Original subtitles

[cheerful music]

*

- Oh. - [laughing]

- * Dancing through springtime flowers *

* And rays of summer sun

* Catching white snowflakes on your nose *

* Running through autumn leaves *

* That float from trees on high *

* With our love that is bigger than the sky *

* Guess how much I love you

* Guess how much I love you *

* Guess how much I love you

* Guess how much I love you *

* Guess how much I love you

* Guess how much I love you *

* Guess how much I love you

female narrator: It was very, very early

on a crisp winter's morning.

Little Nutbrown Hare and his father

were both sound asleep.

But someone was up.

- What's that sound?

- [humming]

Wake up, Mr. Nutbrown Hare!

- Oh!

- Oh, isn't it beautiful?

- Very.

But what is it?

- [yawns]

It's called holly.

- I'm going to put it somewhere special.

There.

- [giggles]

Now you can look at it all winter.

- Thank you for thinking of me, Little Field Mouse.

It's lovely to wake up to a gift.

- But I didn't give it to you.

- You didn't?

- No.

It was already there when I arrived.

That's why I woke you up.

- Mm-mm, I didn't put it there either.

- Then who did?

Oh, look, tracks.

- Do you know who they belong to?

- They could be baby deer tracks.

both: Little Spotted Deer!

- Is she back?

- Let's find out.

[both giggling]

[playful music]

*

This is where the tracks stop.

- And this is where the holly came from.

- But there's no one here.

[both giggling]

- I see you, Little Spotted Deer!

- Boo! [both squeal]

[all giggling]

- Hello, Little Spotted Deer.

How nice to see you.

- I've come to play with you today.

- Hurray!

In that case, it will be an extra special,

doubly, triply fun day.

- Thank you for the holly, Little Spotted Deer.

It was a lovely gift.

- You're welcome.

- It was such a surprise to wake up to.

- Yes!

Little Nutbrown Hare was so surprised,

his ears went like this!

[all giggling]

- What if we give some holly to all our friends

as a surprise gift?

- Good idea!

Then they could wake up to it just like you did.

- That sounds doubly, triply fun to me.

- Let's hurry, before they all wake up.

[playful music]

*

Lucky Little Gray Squirrel is always sleeping

in the wintertime.

- How do we get the holly way up there?

- We can leave it here for him to find when he wakes up.

[all giggling]

*

[all giggling]

*

I wonder if Otter is asleep inside.

- [snoring] - Ah!

- [giggles]

- He's in there, all right.

- And he's asleep.

Let's go! - [sighs]

But I'm puffed from all this hopping and prancing.

- I'll take you for a ride.

Jump on!

Whoa-ho!

*

- [sniffing]

Ah, now where did I leave breakfast?

Ah, yes.

Oh, what's that?

Ah, this is very special.

Ugh, and a bit prickly.

Mm-hmm.

That's good.

Hmm, but who gave it to me?

Somebody tricky.

I know!

It must be Little Redwood Fox.

And I see her tracks

all mixed up.

That's very tricky.

[laughs]

Little Redwood Fox, come out.

I know it was you.

Oh!

- Oh, hello, Little Gray Squirrel.

- Look!

- Oh, what a lovely gift.

Thank you.

- I didn't give it to you.

- Then who did?

- I got some too.

I thought you gave me the holly.

Hmm...

But that would be very tricky.

- It looks like someone is surprising us

with these beautiful gifts.

But who?

- Hmm...

- Look at these tracks.

- Hmm...

Who ever could they belong to?

- Let's follow them and find out.

They're too big to be Little Field Mouse's.

- And there's too many of them

to be just Little Nutbrown Hare's.

- Hmm, the tracks are following the river.

- Of course!

It's Otter!

- [yawns]

Ooh, how beautiful.

Mm...

Oh, I know what that is.

It's a, um-- it's a--

let me think.

It's--

both: It's holly!

- No, don't tell me.

Oh, you just did.

Oh, yes, it's holly.

Oh, thank you.

What a lovely gift.

