Furaha & Orko

Deep in the countryside, in a cosy little cottage by the sea, live Furaha and her brother Orko. Those two friends are different in species - lioness cub is Furaha, and Trollan wizard is Orko, but no matter how different they are, they always share in life’s little experiences together. They spend their everyday lives sharing and playing together, too.

Every morning they would wake up to a new day in their soft, comfortable bed, and race each other downstairs to breakfast. For breakfast each day, they have pancakes with bacon and eggs. Sometimes, they like to play sword fights with knives and forks when they’ve finished eating, pretending they’re knights or pirates. After they’ve cleaned up, they go out onto the beach and have some fun playing there. They build sandcastles and decorate mounds of sand with seaweed and shells, playing ‘King Of The Castle’. They splash in the sea and scavenge around rockpools, searching for the treasures washed up by the sea, sometimes finding a penny or two. Other times they would quietly sit together on the sand and watch the ocean roll in and out, in and out, as the two friends sat side by side.

They always have baths outside, because they have an outdoor bathtub. They splash and relax amongst the bubbles as they breathe in the scent of the flowers in the garden, and sometimes they play that Furaha’s rubber duck is attacking Orko’s toy boat, pretending the sea wars have already begun, or they sprinkle rose petals into the water to make it smell nice. In the evening, after they’ve dried and had tea and cake outside while watching the setting sun, they would climb the stairs exhaustingly to bed, tired out from a long day. Goodnight, Furaha. Goodnight, Orko.

Goodnight, everyone.

Home

Home. It’s where we’re headed to now. Me, Orko and Optimus. However, the way home is far off, and we have made a treacherous journey to get there. To get home, we have to swim a long mile across the Arctic ocean. But we don’t care. We’re at one with the cold water surrounding our bodies. The ocean is a blanket of welcoming water that carries us all the way home, and in its middle, there’s nothing. Nothing. Nothing to see, no whales swimming in the depths, no killer whales out to make us perish. The water carries us in her warm embrace as we swim peacefully together in the ocean, our eyes closed, feeling the wonderful chill against our fur and skin. It’s something no human being ever touched before, but we have - we’ve touched it, and it’s a sacred part of the ocean which has yet to have the first human explorers swim across it.

When we close our eyes, we forget everything and just let the water invite us to swim in its cold embrace. We’re like polar bears, swimming freely - a father polar bear and his two cubs, seeking refuge in somewhere beautiful. The sea is a crystal carpet, wanting us to lie down on it and let us lie to rest, for it’ll be our grave someday. And when it does become our grave, our spirits will turn to animals and roam the Northern Lights forever. For now, we swim. Just us three, no one else, knowing that soon, other people would swim in this uncharted water. We don’t feel the slightest chill, and icy tears fill my eyes thinking back on everything we’ve done to get through this epic journey. We’ve survived, we’ve stuck together, we’ve done everything in our power. We’ll survive…

By The Fireplace

One warm, cosy Winter evening, Furaha and Orko were sitting on the rug by a roaring fire, gazing into its inviting flames, which were dancing in the darkness of the chimney, letting off black smoke that flew into the Winter air. “You know, in the darkness of this room, I think being in front of the fire on a cold Winter’s day is the best thing that could’ve happened to us.” smiled Furaha. “I think I’m turning into a hot water bottle.” “And I think I’m turning into a velvet blanket being sat on by a huge dog,” smiled Orko. “But I think something’s missing.” “Snacks!” said Furaha, “We can’t have a night by the fire without snacks.”

Furaha came into the kitchen and went back into the living room later with a bowlful of nice, tasty sausage rolls, with two mugs of hot cocoa - one white with red snowflake patterns for Orko, and one green with daisies on it for Furaha. The two friends enjoyed their snacks and talked about what they wanted for Christmas this year. Furaha wanted a unicorn costume for Christmas, while this year Orko wanted a Wacky Duck shampoo - the wild-looking green bottle that’s scented like limes. “You know, I think you’ll smell good. As good as pondweed,” yawned Furaha, as she snuggled down onto the rug. “You know what? I think you’re right,” said Orko sleepily as he lay down, full of sausage rolls and cocoa. Furaha stared into the flames, which slowly went out, leaving her and her friend in pure darkness. All they could hear was the sound of the Winter wind outside, and they could smell the burning ashes of the dancing flames in front of them, settling to their graves, waiting for the next cosy evening.

