Shansi's Dream (Story)

One fine day, Shansi was watching butterflies in the BBC Kids garden. One of them was coloured pink, and landed on Shansi’s long nose. She giggled. “I love butterflies, as much as I love my pet spider!” she said.

Look at the butterfly fly away, Shansi! Where did it go?

But Shansi just yawns, rubs her eyes, and heads to the tree. She slumps down onto her furry bottom and closes her eyes, drifting into the most wonderful dream…

And VIOLA! She’s now got beautiful pink butterfly wings. She flies in the sky with the other butterflies, over the BBC Kids garden, over the outskirts of Canada, and right over Wimbledon Common.

Great Uncle Bulgaria was shocked! “My god!” he cries, “Come out, young Wombles, and look at this!” The Wombles run out and see Shansi flying overhead. “Hello, Shansi!” they call out in unison, waving wildly. Even Alderney has made a flag to cheer on Shansi, who waves back from above.

She flies over Teletubbyland, where the Teletubbies emerge from their house and wave from down below. “Hello, Teletubbies!” calls Shansi. “Eh oh!” call the Teletubbies from down below.

She flies over Cuddles Avenue, where B1 and B2 are shocked to see her. Even the teddies run out of their house, excited that there is a Womble flying in the sky. “Hello!” they all call up to the flying, shy Womble. “Hello, everyone!” yells down Shansi, doing a cartwheel in the air. “Beautiful!” sigh Amy and Lulu, and both of them fall over in exhaustion.

She next flies over the Island Of Sodor, where Thomas and Percy were picking up passengers to take to Maithwaite Station. Suddenly, there was the noise of whooping from way up in the sky, and up above was Shansi! “Hooray!” called Thomas, “A flying Womble!” “Hello, Shansi!” calls up Percy. “Hello, Percy!” calls down Shansi, and flies away.

Finally, she flies over Byker Grove. Nicola, Charlie, Duncan, Ben and Jason are excited to see Shansi flying over the school playground and cheer loudly, waving wildly and calling up excitedly to her: “Hey!” and “Over here, Shansi!”

Shansi wished she could join them, and tried to take her wings off. But wait - they couldn’t go off! No matter how hard she tried to pull them off, the wings stayed stuck on her furry Womble back.

Suddenly, POP! The wings disappear, and Shansi falls towards a pile of manure on a farm….

And then wakes up back near the tree again. “Thank goodness,” she sighs, “It was only a dream. Butterflies never fall in a Wombles’ worst nightmare. Yuck - what could be better than smelly manure to fall into? Oh well, never mind, but…is it all a dream?”

Shansi wondered this to herself as she watched the sun go down. She tapped her chin and thought. “Is this all a dream, Mr Sunset?

Am I dreaming?

Am I even alive?”