00:00Look up, look down, look all around. Up in the air or on the ground. Come for a walk, come for a ride. There's so much to see, so come outside.
00:26Bright yellow petals, strong green leaves, seeds that float up on the breeze. We grow in the country, we grow in the town. Seeds as light as thistle-down. What are we? We're dandelions.
00:56Look, Pippin. I remember that ball. There wasn't much left by the time you'd finished playing with it.
01:07Hello, my dears. That's Pippin, when she was a puppy. She was only eight weeks old.
01:17I made a video with my camcorder to remind myself what she was like then. Hasn't she grown? She liked to play all the time then. She still likes to play.
01:33Oh, this won't do. I must get on with my gardening. Come on.
01:42Oh, yes. I do need to do a bit of gardening. I didn't plant these weeds here. They just grew by themselves.
02:04Not now, Pippin. Go and play. I need to finish my gardening.
02:16Mary, Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row, row, row. And pretty maids all in a row.
02:37And look what's growing in my garden. Dandelions. I know where they come from. Let me tell you the story.
02:51We were going to have a day out in the city, so I took my camcorder.
02:58old f1ll!
03:13Ugh!
03:18Oh, I know what I am going to have done!
03:21It won't be long now, Pippin.
03:40Look.
03:42There it is.
03:44Tower Bridge.
03:51First, we went to the Tower of London.
04:08There was a wonderful view of Tower Bridge and the river.
04:13Boats going under the bridge.
04:15Cars and lorries going across.
04:21Pippin, you stay there and we'll see how this looks.
04:29Come on, Pippin.
04:37Let's look at the Tower.
04:38The Tower of London was built hundreds of years ago.
04:43Come on.
04:44Let's go and see.
04:45Come on.
04:51In the old days, boats could sail up the river right to the Tower and people came in through
04:59this gate.
05:06Then we went to look for the ravens that live in the Tower of London.
05:13There are eight ravens and they're looked after by the raven master.
05:25How are you?
05:26Very well.
05:27He told me there's a story that as long as the ravens stay here, the Tower and the kingdom
05:33will be safe.
05:35The raven master had a very smart uniform.
05:42That's because he's one of the yeoman guard who protect the Tower.
05:46People also call them beef eaters.
05:49Perhaps they eat a lot of beef.
05:51That would make Pippin a sausage eater.
05:56The Tower of London is a very old building.
05:59But the city is full of new buildings too.
06:02We went to have a look.
06:05We will not.
06:06We will not, we will.
06:08We will, we will.
06:09We will, we will.
06:29We will wait.
06:31We will.
06:32We walked and walked, and then we found a place by the river where we could sit down.
06:55It was very peaceful, even though it was in the middle of the city.
07:00I was amazed how things managed to grow there, like those dandelions growing between the paving stones.
07:12Some of the dandelion's seeds had landed on Pippin's coat.
07:20If these seeds land on some soil, they might grow into new dandelion plants, even here in the city.
07:30Up in the city, in amongst the buildings, where the traffic crumbles on its way.
07:39Nothing much is growing in the busy city, except a little plant we found today.
07:47Dandelion yellow, dandelion green, dandelion growing in the city.
07:56In amongst the concrete, dandelion lives, dandelion looking very pretty.
08:04Up in the city, in the dusty city, where the people hurry on their way.
08:15No time for flowers, in the dusty city, except a little plant we found today.
08:24Dandelion green, dandelion yellow, dandelion green, dandelion growing in the city.
08:32Up in the city, in amongst the concrete, dandelion lives, dandelion looking very pretty.
08:41Oh, just a moment Pippin.
08:51Stay.
08:53You've still got some dandelion seeds on your coat.
08:58I don't want them all over my kitchen floor.
09:01There.
09:01the seeds fell on the ground
09:06and began to grow
09:09each seed
09:12grows roots and leaves
09:14the roots drink water from the ground
09:18the leaves need light and air
09:22slowly the plant grows bigger and bigger
09:28and then some flowers appear
09:31soon the petals dry up and die
09:36but now the seeds are growing
09:39each seed has its own tiny little white hairy parachute
09:45and when the wind blows
09:47they float away
09:49each one looking for a patch of soil to grow in
09:57and here they are
09:59all these dandelions grew from seeds that got stuck to Pippin's coat
10:04and travelled all the way from the city to my garden
10:08not everyone wants dandelions growing in their garden
10:12but I like them
10:14that reminds me of a story
10:17let me see if I can remember it
10:20once upon a time there was a garden
10:23in the middle of the garden was a flower bed
10:27and in the flower bed grew seven lilies
10:31they were tall and proud and thought they were very important
10:37they loved the sunshine
10:40and they loved the rain
10:43and every day they would sing
10:46we are lilies we are ground
10:49there is flowers in the land
10:51one day the lily on the left suddenly screamed
10:56oh my leaves and petals
10:58look what's growing in our bed
11:00and there beside her
11:02was a clump of dandelions
11:04the lilies were horrified
11:07go away they cried
11:09you're weeds you don't belong here
11:12you're spoiling our lovely flower bed
11:14how can we go away said the dandelions
11:19we're growing here
11:21oh yuck spit spit spit said the lilies
11:26how can we beautiful lilies share a bed with you
11:30small ugly little dandelions
11:33and they turned their heads away
11:35then they saw missus walking down the garden towards them
11:38she was carrying her garden tools
11:41oh look said the lily on the left
11:44here comes missus to do some gardening
11:47she'll be bound to dig up you horrible little dandelions
11:50and throw you on the compost heap
11:52the dandelions shivered with fright
11:56as missus came nearer and nearer
11:59and knelt down beside them
12:01she took a big pair of scissors from her basket
12:05and snip
12:08she picked one of the lilies
12:11then she picked another
12:13then another
12:14oh my leaves and petals
12:18shouted the lily on the left
12:20as she too was picked and put in the basket
12:22when missus had picked all seven lilies
12:25she took them indoors
12:27the dandelions were left safe and sound in the flower bed
12:32later that day
12:35missus put a vase of flowers in her window
12:38and there were the lilies
12:40no more sunshine
12:41and no more rain
12:43all they could do
12:45all they could do
12:45was look out of the window
12:47and watch the little dandelions
12:49living happily ever after
12:51in the garden
12:52just like these
12:57pippin
13:00come and look at your dandelions
13:01pippin
13:03wherever did you find this
13:07it's the ball she used to play with when she was a puppy
13:11look at the state of this
13:14it looks as though we're going to have lots more dandelions next year
