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One Saturday morning, Bartholemew Brightleaf was awake.

It was early in the morning.

Mommy and Daddy were still sleeping.

So Bartholemew Brightleafwent downstairs, to play with letters on the fridge.

After a while, Bartholemew Brightleaf started to get hungry.

But Mommy and Daddy were still sleeping.

All of a sudden, Bartholemew Brightleaf heard some music.

Someone was whistling some really nice music.

Bartholemew Brightleaf turned around.

And there were 3 little birds, at his window.

Saying:

“Don’t worry…

About a thing…

You know every little thing

Is going to be all right

—-

Once upon a time, there was a town with no happy people.

No one ever smiled.

No one ever laughed.

No one ever told a joke.

No one ever read a funny story.

No one ever danced, or played music.

Everyone was sad or angry,

Scared, or grumpy.

But not happy.

No.  Never happy.

One day, a little boy in the town woke up.

His name was Bartholemew Brightleaf.

Bartholemew Brightleaf was eating his cereal, when he saw a bird in his doorstep.

And then a second bird flew in.

And a third.

“Hello, little birds.”, the boy said sadly.

“Are you here to make me sad?”

The birds started to sing sweet songs.

Of melodies pure and true.

Saying:

Don’t worry

about a thing

you know every little thing

is going to be all right

 

It sounded nice.

He liked it.

In fact, he liked it so much that…

What was happening to his mouth?

Bartholemew was confused.  His mouth was stretching sideways.

What was going on!

“MOMMY!! “, Bartholemew yelled as he ran to his parents’ room.

“Mommy, something is wrong with my face!”

His Mommy ran out, frightened.

“What is wrong, my Bartholemew-Darling?”

Mommy, my face was exploding!

He told his Mommy about the 3 little birds.

His Mommy smiled.

It was the first time she had smiled in a long time.

“Your face wasn’t exploding.  You were actually smiling.  We used to do that a lot, a long time ago.”

“Smiling?”, Bartholemew said?

He felt strange.

He felt… happy.

He ran to a mirror, and looked at his face.

He tried out all kinds of different smiles.

BIG SMILES.

Little smiles.

Smiles with teeth.

Smiles with no teeth.

Toothy smiles with eyes closed.

Surprised smiles with lots of eyebrows.

Sneaky smiles, with sideways glances.

Bartholemew smiled a hundred different smiles.

Bartholemew Brightleaf was happy.

But then, Bartholemew Brightleaf was sad again.

He went back to his Mommy’s room, and sat next to her on the bed.

“Mommy, smiling is fun.  Why did everyone stop smiling?”

Bartholemew’s Mommy sighed.

A deep, sad sigh.

And then, slowly, she told this story.

A long time ago, before you were born, this was a happy town.

We used to have birthday parties, and play games.

We used to have dances, and crack jokes.

We used to read fun books, and do fun things.

Until the dark cloud came.

Ricky’s eyes were wide.  “The dark cloud?”, he said.

Yes.

One beautiful, sunny day, a dark cloud came to town.”

“It blocked out the sun, and made everyone sad.”

“So people stopped having birthday parties, and playing games.”

“People stopped having dances, and cracking jokes.”

“People stopped reading fun books, and doing fun things.”

“The dark cloud mBartholemew Brightleafeveryone feel sad.”

“Birds left town.  They couldn’t sing anymore.”

“I guess those three little birds decided they wouldn’t be sad anymore.”

 

“Well, I’m not going to be sad anymore, either!”,

yelled Bartholemew, as he jumped off the bed.

Later, it was time for Bartholemew Brightleaf to go to school.

He and his Mommy were walking to school, when the dark cloud came out.

And started throwing rain down on their heads!

“Oh no, it’s raining!”, said Bartholemew’s Mommy sadly.

She opened up their umbrella.

Her head slumped down between her shoulders.

Bartholemew’s Mommy was sad.

But Bartholemew decided not to be sad.

He looked at the 3 little birds on his shoulder.

And they sang:

“Don’t worry,

About a thing

You know every little thing

Is going to be all right!”

 

Slowly, a smile crept across Bartholemew’s face.

Bartholemew ran out from under the umbrella.

“Bartholemew, come back! You’ll get wet!”, his mother said.

But Bartholemew Brightleaf started to skip.

The 3 birds chased each other around Bartholemew’s head.

“Don’t worry, Momma!

about a thing, Momma!

Because every little thing

is going to be all right, Mom!”

Bartholemew was dancing around his Mother and the umbrella.

Singing loudly.

Cars started slowing down, to see what was going on.

“Bartholemew-Robert-Barry-Alouicious-Brightleaf!”, said his Mom!

But Bartholemew would not stop dancing.

Slowly, slowly, a smile crept across her face.

She couldn’t help it.

Before you knew it, Bartholemew’s mother closed the umbrella, and started to skip in the rain, too!

She joined him in singing:

“Don’t worry

about a thing

Because every little thing

is going to be all right!”

 

People’s cars had stopped now, and folks were winding down their car windows.

They were all frowning.

But then they heard the song.

They saw the birds.

They saw these things called SMILES on Bartholemew and Mrs. Brightleaf’s faces.

And they started to smile.

They couldn’t help it!

You see, smiles are infectious.

If you see someone smiling a really nice smile, it makes you smile, too.

All of a sudden, a boy ran out of his car, into the rain!

He started to dance and sing with Bartholemew, Mrs. Brightleaf, and the 3 little birds!

Then a little girl ran out of her car, and joined them!

Then lots of Mommys and Daddy’s ran out!

Now, the kids in Ricky’s school were watching from the school windows!

They could hear the loud, happy singing and splashing!

Then the school kids and their teachers ran out of the school!

And they were all singing!

“Don’t worry

about a thing

Because every little thing

is going to be all right!”

No one noticed when a ray of sunlight broke through the dark cloud

No one noticed when it stopped raining, and the dark cloud went away.

Because everyone was already happy

Rain or shine.

This town became the happiest town in the world.

Because whenever someone was sad

They would remember the 3 little birds

They would sing:

“Don’t worry

about a thing

Because every little thing

is going to be all right…”

 

And a smile would creep across their face

Even if the thing that made them sad was still there.

You see – the more they sang

And the more they smiled

The smaller their dark cloud got

Until

it just

plain

went

away.

(poof.)

Do you have things that make you sad?

Or mad?

Sing with the 3 little birds

Smile as many smiles as you can

And go from sad or mad, to happy and glad.

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