KS1 / KS2 English: The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo

NATALIE CASSIDY:This book, The Butterfly Lion, is such a wonderful story. It's about a boy called Bertie. He lives with his parents, on a remote farm in the wild countryside of South Africa.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Sitting high up in a tree, or looking out of his window, Bertie watches the beautiful elephants, giraffes and zebras come down to the water hole. But it's the lions, Bertie likes best of all. And when, one morning, he sees a baby lion cub trying to escape from some hungry hyenas, Bertie rushes out to rescue it.

NATALIE CASSIDY:"He threw open the gate, and charged down the hill towards the water hole, yelling and screaming, and waving his arms like a wild thing. Startled at this sudden intrusion, the hyenas turned-tail and ran. But not far. Once within range, Bertie hurled a broadside of pebbles at them, and they ran off again. But again, not far. Then he was at the water hole,

NATALIE CASSIDY:and between the lion cub and the hyenas, shouting at them to go away. They didn't. They stood and watched, uncertain for a while, then they began to circle again. Closer. Closer.

NATALIE CASSIDY:That was when the shot rang out. The hyenas bolted into the long grass and were gone. When Bertie turned around, he saw his mother in her night gown, rifle in hand, running towards him down the hill. He had never seen her run before. Between them, they gathered up the mud-matted cub and brought him home."

NATALIE CASSIDY:After five baths, he was finally clean, and completely white. Have you ever seen a white lion before? No?

NATALIE CASSIDY:Well, you've probably never seen a lion live in a house before, but that's what he ends up doing. He even sleeps at the end of Bertie's bed.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Sometimes I read quickly, other times I read slowly. But this was a book I read in one whole go. Because you get so involved with the story, you have to know what happens next. We've all suddenly made a new friend, I expect you have, and Michael Morpurgo, the writer of this brilliant story knows how that friendship can change the way you feel about, well, everything.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Bertie and the lion, become the best of friends. Listen. "Wherever Bertie went, the lion cub went too, even to the bathroom, where he would watch Bertie have his bath, and lick his legs dry afterwards. They were never apart. It was Bertie who saw to the feeding, milk four times a day, from one of his father's beer bottles.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Until later on, when the lion cub lapped from a soup bowl.

NATALIE CASSIDY:There was impala meat, whenever he wanted it. And as he grew, and he grew fast, he wanted more and more of it. For the first time in his life, Bertie was totally happy." But… it doesn't last. Soon, Bertie is sent away to a school in England, and the lion cub is sold, to a circus in France.

NATALIE CASSIDY:As an actress, I read scripts all of the time, but I never get tired of reading. Because I feel it's as if each page you turn, you're discovering something new. Just grab any story, and once you've finished it, think about all the new things, and all the new people that you've learnt about, just because you picked up that book.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Some books make you laugh, don't they? And other books make you hold your breath, because you can't believe what's about to happen next. Other books make you feel sad, because, the writer has made you care for the characters so much. Well, I have to tell you, that this book has all of that. I'm never going to forget reading this book.

NATALIE CASSIDY:And if you read it, I'm sure you won't either.

NATALIE CASSIDY:Before he leaves South Africa, Bertie promises, that one day, no matter what it takes, he will find his lion again. Do you think he does? Well… Many years later, a school-boy discovers the answer, when he sees another lion, on the side of a hill in England.

NATALIE CASSIDY:So what's the connection, between Bertie and this magical butterfly lion? I'll let you read the story, and find out for yourself.