The rocket Starlight was on a mission to explore the farthest corner of the galaxy. Luca was the captain. Layla the robot was the engineer. Hugo the alien was the cook. And the three of them loved adventures.
One day, Layla beeped, ‘Captain, there’s a planet ahead! It’s called Planet Chuckle.’ Luca grinned. ‘With a name like that, it must be a funny place!’ They landed on its surface with a gentle bump.
But the planet wasn’t funny at all. The people were grey and gloomy. They shuffled along, staring at their feet. Nobody smiled. Nobody giggled. Not a single chuckle could be heard.
‘What happened?’ asked Luca. A tired old resident sighed. ‘Long ago, the Great Giggle Stone fell into a hole. Without it, we forgot how to laugh. We’ve been sad ever since.’ Luca looked at Layla. ‘We have to help.’
Luca climbed onto a crate. ‘Knock knock!’ he shouted. The residents stared. ‘Who’s there?’ asked one, because that’s the polite thing to say. And the crew told the funniest joke they knew. ‘How does the moon cut its hair? Eclipse it!’
There was a silence. Then someone went ‘Hee.’ Someone else went ‘Ha.’ Then a baby burst out in a giggle. And a grandpa started to snort. Soon, the whole street was in stitches!
Right then, the ground rumbled. Up from the hole popped the Giggle Stone, bobbing on a bubbly fountain of laughter. It had been waiting for someone to bring back the fun. The whole planet cheered.
As the Starlight flew off, the planet danced beneath them, brightly coloured and full of laughs. ‘Mission accomplished,’ said Luca. ‘Best mission ever,’ giggled Hugo. And they were still laughing on the way home.
The little lesson
Laughter is contagious, and sharing it is one of the best gifts of all.
Let’s talk about it
- What makes you laugh the most?
- How did the crew help the planet remember to laugh?
Finish stories to collect Luca as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Space stories
Basil’s Alien at the School Gate
A green alien turns up at school. Everyone is scared, except Basil.
Mei and the Silent Planet
The crew of the rocket Starlight find a planet where nobody remembers how to laugh.
Cosmo and the Night Wish
Cosmo the robot never sleeps, but wishes he could dream like Danny does.
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