- Oh, it wasn't Otter.

- What wasn't me?

- Someone is surprising us with holly.

- Look, more tracks.

Bye, Otter!

- Bye!

[both giggling]

- Oh, the tracks stop here.

- And this is where the holly came from.

But there's no one here.

all: Boo!

[all giggling] all: Surprise!

- So it was you who gave us the holly.

- Very tricky.

[all giggling]

Thank you.

Your gifts are very lovely.

- You're welcome.

- And you're it!

[all giggling]

narrator: As the friends continued their fun day

playing around the holly bush, the sun soon began

to sink in the sky, as it does on short winter days.

- You can't catch me!

It's time for me to go now.

Thank you for this doubly, triply fun day.

all: Bye! - See you next time!

narrator: It was also time for everyone else to go home.

But Little Nutbrown Hare had one last thing to do.

- Oh, before you go,

this is for you.

- Oh, thank you.

I'll put it in a special place.

Good-bye!

- Bye!

It all started when Little Spotted Deer

gave me the holly.

And then we gave holly to everyone

as a surprise gift.

- Oh, was that fun?

- Oh, yes.

It still feels good.

It feels warm inside.

But not like the warmy feel when you have a full tummy,

a bit like how you feel when you run through the meadow.

- Could that feeling be joy?

- Yes, that's it, joy.

- And you spread that joy today by giving those gifts.

- Yes.

I like spreading joy, Big Nutbrown Hare.

[gasps] Oh, no! - What is it?

- I forgot to bring back some holly for you.

I didn't give you a gift.

- But you did give me a gift.

- I did?

- Because you are my greatest gift.

Can you guess how much I love you?

- As much as spreading joy?

- Yes.

And you give me joy every single day.

narrator: One cold winter's morning,

the moon was still in the sky.

Little Nutbrown Hare woke up

to discover that his father, Big Nutbrown Hare,

was not there.

- Big Nutbrown Hare?

Where are you?

- I'm right here.

Good morning.

- Morning?

- Oh, yes.

The beginning of another beautiful winter's day.

- But the sun isn't up.

How can it be morning?

- Because it's the shortest day of the year today.

It's called the winter solstice.

- Well, if the sun isn't up in the morning...

- Whoa!

- I'll call it Topsy-Flopsy Day,

because things feel all mixed up.

- Topsy-Flopsy Day? Really?

- Ha-hoo!

Hello.

- Still up, Little White Owl?

- Don't you know it's morning already?

And morning is your bedtime.

- Yes, I love the shortest day of the year

because it means I have my longest night.

- I don't love it very much.

- Maybe a story would cheer you up.

- Maybe.

- One morning, a long time ago, the sun woke up late.

- Just like me.

- [chuckles]

- It was the middle of winter.

The pale sun looked down over the meadow and yawned.

[yawns]

- Was the sun tired?

- Yes.

Because she worked so hard shining brightly

from dawn until dusk every day of the year.

- Hmm.

When I'm tired, I go to bed early.

- And that's exactly what the sun did.

The sun slept for longer and longer each night.

Mornings became dark and gloomy.

And snow covered the meadow.

- Just like now.

Oh!

- Finally, the sun was so rested,

from that day onwards, she woke up earlier and earlier,

and soon the winter snow melted,

and new flowers bloomed.

- Because it was spring!

- That's right, Little Nutbrown Hare.

- I love that story.

- Thank you, Little White Owl.

- [yawns]

Well, it's way past my bedtime now.

See you later.

Ha-hoo! - Good night!

Sleep tight!

See you in the evening light.

- Come on, then.

Time for some breakfast.

- [sighs]

- What is it, my Little Nutbrown Hare?

- If it's the shortest day of the year today,

I'm not sure how I'm going to fit everything in.

- Huh, well, what do you need to fit in?

- More than I can count on both paws.

I have to eat breakfast, explore our meadow,

help you dig for food in the snow,

play with my friends.

Hmm, then I have to come home,

talk to you about my day,

guess how much you love me.