A Brother's Warmth - Part 2

Since Orko was introduced to his baby sister, life became very simple and very fun for him. It was during her baby years that Orko had to sleep with Uzuri, because Furaha was crying and needed his company. Every morning, the sun smiled down at them through the gap in the dark black curtains, and baby Furaha woke up, crawling all over Orko and Uzuri, so Orko giggled in his sleep. When they finally woke up, Orko and Uzuri brought her downstairs for breakfast. Mpenzi was a wonderful cook, and always baked bacon and eggs for Orko and his family, and porridge for little Furaha. Orko always helped feed Furaha, who would eat porridge like a certain bear would eat from a honey pot.

After breakfast, and after Furaha was cleaned up, they would play with Uzuri in the throne room. Uzuri and Orko always played peekaboo with Furaha to make her giggle, and only Orko could make the derpiest, wildest eyes to make his baby sister laugh. Sometimes they would hide under blankets of silk and try to find each other while Uzuri watched and laughed. It was such fun. Sometimes they would go out for a bit of fresh air, mainly to the blossom orchard. There, Orko would play with Furaha and help her recognise the scent of fresh blossoms in the wind. The petals would land on Furaha’s nose, to which Orko gently blew it off - pffiffff! Orko had formed such a gentle bond with Furaha, that she could think of no one else becoming his baby sister.

Every night, after Orko bathed Furaha, to which he shared a bath with her, Orko would play a quiet tickling game with Furaha before heading off to sleep in his warm, cosy bed.

10 Things To Do If Someone Calls You Ignorant

The moody old bag

Has lost her sag

And called me a very rude name!

So here are 10 things you need to do if someone calls you a very horrid name, whether in your family, out with your support workers or at school...

10.Stay in your room.

Ah, your room. A place full of your imagination and wonder. A place full of all the things Horrid Henry was never allowed to do by his mean, horrible parents. TV, computer, writing equipment, it's every minor writer's dream.

9.Watch Earth Moods.

Nothing beats a good dose of Earth Moods. Earth Moods, being the most relaxing mindfulness show on TV, shows us full views of scenes from our planet, set to music. There is also Zenimation and Star Wars Galaxy Of Sounds to try out in case you haven't watched them yet. And they go very well with music.

8.Tell someone.

It's always important to do the right thing and tell someone if someone in your family or at school calls you a very rude name. That's bullying, and every school has included an anti-bullying message whether on TV or in the classroom. And to think, CBBC only made their Bitesize block because they hate children, am I right?

7.Ignore everything the rude person says.

Ignorant is what I was called today, and my name isn't Ignorant, I'm Sarah! So, just stick by your old name and run away should you encounter the bully of a person again.

6.Know it'll not last.

Bullying and name-calling won't last. They may be hurtful but soon, you'll understand that under their heavy hearts, they may just have a heart of gold.

5.Know we're all not chew toys.

Remember George Floyd? He changed the world due to his death at the hands of police, and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed soon afterwards. We all need to be included no matter how hurt we are over words that are either powerful or powerless.

4.Look forward to tomorrow.

What might tomorrow bring for you? My next three tomorrows will bring micro fiction stories, eating my Bluey chocolate egg and chocolate bar and going out on a picnic with mum for three hours on Monday. Just think about the good things that'll happen tomorrow, not far off into the future, because you mustn't worry about it.

3.Take some deep breaths.

When you feel upset and hurt by someone who has called you Ignorant or another mean name, take some deep breaths to calm down, or listen to music. I do these to also stop grinding my teeth, 'cause that's what the dentist ordered. Or...

2.Do sumo wrestling.

