Happy PantsQ: Why did the crab never share?
A: Because he's shellfish.
This week's episode of Happy Pants is all about sharing! Geraldine and Rebecca will share some stories and silliness with you, as they share tools with one another to build a very fun and potentially risky billy cart! Join them as they take turns racing it down the hill. Oh no Rebecca, look out! We need you back here in one piece for storytime!
One, two, three. It's happy pants.
G'day, and welcome to Happy Pants, a show specially for kids and especially for you. My name is Geraldine.
And my name is Rebecca.
And together.
We're your happy pants team for today.
Are you wearing your happy pants today? We are today. My happy pants are a deep, dark purple. And this kind of purple makes me think of the way a cello sounds when it's played long and slow.
Mine are purple too. If purple was a feeling, it would be the way it feels to be outside on a warm summer night with a gentle breeze touching your skin.
You are happy to have lots of pockets.
They do indeed, and they're always crammed with interesting things.
Okay, let's investigate pocket by pocket. I have two tea bags.
Oh, and I have two cups.
I have a book called Kart Racing for beginners.
Mm. That sounds interesting. And I have a wooden box and a length of timber.
Well, this is hard to get out. It it it's two big wheels.
Oh, this pocket has two small wheels and a length of rope.
Last pocket. I think it's two metal rods, and they look as if something screws onto the ends.
There's something jammed down right at the bottom of this one. Hang on. Oh. Oh. A packet of Band-Aids.
Wait a tick. Oh. Just as well I didn't sit down. It was a packet of biscuits in my back pocket.
Oh, yum. We are supposed to do something with all these things. Hmm. Any idea what that something is?
Not yet. I have an idea what we can do with the tea and cups, though. Polly, put the kettle on. There's a dear.
Oh. Sounds like a plan. We can have a cuppa while we think. And my name's not Polly, by the way.
I know, but Polly put the kettle on. Sort of works, doesn't it? We can share those biscuits, too.
Ah, that was a nice cup of tea. Have you worked out what all the other things are for?
Not yet. We used the tea and cups and we shared the biscuits. And that leaves a book, a wooden box and a length of timber.
Mm. Two big wheels and two small wheels.
And then there was the length of rope and the two rods with screw ends.
Well, and don't forget the band aids.
Oh, we we could stack all those things in the wooden box. Mm.
True. Except the timber. That's too long. Ah. I think I'll sit down for a bit. I think better when I'm sitting down. Oh. Ouch.
What's the matter, Bec?
Oh, there's something hard in my pocket. And I sat on it. Oh, it. Let me get it out. Oh, it's nuts and bolts and a really funny looking swivel thing.
Big word alert to swivel is to turn from side to side.
Now that rod. Those wheels screw onto the end. See? And that piece of timber has holes bored through it. Oh, and look, there's a mark on it which says cut here. I'll go get a saw.
And the book. Look, it's about how to build and race a Billy cart.
What on earth is a Billy cart?
Well, it's a box on wheels, and someone can sit in it and be pulled along. Or.
Uh. Or what?
It can be used for racing downhill. See, the book tells you how to make one. There's even a drawing to show where everything goes and how to put it all together. And Happy Pants gave us all the bits. All we have to do is follow the instructions.
Oh, that's so Cool. First cut that length of wood where it says cut here. Then we'll put it all together. That's what those nuts and bolts were for.
That calls for some working hard music. Can you help us build a Billy cart? There might be some hammering and sawing music. There might be some thinking music. There might even be some riding fast downhill music and some more for pulling the card back up the hill for another go. Find a comfortable place and let the music tell you what to do.
There. That Billy cart looks pretty good. Just screw those wheels onto those metal rods. And we have a four wheeled carriage in which to ride.
How do we steer it?
Hmm. Well, that's what the swivel was for. See how the swivel is fixed to the bottom of the front? Timber. The rod with the small wheels go through it so the wheels in the front can swivel. That rope is tied on either side near the wheels. So when you pull it, the wheels turn in the direction you want to go.
Oh. Got it. Now, where can we go to try it out?
Hmm? Well, there's a long sloping path in the park. We could use that.
Oh, yeah? Yeah, that's the one that leads down to the river. Oh, that'd be a lovely long ride. And we can take turns.
Well, we shared making our billycart so we should share the fun of riding in it. Let's go!
Actually, we share lots of things. We share our books. We're always swapping interesting books.
