It was Baby’s Birthday.
And Mr Punch had organised a Party in the Park.
All Baby’s friends had been invited.
Baby was bouncing up and down with excitement as Judy walked with him through the gates.
In the garden around the bandstand, Mr Punch was waiting for them with all Baby’s very excited friends and a big bunch of balloons.
Baby luuurrrrved balloons.
But it was a very windy day and a sudden gust of wind blew all the balloons out of Mr Punch’s hand. He ran after them, trying to catch them but they sailed clean away and got stuck in the trees all around the bandstand.
Baby wasn’t pleased.
The Park Keeper saw what had happened and he wasn’t pleased.
Especially as all the birds thought it was great fun to pop the balloons with their beaks.
Pop, Pop, Pop. went the balloons. And all the Park Keeper’s precious trees were covered in bits of balloons.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Every ‘pop’ made the Baby more upset.
“Let’s play some games!” shouted Mr Punch to distract everyone.
All the children gathered around and Mr Punch announced the Grand Treasure Hunt.
“Now kids,” said Mr Punch, “who wants to go on a Treasure Hunt.”
The children jumped to their feet. They were now even more excited.
“I have hidden some goody bags …” said Mr Punch.
But before he could finish the sentence, the kids rushed off all over the park to look for the goody bags.
“ … in the garden round the bandstand” Mr Punch finished saying to no-one.
He and Judy and the other mums and dads set off after the children. It took some time before they had all been rounded up. The last one had to be brought back by the Policeman who had been called because there were sightings of children racing around the park,
looking under bushes, digging in sandpits and looking through old ladies’ shopping.
This party was not going to plan.
Baby was now beyond upset.
And Judy had a look on her face which spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
To Judy’s increasing annoyance, Mr Punch then disappeared.
“Great,” she thought, “I have a peeved Park Keeper, a tutting Policeman, a bad-tempered
Birthday Baby and Mr Punch goes walkabout.”
Then they heard a voice from behind a huge bush.
“Who would like some birthday cake?”
Appearing from behind the bush came Mr Punch pushing the most enormous birthday cake you have ever seen.
All the children’s mouths dropped open.
Mr Punch wheeled the huge birthday cake to the middle of the bandstand.
The children gathered round licking their lips.
Mr Punch stood next to it and picked up a drum on which he started to play a long drum roll.

‘Rat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat a tat … TAT!’
And, on the last beat, out of the top of the cake, burst … the Crocodile.
The children gasped. Then the children cheered. Then the children jumped up and down and then cheered some more.
The Crocodile beamed his wide, wide smile.
Oh, how he loved the spotlight.
The Crocodile gave portions of the cake to all the kids who munched away happily.
The Crocodile also munched away. It was banana cake. His favourite.
Mr Punch looked pleased as .. well .. Punch and Judy and the Policeman and the mums and dads all looked on relieved and opened a bottle of wine.
‘Well’ Judy said to Mr Punch, ‘What next?’
Mr Punch nodded towards the Crocodile who had finished his cake. The Park Keeper was brushing his teeth with his brilliant bamboo brush.
”After all that cake”, said Mr Punch, “it’s time for this” and he threw toothbrushes to all the kids.
They all joined in the Brush-a-long Song.
‘That’s the way to do it
That’s the way to do it
That’s the way to do it
That’s the way to do it
If you want a smile like a crocodile
That’s the way to do it.'