The Longest Night
A quiet bedtime story about the night before Christmas morning when everything is still and one child cannot sleep. About 6 minutes to read aloud.
Choosing by the minutes you have
Each story on this page carries its read-aloud time in minutes, and so does the story itself. Both are stated plainly, because choosing a story is as much about the ten minutes before bed as it is about taste, and a parent scanning the list at half past seven needs to know which one will fit.
The time comes from how long the words take to say aloud, not from how long the story feels once you are in it.
- Short: for the night there is only a few minutes before lights out.
- Longer: for an evening with time to spare, read in one sitting or split across two nights.
- Younger range: simpler sentences and fewer characters to keep track of.
- Older range: stories that ask a little more patience of the listener.
All the stories are listed further down this page with both figures shown, including The Longest Night, The Greencoat and The Pudding Problem.
The stories
Six to choose from, each with a read-aloud time, so you can pick one that fits the minutes you actually have.
The Greencoat
A story about a figure in a green coat who walks through a village on Christmas Eve and leaves something behind at every door. About 7 minutes to read aloud.
The Pudding Problem
A funny story about a Christmas pudding that will not set and the increasingly unlikely attempts to fix it. About 2 minutes to read aloud.
What the Robin Saw
A gentle story told from a robin's view of Christmas morning in a garden, seeing things the family inside cannot. About 4 minutes to read aloud.
The Box of Stars
A story about a child who finds a wooden box in the attic that is older than anyone in the family can remember. About 6 minutes to read aloud.
The Last Cracker
A story about a family Christmas dinner where one cracker is left on the table and nobody wants to be the one to pull it. About 6 minutes to read aloud.