In the Bluey episode 'Stickbird', Bluey taught her dad and her sister how to take all the upset and anger from their bodies and throw them out to sea. To deal with MY upset and anger, I pretend to be a fierce sumo wrestler, entering the ring, ready to deal with my opponent, another big fat sumo wrestler. I stomp on the ground with my legs wide open, stomping out all the sadness, anger and past hurtful events, until I'm free from those negative feelings. How do you STOMP out your negative thoughts?

1.Relax.

When you want to relax after an afternoon of being called 'Ignorant' by a cranky old family member, just do some things that you love to wind down for the evening. Watch Youtube on the computer, watch Disney+, Netflix or Amazon Prime or do some doodling, like I did with the Mr Men. Speaking of, Little Miss Princess has got a wide variety of friends here. They include Kid from Sheeep, Georgina the Giraffe from 64 Zoo Lane, Kipper the dog, Horse, Indian, Cowboy, Optimus Prime, Bluey and of course Furaha and Orko. What a friendly lot they are!

Tigger's Family Tree: Aunt Michelle

Michelle is Tigger’s British aunt who had her firm roots in Manchester. When Tigger goes to see her, she often shows him tapes of her time hosting the programme Tigger TV, which was shown as part of Children’s BBC from 1997 to early 2002.

She grew up watching hours of Grange Hill, Blue Peter and Why Don’t You, and wished to be a TV star when she grew older. At the age of 7, she received her first Blue Peter badge for sending in a painting of her friend Marley, who sadly got into a car accident before she painted him. When she turned 27, she landed a role in Tigger TV in 1997. It was a series where Michelle went around interviewing children and hearing their wackiest, craziest, hard to believe stories. Tigger TV became the staplemate of children’s programming on the BBC, airing in a slot for older children alongside Blue Peter and the then new animated show Arthur. She was friends with Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq from the moment she joined the show in 1997, and she supported multiple charities, including the National Association For Broken Tails Foundation.

When Michelle is not hosting children’s TV, you can find her doing pottery, taking yoga classes, drawing fanart of DC heroes and, like all Tiggers, bouncing. Her favourite food is spaghetti and meatballs, and her favourite drink is strawberry milkshakes. She owns a cat called Pooch, a dog called Monty and a hamster named Frick. In 2002, she co-hosted XChange on the CBBC channel, and after that was the director of Blue Peter from 2007 to 2019. She absolutely hates the new CBBC, because she thinks it’s gone woke, and believes that nothing could end up like how Disney went all woke.

Bluey & Bingo - What's Up, Dogs?

When we last left Bluey and Bingo, they had gotten into all sorts of crazy antics, both on TV and online. We've already seen new episodes on Disney+, now get ready for their blog posts! First, they invite you to 'Dress Up Funny For Money' with their guide to dressing up. Next, see a guide for Easter with the best gifts and activities the Easter Bunny didn't forget to leave out for you. Finally, Gousto has partnered with Bluey to deliver a range of mealtime activities! Who's hungry? I am!

https://www.bluey.tv/blog/bluey-and-bingos-guide-to-dress-up/

https://www.bluey.tv/2024-easter-gift-and-activity-guide/

https://www.bluey.tv/blog/bluey-gousto-recipes-arrive-in-the-uk/

A Brother's Warmth

In a beautiful palace in a faraway kingdom lived Orko and his lion family - his uncle Kahawia and his four nursemaid sisters: Uzuri, Sukari, Mpenzi and Iaini. They lived a very happy life together, but Orko had a very special attachment to Uzuri, who had beautiful golden fur and acted like he was Orko’s mother, even though she was his sister. Orko lived a life full of plentiful food, a warm bed and a loving family, and he could’ve never asked for a better life.

One day, Kahawia came into Orko’s room while he was playing to remind him that the gods have blessed Uzuri, and that soon he was going to be a big brother. Orko was delighted for Uzuri, and supported her through her pregnancy. One night, Orko was asleep when he heard Uzuri screaming in pain from the throne room. Orko curiously floated into the room to investigate, and heard the screams of pain turn into sighs and coos of delight, with the cries of a newborn lioness babe. Kawahia went up to Orko and said, “Orko, would you like to come over and meet your new sister?”

