Chapter 3: What a Surprise, Barney!

"These are really fun surprises, Barney." Linus said as Lucy, Frieda, Violet and Patty Swanson were vacuuming up some dust from the recent hoedown. Just then, a group of three teenagers-two girls and one boy-popped up from one of the windows.

"Barney's always been full of surprises." The male teenager said as the kids and beagles jumped up in surprise. "So has Snoopy."

"That's right." The two female teenagers agreed.

"Who goes there?!" Peppermint Patty asked in shock.

"Calm down, Peppermint Patty! It's us!" the teenage girl with the long reddish hair exclaimed. "Your friends!"

"I'm so glad to see you three have come to my sing-a-long." Barney smiled as the three teenagers entered and gave the dinosaur a big hug.

"They look familiar." Charlie Brown realized as Snoopy licked their cheeks. "Snoopy, you remember them?!"

"Everybody, we'd like you to meet three friends we've known for a long, LONG time." Barney explained as Snoopy did the introductions.

"Meet Tosha, Michael and Kathy." Snoopy said.

"Hi." Kathy smiled before looking at Rerun. "Wow, Rerun. You sure grew since last time."

"Tosha! Michael! Teddy Girl!" Rerun eagerly said.

"Tosha, Michael and Kathy?" the rest of the Peanuts Gang asked.

"How'd you get here?" asked Lucy.

"We heard something about a hoedown." Tosha said.

"From who?" Schroeder asked.

"From you, Peppermint Patty." Tosha explained.

"Good ears, Tosh." Peppermint Patty blinked. "I was telling Marcie there was a hoedown. I guess the can system has an echo."

"Tosha, how long have you known Barney?" Robert asked.

"Quite a while." Tosha smiled, holding a picture book. "We were friends with Barney since we were about your age. Look, I brought pictures we can look at."

"Cool!" Piper said. "I love pictures."

"I love this picture." Frieda smiled.

"Wow! You've really grown since then!" Rerun exclaimed before looking at Kathy. "So have you, Teddy Girl."

"Huh?" Piper asked.

"You wouldn't get it." Sally said.

"You guys really have grown-we're still stuck at our ages though." Heather said.

"That reminds me of a song we all know." Barney smiled.

"Us too!" the Peanuts Gang agreed.

"Hit it!" Snoopy exclaimed.

Barney:

Growing-we do it every day

We're growing when we're sleeping

And even when we play

And as we grow a little older

We can do more things,

Because I'm growing and so are you.

Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Each day we grow a little taller,

A little bigger, not smaller.

And we grow a little friendlier too.

We try to be a little nicer

As we grow each day,

Because I'm growing and so are you.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Growing - we do it every day

We're growing when we're sleeping

And even when we play

And as we grow a little older

We can do more things,

Because I'm growing and so are you.

Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Each day we grow a little taller,

A little bigger, not smaller.

And we grow a little friendlier too.

We try to be a little nicer

As we grow each day,

Because I'm growing and so are you.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Because I'm growing and so are you

"Come on, everybody! Let's get some snacks!" BJ exclaimed.

"Yummy!" Baby Bop said. "And play a game!"

"That sounds like fun." Barney smiled.

"That Jay, always thinking about his tummy." Peppermint Patty said to Tosha and Kathy. "Then again, even when you three were our age, he's always loved to eat."

"It's really great to see you again, Barney." Tosha smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for inviting us to your sing-a-long." Michael said.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you came to play with us today."

"Barney, you've been a VERY special friend to us for a long time." Kathy smiled.

"Yeah. Remember when I was learning to play the cello?" asked Michael. "I wasn't doing so well, but you were there to help me out."

"It was great when you finally learnt it, all thanks to Big Purple!" Peppermint Patty cheered before heading back to the phone system to see if she could find Marcie.

"And when I first came to school." Tosha smiled. "You made sure I met everyone. Remember?"

"I sure do." Barney said.

"No matter what, we could always count on you." Kathy added.

"And you still can." Barney agreed.

"Now I'm counting on Marcie to pick up the phone and tell me where she is." Peppermint Patty huffed.

"Check outside." Michael suggested.

"Okay, Michael." Peppermint Patty smiled, humming a few bars of a song as she headed outside.

Barney:

You can count on me

I'll always be around

Snoopy:

I will cheer you up

When you're feeling down

Barney and Snoopy:

I like you, you like me

We have fun together

When it's sunny, when it rains

In any kind of

In any kind of

In any kind of weather

The can system rang and Roy picked it up.

