Peter Serafinowicz - Happiness is a Watermelon on your Head CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello. I'm Peter. Have you had a good day today?

Fantastic. I hope that you're smiling.

I'm smiling because I'm wearing my fruit hat.

Am I allowed to wear the fruit hat whilst I tell the bedtime story?

Ohhh.

I love my fruit hat.

Tonight's bedtime story is about one very, very happy person

and her three neighbours who want to be happy too.

It's called Happiness is a Watermelon on Your Head

and it's by Stella Dries and Daniel Hahn.

I hope you're sitting comfortably.

At the end of the village, behind a green door

lived happy Miss Jolly with Melvin, her boar.

Each morning, she'd sit in her tree, playing a song on her cello,

whilst Melvin sang sweetly along.

"What makes her so happy?

"We really must learn," cried her neighbours,

Miss Whimper, Miss Grouch and Miss Stern.

"It's awful being miserable, day after day.

"Let's find out her secret. There must be a way."

The very next day, what a sight met their eye.

It's happy Miss Jolly, just frolicking by,

with a smile on her face and, "Good morning," she said,

with a skip in her step and a fruit on her head.

"That's it," cried Miss Stern,

"That's the trick. It's so clever.

"We need hats made of food. We'll be happy forever."

So they ran to her kitchen and rummaged about

for a nice bunch of radishes, cauliflower, trout.

Then they strapped them all on,

tied them fast, pinned them down

and stepped out delighted to dazzle the town.

Such beautiful hats, what a sight, what a show.

Did those hats make them happy now?

No.

So, they tried clocks, they tried pots,

they tried forks, they tried twigs,

fantastical whatsits and thingamajigs.

Their hats were ingenious, remarkable, mad.

But how were the women?

Still dreadfully sad.

Nothing worked. "Try the cello," said one. "Climb the tree.

"Maybe that's why Miss Jolly's more happy than me."

"That's it," cried her friends

and began their assent, higher and higher and higher they went.

But like four large, ripe fruits, so heavy and round,

they all, with the cello, thumped back to the ground.

"But wait!" cried Miss Grouch, "I've the best idea yet.

"Maybe being happy is having a pet."

Miss Jolly has Melvin, you know, what a bore.

"We will have birds," said Miss Whimper, "and monkeys galore."

"Something green," said Miss Stern. "Something long, something small."

And they did.

And what happened then?

Nothing at all.

So, that's it. They gave up. What else could they do?

They were sadder than ever. Their pets were sad too.

As they dragged themselves homeward in gloom and despair,

a giant green something came flying through the air.

It brushed past the tip of a rocking-horse hat,

as it whizzed through the air and came down with a splat.

A watermelon.

"Attack!" cried Miss J and she showered them with fruit

as she raced through the town with her boar in pursuit.

Soon the battle had spread to stupendous excess

and the whole of the town was a pink, sticky mess.

When the chaos was done, as they lay on the ground,

Miss Whimper, Miss Stern the Miss Grouch looked around.

They were covered with pips and with pulp and with goo.

One had juice in her hat. One had seeds in her shoe.

They lay there defeated, exhausted and sore,

those three sorry women and Melvin, the boar.

Then one of the women... But wait, what's this?

Could that be the trace of the smirk or a grin

or a smile on her face?

Yes!

All sticky and slimy and pink, what a sight.

They giggled and hooted and danced with delight.

"We did it! We did it!" Their sadness had passed.

They laughed and they laughed and were happy at last.

And that story was called Happiness is a Watermelon on Your Head.

Now it's time for you to give your favourite teddy a big cuddle

and get snuggled up in bed for a good sleep.

Can I put my fruit hat on again?

Oh, thank you.

See you soon for another bedtime story. Good night.

Um, can I wear this hat to bed, please?

Ohhh.