I Wish I Was Driver Dan's Story Train

All aboard!

It's Driver Dan's Story Train!

-Hello, everyone!

-Hello, Driver Dan!

# Which of our friends are we going to see?

# Which of our friends do you think it will be?

# Climb aboard and travel with me

# All aboard the story train!

# All aboard the story train! #

TOOT-TOOT!

Looks like Twinkle's spotted someone. Can you see who it is?

They're really bouncy.

And hoppy too!

Loopy's hoppy. Is it Hop?

She's really hoppy.

You're right, it's Hop! Precious is here too.

Now watch this! You can't stop the Hop!

You CAN'T stop the Hop!

Whoo-hoo!

Hee-hee-hee! Hop, stop making me laugh.

My hump is aching!

TWEET-TWEET!

Hi, Hop! Hi, Precious! That looks fun.

Now, where there's a Hop, there's always a...

-Always a Hip!

-That's right. But where is he?

Have you seen Hip?

-No. He was here earlier.

-Just before Hop started her funny hopping.

Hmm. I'll have a look in there.

Who is it?

It's Driver Dan. Is everything all right, Hip?

I'm counting my pebbles.

Oh... Hip always counts his pebbles when he's upset about something.

It's just I...

I wish I was funny like Hop.

I wish I could make people laugh and want to play with me.

-If you don't make someone laugh, it doesn't mean they won't play.

-Oh.

-Hip! Come and see my skipping.

-You'll love it. It's so funny!

OK. Who wants to go to Story Corner?

-Yes!

-Oh, yeah!

-Me!

-Me, please!

Hip, what do you think? Would a trip to Story Corner help?

Yes, please, Driver Dan.

All right, then. We need to pick someone else up first.

Maybe then you'll feel like joining in again.

TWEET-TWEET!

I wonder who our last passenger will be?

I think it'll be Sweetie.

-How do you know?

-I always guess right.

Let's find out!

-TWEET-TWEET!

-OK, Twinkle, I'm coming.

Are you ready too? Then let's go!

ALL: All aboard the Story Train!

Ooh! Driver Dan!

Amazing! How did you guess it would be Sweetie?

-Because we're brilliant.

-Yeah, we guess right.

Are we going to Story Corner? Are we?

Oh, yes. And that's not all.

-Hop! Come and show Sweetie your skipping.

-Come on, Hop!

Yay! Don't stop the Hop!

THEY GIGGLE

Hee-hee! It's the funniest thing ever.

You're so funny, Hop!

Hip! Come and play with us!

You'll really like it.

It's fun!

I'll be out when I've finished counting my pebbles.

36, 37, 38...

-I haven't seen Hip yet.

-Hmm.

Who is it?

-It's me again!

-And me too.

Why don't you want to play with us?

Oh, you don't want me. You want Hop.

Are you sure about that?

Why aren't they laughing or skipping?

Because they all miss you, silly!

-Come and play.

-It's not the same without you.

Oh, is there room for me to skip too?

For as long as you like!

-Who wants to see my flop-eared flip?

-THEY GIGGLE

I think Hip is just as funny as Hop. Don't you, Twinkle?

TWEET-TWEET!

All he needed was to remember that his friends love playing with him.

Come on! Why don't you all get on the Story Train together?

Coming! Hooray!

-Oh-ho-ho-ho, yes!

-Yeah, yeah!

Everyone's on board, Twinkle. Are we ready to go?

-Are you ready too?

-ALL: Yeah!

Then let's go! All aboard the Story Train!

All aboard!

-I love a good story.

-I would like one about skipping.

Skip, skip, skip!

One about playing together.

ALL: Yeah!

Here we are. Story Corner.

Who's ready for a story then?

We are. Is it about funny skipping?

No, not skipping. There, I know just the book!

Is everybody settled down, and ready to listen?

-Ready, Dan!

-Ready and waiting!

And all of you? Sitting down comfy and ready to listen?

-ALL: I'm ready, Dan.

-It's story time!

This story is called The Little Weed,

by Dave Ingham, with pictures by Vivienne Heath.

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

Weed looked up to the sky. "Ooh," it said. "What a wonderful place.

"And what's this I spy, spy?"

"Hello, Weed," said a dry, dry voice.

Weed saw Lizard and gasped. "Ooh!" said Weed. "What marvellous marks.

"I wish I had marks like that."

Is the little weed sad?

No, I don't think so. It just wants to look like the lizard.

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

Weed had grown this high.

"Ooh," Weed said. "What a wonderful place. And what's this I spy, spy?"

"Hello, Weed!" said a flitting voice.

Weed saw Hummingbird and gasped. "Ooh," said Weed,

"What fabulous feathers. I wish I had feathers like that."

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

Weed had grown quite high. "Ooh," it said. "What a wonderful place.

"And what's this I spy, spy?"

"Hello, Weed!" said a sniffling voice.

Weed saw the mouse and gasped.

"Ooh," said Weed, "Your whiskers rule!

"I'd like some like that."

Ooh, this weed wants to be like everyone!

Apart from itself.

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

the weed grew really high.

"Ooh," it said, "What a wonderful place. And what's this I spy, spy?"

"Hello there, Weed," cried a high-up voice.

Weed saw Canary and gasped.

"Ooh," said Weed, "I wish I could fly. I wish I could fly like that."

TWEET-TWEET!

Yes, we know you can, Twinkle!

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

the weed now touched the sky.

"Ooh," said voices all around, "What can we spy, spy?"

"My marvellous marks aren't a patch on that."

"And my feathers now seem old hat."

"And I feel I've lost my hum, and my whiskers feel humdrum."

"I think you'd better take a peek

"before I drop this from my beak."

Sitting in the middle of a dry, dry field,

Weed was now in bloom.

"Ooh," said Weed. "Are you sure that's me?!"

"Yes!" said the crowd. "And we all agree

"we all wish we were you!"

And that's the end. What did you think?

-With hummingbirds.

-Wow!

Hum-hum-hum. Flap like a canary!

Where's Hip? He's not sad again?

And I'm me!

THEY ALL LAUGH

Ha-ha! There can only ever be one Hip.

And now it's your turn. Which bit did you like best?

Come on, it's time to show me the story.

I'm as tiny as a little weed. Look!

-Look at my canary wings.

-I'm a canary too.

-I'm flying around.

-So am I!

I'm a lizard, creeping about.

I'm cleaning my little mouse whiskers.

And I'm running like a mouse.

I'm not a weed, I'm a beautiful flower.

I'm getting taller and taller and taller!

Wow, what a lovely flower. It's very pretty.

Thanks for showing me the story. All those wonderful creatures.

The canary, the hummingbird, the lizard...

The little weed soon cheered up when he knew that everyone liked him.

He was special, wasn't he? His friends liked his lovely flower.

That's right, Hip. He just needed to remember that he was special too,

just like everyone else.

Glad you all enjoyed the story, everyone.

But now it's time to go. All aboard!

ALL: All aboard the Story Train!

All aboard! All aboard!

Bye, everyone, it's time to go. Let's come back soon,

because we all love stories!

ALL: Bye, Driver Dan! Bye!

I like the silly rhyming stories.

I like stories with happy endings.

I like stories about flowers.