Yeah, we share the jobs around Happy Pants headquarters.
And what else? Oh, friends. We're both friends with the same people.
Yeah. And we don't share other people's secrets, though.
No. If a friend trusts you with a secret and you tell someone else, it isn't a secret anymore. Uh, it's a bit hard when you're asked to keep a secret. Some secrets are bad. And maybe you should tell someone else a grown up, perhaps.
Mhm. It's better not to have any secrets at all. Except the ones about surprise parties and Christmas presents, of course.
Talking about sharing. We've just shared pulling our Billy cart all the way to the top of the hill, but only one of us can fit in to ride it down the hill. So who goes first?
Let's toss for it. Heads or tails?
I'll have, uh, tails.
Mhm. Uh, okay. Oh it's heads. So me first. Then I'll pull the cart up the hill so you can have a go.
Remember there are no brakes. So don't forget to turn off the path before you reach the bottom. Swivel the wheels around so you run off into the grass. That'll slow you down. The grass is soft and green by the river. So even if you do tip over, you should be okay. Hop in and I'll give you a push to get started.
Oh, it's a tight fit. Feet on the front bar. I've got the steering rope. All. All set. Push off.
We gosh, that thing really does move much faster than I thought. We. Don't forget to turn back. Turn, turn or you'll end up in the river. Hang on, keep swimming and I'll be there in a tick.
Oh, I was going so fast. And I was having such fun that I completely forgot about steering.
I noticed, and that's an interesting hairstyle, Rebecca. Duckweed might become the new fashion. And a yabby.
Oh, and a yabby. Ah, the Billy carp floats. Oh, I'll shove it over so you can drag it out.
Give me a hand and I'll pull you out first.
Are you ready for your turn?
Um. I think I'll give it a miss. Duckweed yabbies aren't really my thing, but thanks for offering to share.
How about we just sit here in the sun while I dry out a bit? We can think of things that are shared. Or could you pass me a Band-Aid, please? Happy pants. Must have known I'd take some skin off my elbow. Ouch.
Here you go. Happy pants thinks of everything. How about sharing food? Every day we share meals with our families.
And we share games too. You can't play football on your own. And we share food and fun with friends when we have parties or barbecues or picnics to.
Got your happy pants on. I do. It's happy pants on Vision Australia radio.
We share a house with our family. You might share a room with your brother or sister.
And you might share your seat on the school bus with someone.
Your teachers share their knowledge with you.
Your doctor shares their skill with you to keep you healthy.
Artists and musicians share their talent with you to give you pleasure.
Most drivers share the road by obeying the road rules.
Not sharing means being selfish and that word says it all. Selfish. Someone who thinks only of themselves and what they want.
Mm. A selfish person might put their bag or feet on the seat on a crowded bus, so no one can sit next to them.
A selfish person might use all the hot water so the next person has to shower in cold water.
A selfish person might talk loudly on their phone in a cinema while everyone is trying to watch the film.
I think I like sharing people better. Talking of sharing. If your friend had four juicy apples and gave you half of them, how many would that be?
Mm. Delicious. Um. Four apples? Half of four. Mm. Half means two equal parts. So half of four is two. My friend would give me two apples. Geraldine.
Indeed. Now five friends decide to buy a tub of raspberry ripple ice cream to share. And the tub costs $10. How much will each friend have to pay?
Five friends. $10. Hmm. How much? Each. Hmm. Five. Lots of two makes ten. So, $2 each.
Brilliant. Now, bananas. Your teacher comes to school with a box of bananas to share with the children for play lunch. There are 30 bananas in the box. There are usually 28 children in the class, but Bojangles Binks is absent for the morning. How many children are present.
Am I right? Well, usually 28, but one is away. So 28. Take away one. That leaves 27 children.
The bananas are shared out for play lunch. How many will be left in the box?
Well, we had 27 kids and 30 bananas, so. 27. How many more to make? 30. 27. 29. Three. There will be three bananas left in the box. But how about Bojangles Binks? Can we save one for him?
Wouldn't be fair shares if you didn't.
So three bananas left. Take one out for Bojangles. That leaves two bananas left over. Mm. We just had. A big word alert. Two new big words absent. That just means not there or away and present. Which means, well, the opposite there. Some people are really selfish. They don't even think of sharing. They are often lonely because nobody likes to be around selfish people. They are no fun at all.
