"I love you right up to the moon - and back."

First published nearly 15 years ago, the story of Little and Big Nutbrown Hare's efforts to express their love for each other has become a publishing phenomenon, selling more than 18 million copies worldwide and inspiring a TV cartoon series. Written by British writer Sam McBratney.

A STORY WITH LOTS OF COMPARISONS !

Little Nutbrown Hare who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.

He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much I love you", he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love you this much," he said.  Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.  That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.  I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea.  He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.  "I love you all the way up to my toes" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes." said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

"I love you as high as I can hop!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.  I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.  He was almost too sleepy to think anymore.

Then he looked beyond the thornbushes, out into the big dark night.  Nothing could be further than the sky.

"I love you right up to the moon," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare.  "That is very, very far."  Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves.

He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon - and back."

HARE= /heə*/ A kind of wild rabbit. Here it is used as a surname.

HELD ON TIGHT= (hold-held-held) If you hold on to something, you take it or brace yourself around it so as not to fall down. If you hold on tight, you take or hold it tightly, strongly.

GUESS= To predict (a result or an event) without sufficient information.

STRETCHING OUT= If you stretch out your arms, you open them as far as they can go (as you can see on the video).

REACH= To reach is to extend your arm, usually in order to take something which is a bit far from you.

I WISH I HAD= To express a wish, we use the verb TO WISH + a past tense.

TUMBLED= To tumbel is to fall or roll end over end.

UPSIDE DOWN= When the top part is down and the bottom part is up.

TREE TRUNK= The part of a tree that goes from the ground up to the branches.

HOP= Jump.

BOUNCING= To bounce is to rebound, to jump up and down more than once.

BRANCHES= The wooden parts of a tree where leaves grow.

SLEEPY= When you are sleepy you feel very tired and want to sleep.

BEYOND= Farther away than.

THORNBUSHES= A kind of prickly bramble (see picture)

FURTHER= Farther (comparative of FAR)

WHISPERED= To say something in a very soft and low voice.