Noah was a good man who lived long ago. He lived on his farm with plenty of animals and his wife Lot, who worked in a lollipop factory as a lollipop taster, so she became fat and had bad teeth!

Noah was loved by the animals and birds who came to live with him because he was nice to them. There was Hopalong Syd the Gorilla and his sister Swinging Josie who lived in Noahs orchard, and Sandy and Andy Camel who carried Lot and Noah everywhere.

Then there was Zachary and Zoe Zebra, Eddie and Ellie Elephant, as well as the tigers, Toothless and Ruthless who guarded Noahs farm for him.

Toothless wasnt really ruthless because all her teeth fell out when there was nobody there.

Raucous Rodney and Jenny Raven were two birds who lived inside the elephants ears and annoyed Noah by perching in his long beard, and Fred and Freda Flamingo caught fish for Noah with their big beaks.

Two giraffes, Gerry and Gerty, painted Noahs big boat called the Ark by reaching up with their long necks with a brush between their teeth.

One day the wind shook the trees and the apples fell off. Hopalong Syd jumped for joy because gorillas loved apples, and he was able to have a good feed.

Then a loud voice boomed. It was God.

Noah! Take your birds and animals and sail away from this place. I have warned the people to be nice to you, but they have ignored me. I told them that I would punish them and they didnt believe me.

I am going to make it rain for 40 days and 40 nights! And the rain poured down.

The animals looked up at the sky and asked What shall we do, Noah? and Noah said, We must leave before the flood. But Gertie the Giraffe said, We havent finished fixing the holes in the boat.

Then Lot said, We can use the sticks I brought from the lollipop factory. Nobody wants them now because the floods coming. The elephant passed the sticks up to the gorillas who hung from ropes and hammered the nails into the sticks to repair the Ark.

What about fresh water? Asked Lot, we cant drink sea water.

Then Ellie The Elephant raised up her trunk and trumpeted loudly, saying Eddie and I will fill a barrel with water from the river.

The water was rising quickly, so Noah called to the animals, Line up in pairs and get on board, but Polly Peacock asked. Why do we have to get on in twos? Noah was embarrassed and answered, You know Im so absent minded that I forget if I count more than two.

All the birds and animals filed onto the Ark. Daisy Dove said, Where are the ravens?

Noah jumped up and cried Oh dear! His long beard shook and then Jenny Raven fell out of it.

There you are, Noah said But wheres Rodney? Then a shrill voice cried.

Im here! It was Raucous Rodney, who flew out of Ellie Elephants ear.

Percy Peacock raised his colourful tail and said, Fancy hiding in an elephants ears. I wouldnt hide in one, he said, proudly.

Zachary the Zebra said We haven got any masts or sails! Then Freddie Flamingo cried Dont worry, Freda and I will make holes in the deck with our beaks and the giraffes can stick their necks in them, and you can put sails on them.

Noah was embarrassed and asked, What shall we do for sails? I forgot to bring them with us.

Then Ellie and Eddie Elephant trumpeted. You can use your pyjamas, they said, and the Ark sailed away.

The wind blew and the sky turned black and lightening shot out, striking the Ark.

Zachary Zebra galloped along the deck crying Neigh! Neigh!

The ravens squawked and Lot screamed, for the Ark had caught fire. Daisy the Dove said, Wake the Elephants! They can put out the fire with their trunks!

What a good idea, said Noah, and Raucous Rodney squawked in the elephants ears. They woke up and trumpeted loudly, filled their trunks with water and squirted it at the fire.

Noahs long beard shook with pride as he looked at his marvellous elephants and ravens. Raucous Rodney perched inside Ellie Elephants ear and fell asleep, and his sister flew into Noahs beard.

They were all hungry and Noah had an idea. He looked at Freda Flamingo. Ive got a god job for you. Dive into the water and catch some fish for us. And she came back with her beak full of fish.

The next day Zachary the Zebra said Anybody fancy a game of football?

Yes! Came the answer.

Zoe Zebra scored the first goal for his team Swinging Kickers, but Eddie Elephant soon scored another for Big Feet United.

Zachary scored the next goal then, with the score at 10-10, Eddie Elephant passed to Zachary Zebra who kicked it as hard as he could and the ball disappeared.

Daisy Dove flew into the sky to look for it.

Wheres she going? Everyone cried.

Suddenly the ball flew out of the clouds and landed next to Eddie Elephant who trumpeted, for who should be sitting on the ball but Daisy Dove who kicked the ball and scored the winning goal for Big Feet United.

Where did she come from? Cried Eddie. Never mind that, said Noah. Where did the ball come from? It must hit have something and bounced back! Shrieked Polly Peacock. Then Noah saw a mountain, surrounded by jungle.

Just then the voice of God boomed: This is a special land for you and your friends, Noah, which I have kept for you because you have been kind to the animals and birds.

You will be happy here.

We can swing in the trees, cried the gorillas. And we can eat the leaves, cried the giraffes, and the birds sang and the tigers roared with delight.

And that was how Noah and the Ark discovered a fabulous land where they lived happily ever after.