- Oh, and don't forget I have to guess how much

you love me too.

- Yes!

We can't miss that.

And go to sleep.

- Whew!

That is a lot to fit into one day.

- And more than anything, I'd like to find the sun

a flower to thank her for shining for us.

- What a kind idea.

Although it might be hard to find flowers

in all this winter snow.

- Oh, yes.

And hard to get everything done when it's...

- Whoo!

- Topsy-Flopsy Day!

- I'm sure you'll find a way, Little Nutbrown Hare.

- We'll just have to do everything very extra fast.

What are you waiting for?

- Coming!

narrator: By the time the sun was up,

Little Nutbrown Hare was busy exploring the meadow,

searching for a flower for the sun,

while his father, Big Nutbrown Hare,

was busy finding food buried deep in the snow.

- Oh!

[both chuckling]

Some tasty roots for later.

- Found one!

- A flower?

- No, a friend to play with.

[giggles]

- Eek!

Little Nutbrown Hare, it's too early to play.

- But Little Field Mouse, you slept in.

- Huh? I did?

- Yes.

And I need you to help me find a flower for the sun

before she goes to sleep.

- Oh!

Hey!

Everything's upside down and back to front.

- That's because today is Topsy-Flopsy Day...

A day when everything feels mixed up.

- Whoo!

[both giggling]

- Have fun, you two.

I'll see you back at home, Little Nutbrown Hare.

Have a fun Topsy-Flopsy Day.

- Bye!

Whee!

[both giggling]

- Oh!

- Look at me!

I'm walking on the sky!

- Me too.

But there are no flowers in the sky.

- Oh.

Little flowers, where are you?

- Come out wherever you are.

- Huh?

- That's not a flower.

- [giggling]

- Hey!

- Little Redwood Fox, come out!

I've got something to show you.

- Not fair.

- Little Redwood Fox, you are right.

- I am?

- Yes, because on Topsy-Flopsy Day,

you have to throw snowballs at yourself.

- Whoo!

I got me!

Good shot.

[both giggling]

- What are you doing, apart from throwing

snowballs at yourself?

- Looking for a flower to give to the sun.

- But it's Topsy-Flopsy Day.

So we're doing everything upside down.

Whee!

- And front to back.

- Why?

- Because it was dark like night when I woke up this morning.

- Today is the shortest day of the year.

- And everything feels all mixed up.

Oh, no!

- What is it, Little Nutbrown Hare?

- Look.

The sun is already low in the sky.

She will go to sleep soon.

And I haven't found her present yet.

- Maybe we can trick that sleepy sun

into staying up a bit later.

- Really? How?

- We'll look for a flower backwards.

[giggling]

- Very tricky, Little Redwood Fox.

Then the sun will think time is going backwards too.

- Idea good very!

[giggles]

- Whoa, whoa!

Come on!

- Look out below!

Whee! - Whoa!

[all giggling]

- Wow.

Look at this.

- Did you find a flower?

- I don't know what I found.

- Whatever it is, it's beautiful.

- It's a Topsy-Flopsy Flower made out of ice.

- I think you're right, Little Field Mouse.

- And I think the sun will love your present.

- Well, you better give it to her quickly.

She's nearly gone.

- And so am I.

Good night!

- Sleep tight!

- See you in the morning light.

Hello, sun!

Thank you for shining.

Here's a special flower for you.

- I'm very proud of you, my Little Nutbrown Hare.

- You are? - Yes.

You found a flower that grows on the shortest day of the year.

both: Whoa!

narrator: Little Nutbrown Hare was very tired

after such a Topsy-Flopsy Day,

and was already in bed.

- So did you fit everything into your day?

- Well, I found the sun a flower,

explored our meadow,

helped you dig for food in the snow,

played with my friends.

- And that's nearly everything you had to do.

- I'm so sleepy.

I nearly forgot to ask you an important question.

- And what would that be?

- I love you how much guess.

- Well, I love you more than the sun,

because you shine so brightly all day and all night.

Even when you're fast asleep.

- That is a lot of shining.