Our story today is about someone like that. No one wanted to be his friend because he was so selfish. He wouldn't share the river with any of the other animals. And when he found himself with a painful problem, no one was willing to help. No matter how much he wailed with pain. No matter how many tears he shed, no one came to help until, well, you'll have to listen to the story to find out what happened.
Yay! Story time.
The Selfish Crocodile, written by Faust and Charles and Michael Terry. Deep in the forest. In the river lived a large crocodile. He was a very selfish crocodile. He didn't want any other creatures to Creatures to drink or bathe in the river. He thought it was his river. Every day he shouted to the creatures of the forest. Stay away from my river! It's my river. If you come in my river, I'll eat you all. Oh, so there were no fish, no tadpoles, no frogs, no crabs, no crayfish in the river. All were afraid of the selfish crocodile. The forest creatures kept away from the river as well. Whenever they were thirsty, they went for miles to drink in other rivers and streams. Every day the crocodile lay on his great big back in the sun, picking his big sharp teeth with a stick. But early one morning the forest was awakened by a loud, groaning sound. Oh. Something was in terrible pain. The creatures thought that it was an animal caught by the crocodile. Oh! Groan, groan. But as the sun came out brightly, they saw that it was the crocodile who was in pain. He was lying on his big back, holding his swollen jaw, and he was crying real tears. The creatures drew closer, but not too close. Some of the creatures felt very sorry for the crocodile. What's the matter with him? Asked the deer. I don't know, said a squirrel. Maybe he's going to die. Chirped a blackbird. If that happens, it'll be safe to go in the river. Grunted the wild pig. The animals thought about this. They hung from branches. They hung from vines. They buzzed in the air, and they shook their heads as they watched the great big crocodile in pain. No animal tried to help. Suddenly a little mouse appeared, sniffing the air. He ran along the crocodile's tail, then onto his tummy. Oh! The other creatures stared. Look at that mouse, chattered a monkey. He's either very brave or mad. He's going to be eaten for sure, said an iguana. The mouse crept along the crocodile's big neck and into his open mouth. There was a hush in the forest. The mouse got hold of something and pulled and pulled and pulled. Then he put it on his shoulder and walked out of the crocodile's mouth. There was a loud cheer from the astonished creatures. The crocodile sat up and said, oh, I don't feel any more pain. It's all gone. Then he saw the mouse walking down his tummy, carrying an enormous crocodile tooth on his shoulder. Your bad tooth was giving you the toothache, answered the mouse, turning around to face the now smiling crocodile. Do you want it back? Oh, no, no, no. Get rid of it. And when you've done that, come back. I'll have a present for you. The mouse went and buried the bad tooth under a tree. And when he returned, the crocodile had a nice juicy nut waiting for him. As the crocodile watched the mouse eating the nut, he said to him, you were very clever getting rid of my toothache. And kind too. I am so grateful. But what shall I do if my toothache comes back? Oh don't worry. I'll help you take care of your teeth, answered the mouse, nibbling. Soon the crocodile and the mouse were best of friends, and one day the crocodile sent all the animals an invitation. Please come to drink and bathe in the river. I won't hurt you. The river belongs to us all, he said. The creatures weren't afraid to drink and bathe in the river any more. Although the crocodile was sometimes snappy, they grew to love him, and soon the river was full of fish and tadpoles and crabs and crayfish.
That was a reading of The Selfish Crocodile by Faust and Charles and Michael Terry. The reader was Rebecca, and if you like stories of Felix. Children's library has lots from which to choose, and they have stories in large print, braille or audio.
So what have we done today? We talked about sharing. Did you know that sharing makes you feel good inside?
We built a Billy cart and Rebecca went for a ride and a swim. Well, I don't think she meant to do the swim bit, though.
I did not. Geraldine. There were three big words. Swivel, which means to turn from side to side. Very useful for steering. Billy carts absent, which means not there or away and present, which means they're the opposite of away.
If there was anything in today's program about which you would like to know more, you can contact us on radio at Vision Australia. Org. Keep wearing those.
Happy pants and we'll catch you.
Next time.
Happy pants is produced on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people. Vision Australia Radio acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians, and the traditional owners of the land across our working area. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future in maintaining their cultures, countries and their spiritual connection to the lands and waters. Vision Australia Radio acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. Happy pants has been made possible with the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
