The Story of Herbert and the Watermelon of Doom 64 Zoo Lane

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane... #

Hello, I'm Lucy.

I live at 64 Zoo Lane and I have some very special neighbours. Look!

# There's one with a hump and one who can jump and one who is plump

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane

# Some like it hot and some like it chilly and some like it silly

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane

# Some are friendly, some are scary But not one is ordinary

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane

# Some are spotty, some are stripy Prickly...woolly...furry...slimy

# Some are quite big, some are small And Georgina is incredibly tall

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane # 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane. #

Bedtime, Lucy! >

OK, Mum.

Hello, everyone. ..Oh-h!

ALL: Good evening, Lucy.

-Why are you all standing in line?

-ALL: No reason.

You're acting very strange.

-ALL: No, we're not.

-Yes, you are.

Tell me, Boris, or I'll tickle you.

Ha-ha-ha! No! Ha-ha-ha! All right, I'll tell you.

We've got a surprise for you.

-Don't bother. It's boring.

-It's Victor the crocodile.

I wanted to surprise you with a story.

-I should've realised this lot couldn't keep a secret...

-Oh-h!

..unlike my friend Herbert the warthog.

Now he could really keep a secret.

-Would you like to hear my dramatic story?

-Mmm.

It's called Herbert And The Watermelon Of Doom.

-Aggh!

-Yes, please!

Every day, the animals in Africa get together for some fun.

One day, I decided to join them at a water hole.

'Ere, guys, this is fun, eh?

What? What? What have I done now?

You're tail-splashing. That's not allowed.

-I was only having fun.

-And you were snapping your jaws.

-No, I wasn't.

-BOTH: Yes, you were!

All right, then, I was.

-That's mean!

-And nasty.

Crocodiles are supposed to be mean and nasty.

Perhaps today you could go elsewhere to do your mean and nasty splashing?

ALL: Mmm!

I'll show them. Mean and nasty's more fun, anyway!

'So I planned my revenge.'

# Hm-hm-hm! Watermelon! Hm-hm-hm! Watermelon!

# Hm-hm-hm! Watermelon! #

-Psst! Herbert! Over here!

-Oh.

-Hello, Victor.

-Nice watermelon you've got there, Herbert.

-Thanks, Victor.

Did I ever tell you about my favourite watermelon?

Frequently...but I'd love to hear it all over again.

Years ago, during the rainy season,

I was climbing the eastern slope of the Blue Mountain and there I saw it!

Perfectly round with yellow zigzags -

inside it was squidgy and juicy and...oh!

If you'll be my friend, I'll give you this watermelon seed.

It's a very special seed.

It is?

Yes, the watermelon from this seed

-will be the sweetest, juiciest ever.

-It will?

Plant it up on Table Mountain. It'll grow faster up there.

Er...don't tell the others.

That way you don't have to share any of it.

Just a little secret between us, eh?

Thanks, Victor.

Hee-hee-hee!

'Herbert buried the watermelon seed on top of Table Mountain.

-'It sprouted right away.'

-Oh!

Yes!

'Soon the watermelon was as big as a baby hippo.

HIPPO CRIES

'Herbert kept it "our little secret".

'Daily, he slipped past his friends

'to watch his secret watermelon grow and grow.'

-Where's Herbert?

-I don't know.

-Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for ages.

-There he is.

Where are you going, Herbert? Oh, no...nowhere special.

Can I come? No! No, er...finish your drink.

< Oh.

Strange.

Very strange.

Good morning, watermelon!

-'Herbert's watermelon had grown as big as a rhino.'

-Uh-oh.

The watermelon - it's really big, it's dangerous!

It could roll from Table Mountain and land in the water hole.

-Exactly.

-But then we'd have no water.

Serves those animals right for not playing with me.

But that's mean and nasty.

Exactly. Hee-hee-hee!

Hey, Herbert! Er...not now, Zed.

I wonder what he's doing.

'Herbert tried to support the watermelon

'so it wouldn't roll down Table Mountain.'

Oh!

'Herbert decided to eat the melon - nobody would know what had happened.

'He nibbled and gnawed and champed and chewed, but it was no good.

'The enormous watermelon grew quicker than Herbert could eat.

'The melon was so big it could be seen from miles away

'and everyone knew about it.'

Why didn't you tell us about this?

Oh, Victor the crocodile told me not to.

He said it was "our little secret".

That was mean and nasty. Oh.

-Hee-hee-hee! Exactly!

-Anyone fancy a bite?

I think we may have a problem here.

Let's see. The melon is here and the water hole over here.

According to my calculations, it will soon be so heavy,

it will roll down, flatten the baobab tree, bounce on Audrey's nest

and land in the water hole - there!

My nest will be ruined! We'll have nothing to drink.

-And I'll lose my scratching post.

-Hee-hee-hee! Exactly.

I'll find a good place to watch it all go wrong.

Hee-hee-hee!

'Nelson had an idea.'

Everybody ready?

ALL: Yes!

OK, Natalie, chew that stalk.

Yee-hah!

Ha-ha! Yee-hah!

Oh-h!

Why does it always happen to me?

Oh-h! Oooh! Ha-ha!

Stop it! Oh-h! Ho-ho!

You're tickling! Ha-ha!

ALL: Exactly! Ha-ha!

-Do you like to be tickled, Victor?

-No, I don't.

It's time for bed. I told the story so I say goodnight.

-Oh, Victor!

-Don't expect me to say anything nice.

Don't worry. I know you like to be mean and nasty.

Exactly.

Anyway, it's time for bed now.

-ALL: Goodnight, Lucy!

-Goodnight, everyone.

Sweet dreams.

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane... #

Subtitles by BBC Broadcast 2002

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane

# 64, 64, 64 Zoo Lane! #