Hamilton's Hats CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello. My name's Ben. I wonder if you can help me.

I'm trying to decide which hat I should wear.

This one is quite nice, sparkly.

But there's this red one.

There's lots to choose from.

Tonight's story is all about a little pig who loves wearing hats.

Would you like to hear it? Great!

It's called Hamilton's Hats by Martine Oborne and Axel Scheffler.

Hamilton the Pig was very fond of hats.

He had big hats, small hats,

tall hats, floppy hats,

stripy hats, feathery hats and

-suitable-for-every-and-any-occasion sort of hats.

-BOING!

In fact, he had so many hats

that you would need more than all your fingers and toes to count them.

When Hamilton the Pig's mum

saw Hamilton messing about in his hats, she worried.

"Hamilton," she would say, "You are a very vain little pig

"and I do not know what is to become of you.

"You have many lessons to learn in life

"and will learn none of them from hats."

But Hamilton did not listen.

He was too busy tipping and cocking, raising and straightening

and doing all the other things you do with hats.

One day, Hamilton the Pig was out and about

when he bumped into a giraffe.

Hamilton was wearing a tall,

teetering, high-as-a-chimney sort of hat.

"My hat makes me almost as tall as you," he said to the giraffe.

The giraffe snorted, and with one fell swoop snatched up

the hat and flipped it onto her head.

"Hmm, indeed. A very fine hat," she said,

ignoring the hot cross piglet below.

"I should like to keep it for myself.

"But if you are really determined to get your hat back,

"you must climb up my long, long neck to get it."

Hamilton looked up at the giraffe's long, long legs and long, long neck.

It is not easy for little pigs to climb,

but Hamilton did want his hat back.

And so he decided to do it.

It was horrid.

The giraffe kept wriggling her neck

because she said Hamilton was so tickly.

But Hamilton was determined.

And so at last he got his hat.

"Whee!" he cried, as he slid down the back of the giraffe's neck

and bumped down to the ground.

"I am a very determined pig and I have my hat."

The next day, Hamilton the Pig was out and about

when he came across a crocodile.

Hamilton was wearing a fierce, pointy,

snap-your-tail-off sort of hat.

"My hat makes me almost as fierce as you," he said to the crocodile.

The crocodile yawned, and with a quick slurpity-slurp,

snaffled the hat deep inside his mouth.

"Slurp! Hmm, indeed. A very gobblesome hat.

"I should like to eat it for my dinner," drooled the crocodile,

ignoring the raging pink piglet.

"But if you are really brave enough to get your hat back,

"you must come inside my hungry, hungry jaws to get it."

Hamilton looked at the crocodile's hungry, hungry jaws

and his hungry, hungry smile.

It is not easy for little pigs to jump inside a crocodile's mouth,

but Hamilton did want his hat back.

And so he decided to do it.

It was terrifying.

The crocodile kept licking his lips

because he said Hamilton was so tasty.

But Hamilton was brave, and so, at last, he got his hat.

"Hoorah!" he shouted, as he leapt off the crocodile's tongue

and ran off as fast as he could.

"I am a very determined and brave pig and I have my hat!"

The next day, Hamilton the Pig was out and about

when he met a band of monkeys.

Hamilton was wearing a round,

bouncy, let's-play-catch sort of hat.

"My hat makes me almost as playful as you,"

he said to the band of monkeys.

The monkeys laughed. With a quick flick of the tail,

one monkey swiped the hat and threw it to his friend.

"Hmm, indeed, a very fun hat. We should play with it every day,"

cried the monkeys, ignoring the angry piggy in the middle.

"But if you are patient, you can have it back when we are finished."

Hamilton watched the monkeys throw his hat high, high into the air.

It is not easy for little pigs to be patient,

but Hamilton did want his hat back.

And so he decided to do it.

Oh, poor Hamilton. It was boring.

The monkeys played for hours

because they said it was such fun teasing Hamilton.

But Hamilton was patient, and so, in the end, he got his hat.

"At last," he sighed,

as he said goodbye to the monkeys and plodded off.

"I am a very determined, brave and patient pig, and I have my hat."

The next day, it was cold.

Hamilton the Pig was out and about as usual when he spied a tiny mouse.

Hamilton was wearing a soft, teeny, let's-cuddle-up sort of hat.

"My hat makes me almost as small as you," he said to the mouse.

The tiny mouse sniffed and looked up at the hat.

A slow, miserable tear rolled down her cheek.

"What's the matter?" asked Hamilton.

"I'm cold and I have no house to live in.

"Your hat looks so cuddly and warm.

"It would be just the thing to curl up inside on a winter's night."

"You want to sleep in my hat?!" squealed Hamilton, horrified.

"Oh, no," said the tiny mouse.

"I could not possibly ask you to be so kind as to give me your hat."

Hamilton looked at the mouse as she limped unhappily away.

It is not easy for little pigs to be generous, and Hamilton did not

want to give his hat away, but he decided to do it.

It was nice.

The mouse kept shaking his hand and saying thank you

because she said Hamilton was so kind.

"Ah!" said Hamilton.

"I am a very determined, brave, patient and kind pig,

"but I have no hat."

So, happy, hungry and hatless, Hamilton the Pig arrived home

and set to work on a new and very special hat.

And that story was called Hamilton's Hats.

I really liked Hamilton's bouncy, let's-play-catch sort of hat.

Which was your favourite? Hmm? Good choice.

Tonight, I would like to dream of hats.

Magic hats, hats that can dance, hats maybe made of gingerbread.

But now it's time for you to journey into the world of dreams.

So settle down, snuggle up and sleep tight. Night-night.