The rocket Starlight was on a mission to explore the farthest corner of the galaxy. Mei was the captain. Esme the robot was the engineer. Arjun the alien was the cook. And the three of them loved adventures.
One day, Esme beeped, ‘Captain, there’s a planet ahead! It’s called Planet Grin.’ Mei 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 Mei. 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.’ Mei looked at Esme. ‘We have to help.’
Mei climbed onto a crate. ‘Knock knock!’ she 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. ‘What’s a rocket’s favourite meal? Launch!’
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 Mei. ‘Best mission ever,’ giggled Arjun. 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 Mei as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Space stories
Cosmo and the Night Wish
Cosmo the robot never sleeps, but wishes he could dream like Danny does.
Nell’s Sandwiches in Space
Nell takes a picnic to the moon, but nothing stays where it’s put!
Nico’s Floating Picnic
Nico takes a picnic to the moon, but nothing stays where it’s put!
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