Orko shyly floated up to Uzuri, and gazed at the beautiful newborn lioness cub in her arms. Uzuri let him hold his new baby sister, who felt a bit greasy from going out. It was Orko’s decision to name his sister Furaha, and everyone agreed that it was a perfect name for the new arrival. While Uzuri rested, he helped bathe Furaha amongst warm bubbles and clean water. The cheesy coating and bloody bits immediately came off, and with added irritant-free perfume, Furaha smelt fresh and clean. Now Orko had a new responsibility - taking care of his new baby sister, Furaha!

Teeth Marks

One morning, Bandit and Chilli woke up to the sound of Bluey crying. They ran into her room, where they found her gnawing at one of the ‘ribs’ of the cot. There, they discovered that she was teething, because her first tooth was coming. Chilli phoned my siblings Luke, Resus and Cleo to tell them the good news, and that made them curious about what would happen if their baby sister, who was me, started teething. Mrs Watson, Luke’s mum, said they could go and visit Horse for inspiration.

Once Mrs Watson dropped them off, Horse welcomed them inside and found the photo album on his bookshelf. Through the baby photos he showed my siblings, he mentioned that when Cowboy and Indian were teething, he bought lots of teething gel and toys so they don’t feel discomfort and pain. Whenever the pain came, he would apply the gel to their gums, and he watched as they bit through the toys - Cowboy innocently nibbled, while Indian’s chewing had power! Once his story was over, Horse took Cowboy, Indian and my siblings back to my house, where they found me playing with Bella Negative. Horse had taken his old giraffe chew toy and, as he watched Cowboy and Indian interact with me, he remembered the times when he was teething too. At the same time, Chilli had bought a new teething toy - a kangaroo, for Bluey, so she can chew in case of pain. Bluey was free from discomfort at last.

At dinner, Horse told everyone about how I would soon eat solid food should I teeth soon. Everyone was laughing over the conversation, but they laughed harder when I flung my bowl of porridge at Niles. He was covered in porridge!

The Warmth Of Eden

At the beginning of time, God created Eden. He thought making Adam and Eve would be too much work, so using all he could, he created a Trollan wizard named Orko, and a lioness cub named Furaha. He placed them in this beautiful garden so they can live in harmony with nature and its beauty - they’ve come to appreciate it more than anyone else in this world, and they loved it very much.

Every day, they would play with their animal friends. They would slide down giraffe’s necks, ride on elephants’ backs, learn to climb trees like the monkeys and run free with the wild stallion. When they were hot, they swam in the lake, splashing each other and relaxing in its cool, inviting depths. The waters of Eden were pure and healing, and whenever our friends got hurt, they would go to the lake for a swim to heal scars or bruises. They would play games in this beautiful garden too - hide and seek and tag are their favourites. Sometimes they involved all the animals, who were more than happy to join them. They shared and ate any fruit they wanted from every tree, each supple and tender berry they ate was theirs to taste - except the Tree Of Knowledge Of Good & Evil. God put a fence around the tree to make sure Furaha and Orko don’t go anywhere near the tree, and they obeyed his words wisely. When the duo were tired, they would take long naps in the grass, snuggled together like two bears in a cave.

At night, they would go to their soft, perfumed bed of flowers and fall fast asleep amongst their colours, safe in the knowledge that God will always be there to protect them and their garden forever.

An Evening In

It was a warm sunset-lit evening in Australia, and over in toddler Furaha and Orko’s house, which they shared with their parents Kiburi and Ua and their puppy Rocky, it was time to wind down after a long day of playing and having fun outside. Orko thought so when he saw the sky change from its afternoon hues of blue to a beautiful pink and yellow, as if it were rubbing its eyes and saying goodnight.

