The Tin Bird Clangers

There it is - our Earth, our world.

A comfy place, and I'm sure if others were to come here,

we'd make t a comfy place for them, too.

And I'm also sure that if we were to venture off into the dark distance

of outer space, we would find other places just as welcoming as ours.

Oh, look - there's a nest.

The Iron Chicken's comfy nest.

Let's go and take a look.

IRON CHICKEN SNORES

The Iron Chicken's fast asleep.

Ah, who's this?

A visitor?

It looks like a bird. A bird made of...tin?

CLANGING

IRON CHICKEN EXCLAIMS

Oh! That's given the Iron Chicken a bit of a surprise.

She wants to know what's going on.

But she's scared the tin bird away.

The tin bird's gone down to the Clangers' planet.

CLANGING Hmm... She's rather noisy.

And she's woken Major Clanger up.

Major's not happy. Not happy at all.

He's off to see what's going on.

Major's asking the tin bird to stop pecking the metal lid.

CLANGING

Oops! She's fallen down the hole...

..and has slipped into the Clangers' living cave.

She seems to be looking for something.

Oh, I'm not sure that's a good idea.

SOUP DRAGON EXCLAIMS

No, the Soup Dragon's not happy.

What IS the tin bird doing with the copper leaves?

Oh! The Soup Dragon's frightened her away.

Oh, dear. She's pecking again.

And Major is telling her off again!

Oh! Major's frightened her away now.

Yes, Tiny Clanger's right.

Major shouldn't talk to visitors like that.

He should welcome them and see if they need help.

Small and Tiny are going off to see if the tin bird is OK.

CLANGING

What IS that tin bird up to?

THEY LAUGH

She's sitting on the metal lid. That's a funny thing to do!

Oh, even Tiny and Small laughing has frightened her off.

Yes, it's probably best to leave her be.

The Soup Dragon is telling Major about the tin bird pulling

the leaves off the copper trees.

Tiny and Small think that perhaps the tin bird wants to make a nest.

That's why she was collecting copper leaves and trying to sit on a lid.

They want to help her.

What would make a nice nest?

Small's had an idea.

Oh! A puffball. Yes, perhaps a puffball will make a good nest.

But then again, perhaps not.

She's even frightened by the puffball, poor thing.

Here comes Mother with some fresh clippings for the sky moos.

Clippings! Maybe clippings will do.

Mother's happy to let Tiny and Small have them.

There - a nice comfy nest of clippings.

MOOING

Oh! The sky moo doesn't like the tin bird sitting on her dinner.

Oh, well. What next?

Yes, the tin bird is a bit like the Iron Chicken,

and the Iron Chicken's nest is made out of...

junk! Yes, junk!

Ah, they know someone with LOTS of junk.

Major Clanger, of course.

Tiny and Small would like some of Major's spare junk

to make a nest for the tin bird.

ANd Major's happy for them to have some. He has more than enough.

CLATTERING

Major's wondering where the tin bird is.

Tiny tells Major the tin bird is hiding because she's scared.

Small says she's scared

because everyone keeps on frightening her away,

including Major.

Major understands. He must have seemed a bit scary to the tin bird,

and he says he's sorry.

Major's going to help out. He wants to make things right.

Oh, look. He's making a little trail of junk.

Now it's time to go and hide.

Oh! Major's plan is working really well.

The tin bird is picking up the bits of junk and following the trail...

all the way to the new nest.

Bingo! It's worked a treat.

IRON CHICKEN CLUCKS

Here's the Iron Chicken.

She's realised that it was the tin bird that she had scared off,

and she's come to say sorry.

That's right, Major. No-one should go near a nesting bird.

The Iron Chicken must stay with them.

The Iron Chicken wants to know what happens now.

Major says the tin bird is going to lay an egg.

Surely the Iron Chicken knows that!

IRON CHICKEN LAUGHS

TIN BIRD SQUAWKS

There it is! An egg.

Well, will you look at that?

It's hatching.

And there's the baby tin bird.

BABY TIN BIRD CHIRPS

The baby bird likes pecking, too! Just like its mum.

THEY LAUGH

Time to learn how to fly, baby bird.

There she goes - the tin bird with her new baby.

How wonderful to have a new baby,

and how wonderful to have it on such a kind, and welcoming,

and comfy place as the Clangers' planet.