Peppermint Patty:

You can count on me

Because I am your friend

Roy:

We make a happy team

Together to the end

Peppermint Patty and Roy:

When you're happy, doing great

With a shout, I will cheer you

(Yeah!)

When you giggle, when you laugh

I just love to

I just love to

I just love to hear you

"Cause when my friends are happy, I'm happy too." Barney smiled.

"Me too!" Charlie Brown smiled.

Charlie Brown:

You can count on me

Because I am your friend

Linus:

We make a happy team

Together to the end

Charlie Brown and Linus:

You can count on me

Barney, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

You can count on me!

"It looks like you have lots of friends-old and new-to count on you, Barney." Tosha smiled.

"We sure do!" Peppermint Patty said as she reentered the treehouse, carrying Marcie on her back. "Look who I found taking a nap under the tree, Big Purple."

"Well, my friends are just like my family." Barney chuckled as he gave the tomboy a thumb up (well, as much of a 'thumb up' as a dinosaur can give).

"And you're just like family to us, Barney." Kathy smiled.

"I remember when you thought your family was too small, Kathy." Snoopy recalled. "But now it's just right for you."

"And I remember a song about family that we all used to sing together." Michael remembered as Snoopy said those words.

"I know what song you're thinking about." Barney winked.

"Us too." Peppermint Patty chuckled a little.

Barney:

Oh, a family is people and a family is love.

That's a family.

They come in all different sizes and different kinds,

But mine's just right for me.

Yeah, mine's just right for me.

Keesha, Kathy, Lucy and Peppermint Patty:

I've got a friend who lives with his mom and dad,

With his brother and sister, too.

They've got a cat, a dog and a pet bullfrog

And I'm really glad they do.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, a family is people and a family is love.

That's a family.

They come in all different sizes and different kinds,

But mine's just right for me.

Yeah, mine's just right for me.

Stephen, Tosha, Roy, 5, 3 and 4 and Charlie Brown:

There's a girl I know who lives with her mom.

Her dad lives far away.

Although she sees her parents just one at a time,

They both love her every day.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, a family is people and a family is love.

That's a family.

They come in all different sizes and different kinds,

But mine's just right for me.

Yeah, mine's just right for me.

Robert, Michael, Heather, Franklin, Rerun and Piper:

I know a boy who's new, he just moved in.

He moved from Alabama.

And the person who's the head of his family,

is his loving, dear old grandma.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, a family is people and a family is love.

That's a family.

They come in all different sizes and different kinds,

But mine's just right for me.

Yeah, mine's just right for me.

"I love that song!" 5 said.

"Us too." 4 agreed.

"Hey BJ, would you mind adding more balloons outside?" Linus asked.

"Not a problem, Linus. I'll go do that right now." BJ smiled.

"Tee-rific!" Barney smiled.

"Come on, Big Purple! Let's have ourselves some fun!" Peppermint Patty cheered, attempting to jump, but was brought back to the ground. "Oh right…I just got to get Marcie here in the hammock."

"Okay." Lucy chuckled. "So guys, what do you wanna play?"

"Musical chairs!" most of the younger kids exclaimed.

"What a great idea." Snoopy smiled as he went to grab some chairs from one of the classrooms, only to see BJ greeting some more kids.

"Hi Snoopy, hi BJ. What's happening?" Danny asked.

"Oh, hi guys. We're having a sing-a-long up in the treehouse." BJ exclaimed. "Lots of people are already here."

"So THAT'S what the invitations are for." Danny realized.

"Hi Kim, hi Linda, hi Danny." Snoopy waved.

"Snoopy can talk?" Kim asked.

"Only for today." Snoopy beamed.

"Yeah." BJ said, accidentally letting go of the balloons. "Oops!"

"I got them!" Snoopy exclaimed, turning into the Whirly Beagle and grabbing the balloons. "Tada!"

"Look at those balloons." Kim said.

"Yeah, they're flying high in the sky." Danny smiled.

"Just like a kite, or a bird, or even a Whirly Beagle." Kim added.

"Or an airplane." Snoopy called out, tying the balloons to the balcony.

"That gives me an idea!" BJ exclaimed. "Come on, everybody!"

Eagerly, the four kids took their seats on a bench as Snoopy joined them. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff!" Snoopy exclaimed as they all pretended to do so. Charlie Brown was watching from the balcony and sighed.

"Why couldn't I have had a normal dog, like everyone else?" Charlie Brown asked Baby Bop as she joined him.