Orko and toddler Furaha settled on the sofa in their cosy house with no TV on (it’s what Orko recommended for that night) and a warm unicorn nightlight on. Orko got out a selection of yummy crisps and chocolates from the cupboard and shared them with his little sister. The crisps tasted very crunchy and cheesy, while the chocolate had just the right amount of caramel and were shaped like koalas. Orko liked to make the little koalas talk in high pitched Australian voices, and then make them scream in pain whenever Furaha ate them. It was just for fun. After they’ve finished their crunchy, caramelly meal, Orko got out his two snake puppets and entertained his sister by making them friendly and making them speak in hissy, sly voices. They told Furaha they were deadly and came from the Outback, but they didn’t mean any harm actually. They kissed and hugged Furaha, and Orko made them slither round her body, tickling her and making her wiggle with delight.

Instantly, Furaha felt a bit tired. Orko looked out of the window. The sun was slowly setting over their neighbourhood, so he decided to take her upstairs to bed. He switched off the unicorn light and carried her upstairs, settling her in bed and snuggling with her. Soon, they were both asleep.

Lunch In Three Places

One day, Furaha and her brother Orko met up with their cousin Lanka, her little brother Stanny and her friend Override in town. Lanka wanted to take them to her favourite restaurant, the Blissful Swan, so Override took them there in vehicle mode. When they stepped inside the Blissful Swan, everything was all calm and quiet. Swan boats transported you to your table, and classical music quietly played on the loudspeakers. The building was even shaped like a pristine white swan! Lanka had her favourite veggie and steak meal, and Stanny had a nice healthy strawberry yogurt. Furaha and Orko had the same, and the other customers were quiet and well behaved, with good manners. Even the children visiting seemed quiet.

Inspired by their visit, Furaha and Orko wanted to take Lanka to their own favourite restaurants. First, Furaha asked Override to take them to the DuckNBarn. Have you ever been to Brewer’s Fayre before? Well, it’s like that, except it’s shaped like a giant yellow rubber duck. When Furaha and her three friends sat at the table, they were greeted by a gaggle of waiters in duck costumes who asked for their order. Furaha ordered a cheeseburger and fries with a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. Everyone else ordered the same, but Lanka preferred the vegan burger since she’s kind to animals. On the other side of the restaurant was a soft play area, with slides and swings and rope nets and ride on cars, and even a ball pit. After they’ve eaten, Furaha and her friends burnt off their food by going to the area for a bit of exercise. The area was in a lot of bright purples, yellows and greens, and were decorated with images of yellow bananas and purple monkeys.

Ping Pong: A Tale As Old As Time - Part 1: Winter

The other day, my friends Luke, Resus, Cleo, Bluey, Bingo, Mackenzie, Honey, Coco and I were going to the countryside to visit our good friends Horse, Indian and Cowboy. Postman was already there, delivering a letter from their Aunt Rachel. However, as Cowboy and Indian were too focused on their game, Postman told us that they were ‘torn’, meaning they had to play ping pong to focus on the decision between helping Horse and playing with us. Inside, Cowboy and Indian’s game got a bit out of control, as the ball hit many walls and knocked Horse’s sleep medication off the cupboard in the kitchen and into their chicken noodle soup. So when Horse called them in to dinner, Cowboy and Indian didn’t notice and were delighted to have dinner at last. Horse raised his spoon. “To us - a perfect family, and a perfect bountiful of meals to keep us going.” “‘Waaaaaay!” the trio cheered as they clinked their spoons. But no sooner had they taken a sip then they felt their eyes grow heavy. Suddenly they collapsed onto the table and fell asleep.

Two months later, it was Winter. Postman had delivered lots of letters from Aunt Rachel recently, and Horse was the first to wake up. The first thing he saw was some CGI soup spurting into the air like a fountain. “Indian! Cowboy! Wake up! Everything’s CGI!” Cowboy and Indian woke up screaming, but when Indian realised what was happening, he slapped Cowboy round the face. “Only the soup is CGI now, can’t you see?” “Oh. Then what’s the weather?” Cowboy and the others went outside, and looked outside to see a huge blanket of snow covering the countryside. “Hooray, snow!” Cowboy and Indian shouted together.