The Leaf That Refused to Fall 🍂🍃
Cornelius is a leaf in Willowbrook Park with one firm belief. He is not falling. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. While every other leaf in the entire park cheerfully flutters off to do autumn properly, Cornelius clings to his branch like it is the last sensible thing left in the world.
It starts as a simple act of stubbornness. Cornelius watches the other leaves drift down in twirls and spirals, landing in enormous piles that children stomp through with absolute delight. He is not impressed. Falling looks chaotic. Falling looks windy. Falling looks unpredictable. Falling looks like the sort of thing that ends with a pigeon laughing at you, and Cornelius has his dignity to consider.
So he grips. He holds on. He ignores the gentle suggestions from neighbouring leaves who keep drifting past with cheerful waves and encouraging shouts about how lovely it is down there. Cornelius is staying exactly where he is, thank you very much.
Then the biggest storm in fifty years arrives.
The wind does not ask permission. The rain does not negotiate. The whole park begins to roar and shake, branches whipping about like they are trying to escape their own trees. Cornelius grips harder. His veins ache. His edges flutter in a way that feels deeply undignified. And then, in one enormous gust, his grip fails entirely.
One moment Cornelius is clinging to that branch with heroic determination, the next he is airborne, spinning like a tiny helicopter, completely out of control. He ricochets off the tail of a very surprised squirrel who was minding its own business gathering acorns. He bounces past a crow with the most judgemental face Cornelius has ever seen. He tumbles through the air in ways that would be graceful if they were not so obviously accidental.
And then he lands. On the pond. In the most undignified splash imaginable.
That is when Geoffrey the duck gets involved. Geoffrey was having a perfectly normal day. Geoffrey did not request a leaf passenger. Geoffrey is also not the sort of duck who enjoys surprises, especially leaf shaped ones that land on his head whilst he is trying to have a peaceful paddle.
But Cornelius is now on a journey. A ridiculous autumn adventure through mud, wind, puddles, and the sort of unexpected moments that only happen when you finally let go of the thing you thought was keeping you safe. He skitters across wet grass. He gets stuck to a dog's nose. He flies into a bush and has to negotiate his way out past three confused sparrows. He discovers that falling is not the disaster he imagined. It is chaotic, yes. It is unpredictable, absolutely. But it is also oddly exciting.
This is a funny bedtime story for kids who love nature stories with personality, animal side characters, and silly chaos that still feels safe. It is also for grown ups who want audio stories for children that make everyone laugh without winding the house up before sleep. The comedy builds beautifully with the storm, the characters are ridiculous in the best way, and then the story settles into a warm ending that makes it a lovely cosy bedtime story.
Perfect for family listening in autumn when the leaves are actually falling outside, for after school wind down when everyone is feeling a bit wobbly, or at bedtime when you want giggles that calm down instead of bouncing off the ceiling. If you are searching for wholesome humour and funny bedtime stories for kids with a gentle message about bravery, Cornelius is ready to prove that the scary bit is sometimes the fun bit.
Mr Morton's Barmy Book of Bonkers Bits is wholesome family storytelling with a bonkers twist. Performance driven, kind hearted, and never mean.
Episode length: approximately 9 minutes
Ages: 4 to 400
Best enjoyed: bedtime, car journeys, after school wind down
If Cornelius made your child laugh, follow the show for more stories that turn ordinary moments into wholesome chaos.
