the sea tide fills Coco's ears. It reminds him




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Speaker 1: of the sound his mum's nails make on his back




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Speaker 1: when she's scratching an itch for him, and Cocoa likes




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Speaker 1: the idea very much that it is the sea's job




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Speaker 1: to scratch the land's back. And then, quite curiously, just




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Speaker 1: as he's having this thought, he notices things in the




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Speaker 1: rock pool that he hadn't noticed before. He sees the




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Speaker 1: shells of some limpets sucking hard on the surface of




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Speaker 1: the rocks. He sees seaweed drifting back and forth like




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Speaker 1: long fronts of hair. He sees bright red and enemies




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Speaker 1: waving their frilly red tendrils through the water. Then Cooko




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Speaker 1: sees something moving in the water, and he notices that




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Speaker 1: a crab has been hiding in the crevice of a rock.




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Speaker 1: The crab creeps out from his hiding place, clicking his




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Speaker 1: claws and greeting Hello, says Coco. Why good evening, says




00:21:37

Speaker 1: the crab, clicking his claws again. Cooko asks the crab




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Speaker 1: why he's hiding. The crab explains that he slips into




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Speaker 1: the nooks and crannies in the rock and hides there




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Speaker 1: very motionless, waiting for little morsels of food to pass by.




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Speaker 1: Then as they do, he can reach out and take




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Speaker 1: them in his clicky little claws. Often. He says, that's




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Speaker 1: the best way to do things. Bide your time, have patience,




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Speaker 1: and wait for the perfect opportunities to come to you.




00:22:16

Speaker 1: Coco nods and says he understands. It's just like waiting




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Speaker 1: at the bottom of the tree for a juicy fruit




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Speaker 1: to fall, rather than trying to climb up and pluck




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Speaker 1: the ones that aren't ready yet. Sorry to disturb you,




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Speaker 1: mister crab, Coco says, you go back to your lurking,




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Speaker 1: and with a click goodbye, the crab slips back into




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Speaker 1: his rock crevice. I have one more friend. I want




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Speaker 1: you to meet, Coco, then, the pufferfish tells him. Coco




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Speaker 1: crawls over the rock to meet him at the other




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Speaker 1: side of the rock pool, where he's delighted to discover




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Speaker 1: a bright orange starfish lying against the rock. The starfish




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Speaker 1: blinks her bright big eyes at Cocoa and waves with




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Speaker 1: one of her five arms. Hello, friend of Zen, She says,




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Speaker 1: my name is Stella. It's very good to meet you.




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Speaker 1: Coco says that it's very good to meet her too,




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Speaker 1: and he tells her that Zen has been showing him




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Speaker 1: all of the wonderful creatures and discoveries that are to




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Speaker 1: be found in the rock pools. Oh yes, sighs Stella




00:23:47

Speaker 1: the starfish. The more you look amongst the rock pools,




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Speaker 1: the more you'll find They truly are a never ending gift.




00:24:00

Speaker 1: Would you like to know one of my favorite things




00:24:03

Speaker 1: about these rock pulls? Oh yes, please, Coco replies. Okay,




00:24:11

Speaker 1: says Stella. But in order to see it, you have




00:24:15

Speaker 1: to be just like me. You have to lie down




00:24:19

Speaker 1: on the rock on your back. Coco does as Stella says.




00:24:25

Speaker 1: He turns over and lies with his back on the rock.




00:24:30

Speaker 1: Then he looks up and he can't believe his eyes.




00:24:36

Speaker 1: Up above him, the sky stretches out like a dark




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Speaker 1: blue cloth. The sun has set, evening has come to




00:24:47

Speaker 1: the sea at the edge of sleepy forest, almost without




00:24:51

Speaker 1: his noticing it. And that dark blue cloth of the




00:24:57

Speaker 1: sky is dotted with thousand, if not millions, of stars.




00:25:04

Speaker 1: It is as though someone has taken a needle and




00:25:08

Speaker 1: embroidered the sky with gold and silver threads. They sparkle




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Speaker 1: and shimmer, a whole galaxy of twinkling stars. This is




00:25:23

Speaker 1: why you can always find me lying on this rock,




00:25:27

Speaker 1: Stella tells them, because from here you can look up




00:25:32

Speaker 1: to the sky and fill your eyes up with stars.




00:25:38

Speaker 1: Maybe that's why they call me a starfish too, not




00:25:43

Speaker 1: only because I look like a star with my five arms,




00:25:47

Speaker 1: but because I feel so connected to them too, and




00:25:53

Speaker 1: love to look up at them when they come out




00:25:55

Speaker 1: at night. And sometimes, you know, when I lie hear




00:26:00

Speaker 1: a long time and listen very closely, I can hear




00:26:07

Speaker 1: them singing to me, all those stars. It's like a




00:26:15

Speaker 1: chorus coming down from the sky. And sometimes I even




00:26:21

Speaker 1: sing back to them. Would you like to sing to




00:26:26

Speaker 1: the stars with me? Coco and Zen the pufferfish say




00:26:32

Speaker 1: they would love to sing to the stars, and so,




00:26:37

Speaker 1: following Stella's lead, they sing a soothing lullaby up to




00:26:43

Speaker 1: the sky, and when they're finished, In the silence that




00:26:48

Speaker 1: comes after their song, Hoko swears that he can hear it,




00:26:55

Speaker 1: a shimmering, far off ethereal sound, the sound of the




00:27:01

Speaker 1: stars singing back. Coco and Stella the Starfish, and Zen




00:27:09

Speaker 1: the puffer Fish all gaze up at the sky, listening




00:27:15

Speaker 1: to the sound of the stars lullaby. Then Coco gives




00:27:22

Speaker 1: a big yawn. He hasn't realized how tired he is.




00:27:30

Speaker 1: I'm for bed, he tells Zen and Stella. He thanks




00:27:37

Speaker 1: Stella for showing him the star song, and he thanks




00:27:41

Speaker 1: Zen for guiding him around the rock pool so magnificently.




00:27:49

Speaker 1: I can't wait to come back, he says, and he




00:27:55

Speaker 1: means it. Then Coco makes his way back through sleepy forest,




00:28:03

Speaker 1: back to the cabin, where his warm bed will be waiting.




00:28:10

Speaker 1: What an afternoon he has had. There have been so




00:28:15

Speaker 1: many things that he's discovered at the rock pool. The




00:28:20

Speaker 1: seaweed billowing beneath the surface, Oiley the oyster and her




00:28:26

Speaker 1: story about how pearls are formed around grains of meager sand,




00:28:33

Speaker 1: Stella the starfish and her sky full of stars, and




00:28:40

Speaker 1: of course Coco's new pal, then the pufferfish. What a




00:28:47

Speaker 1: day it's been when Coco gets back to his cabin.




00:28:54

Speaker 1: He is very tired. He brushes his teeth, put on




00:29:00

Speaker 1: his pajamas, and crawls into his delightfully warm bed. Outside,




00:29:10

Speaker 1: he hears the wind in the trees, the sound of




00:29:14

Speaker 1: the leaves whispering to each other. He smiles to himself




00:29:21

Speaker 1: as he falls asleep, and then at last he drifts




00:29:29

Speaker 1: into a deep and peaceful sleep, full of dreams of




00:29:36

Speaker 1: magical stars singing their celestial lullabies. D