"Cause he's funnier this way." The three-year-old logically said before she, Sally, Eudora and the twins headed outside to join them.

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, we are flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Watching the clouds go by.

Flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Up so very high.

Kim:

Lookin' out the window, we can see the wings.

Down below, we see other things.

Linda:

Like little tiny buildings and cars so small.

It makes me feel like I'm really tall.

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, we are flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Watching the clouds go by.

Flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Up so very high.

Snoopy:

Pretending I'm a pilot is a lot of fun.

I think someday, I really might be one.

Danny and BJ:

But for now I'm just enjoying being in this plane,

Safe from the snow, and from the rain.

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

Oh, we are flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Watching the clouds go by.

Flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Up so very high.

Yes, we are flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Watching the clouds go by.

Flying in an airplane,

Lookin' out the window,

Up so very high.

Looking over, the kids, Snoopy and BJ saw Baby Bop, Sally, Eudora, 3 and 4 playing dolls. "Hi girls!" Linda called out.

"Hi, everyone." Baby Bop waved. "We were just making a tent with my blankey."

"You like to use your blankey for lots of things, don't you?" Kim asked.

"She sure does!" Eudora agreed. "She loves the blankey almost as much as I love my hat."

"Or how much I love my Sweet Babboo." Sally said as Linus groaned.

In the treehouse, Linus shouted, "I AM NOT YOUR SWEET BABBOO, AND I WOULDN'T DATE YOU IF YOU PAID ME A MILLION DOLLARS!"

"Indoor voice, Linus." Rerun recalled as Peppermint Patty sighed.

"Rerun, at a party, there is no indoor voice; only an outdoor voice." Peppermint Patty explained.

"Whatever." Rerun shrugged.

"And 4 and I love our dolls." 3 said.

"And Boppy Babe loves her blankey." 4 said.

"Uh huh. Sometimes I wave it in the air and pretend it's a flag, or I can turn it into a tent for our dollies." Baby Bop said. "And 4, my name is Baby Bop."

"Whatever." 4 shrugged.

"And it's my peekaboo blankey too!" Baby Bop smiled. "PEEKABOO!"

The kids giggled as she continued. "But mostly, I just love to hug my blankey and hold it next to me. Cause it's soft and warm and I love it."

Baby Bop:

I like my blankey. It's very, very yellow

I like it even better than a bowl of Jell-O.

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

When she holds it close, it feels just right.

She likes her yellow blankey in the day and night.

Baby Bop:

I like my yellow blankey in the day and night.

My blankey is so special and very, very yellow.

I like to keep it with me when I say "Hello".

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

When she holds it close, it feels just right.

She likes her yellow blankey in the day and night.

Baby Bop:

I like my yellow blankey in the day and night.

My blankey feels so soft like a big marshmallow.

But I like it most because it's oh, so yellow.

BJ, Barney's friends, Peanuts Gang and Snoopy:

When she holds it close, it feels just right.

She likes her yellow blankey in the day and night.

The kids stopped singing as it appeared Baby Bop had fallen asleep, but when Sally tried to tap her friend on the shoulder, the three-year-old jumped up happily and finished singing-having pulled her favorite joke on her friends.

Baby Bop:

I like my yellow blankey in the day and night!

"Awww." Sally, Eudora, 3 and 4 smiled.

"Come on, let's go back to the treehouse." Snoopy said. "I'll meet you there."

"Okay." Everyone else said as they did so.

"Hi Barney!" Danny, Linda and Kim waved as they entered the treehouse.

"Hi there." Barney waved.

"The treehouse really looks cool." Danny smiled.

"It sure does." Peppermint Patty said, unknowingly putting a bit of weight on the hammock.

"I'm glad you like it." Barney smiled.

"Thanks for inviting us." Kim smiled.

"You're very welcome. Danny, Kim and Linda, I'd like you to meet three old friends of mine. This is Kim, Tosha and Michael." Barney said.

"Are you here to have the sing-a-long with us?" Linda asked.

"That's right. We've been having lots of fun singing songs." Tosha smiled.

"Have you played any games yet?" Danny inquired.

"With everyone coming, I don't know about movement games." Heather shook her head. "It's even getting too crowded in here to dance.

"Is that so?" asked Peppermint Patty, still putting weight on the hammock.

Heather tried to preform ballet, but tripped into Frieda, who tripped into Linus, who tripped into Peppermint Patty, who tripped, letting; go of the hammock as it spun around wildly, knocking Marcie out of it as she awoke with a thump.

"What's going on?" Marcie asked dizzily before seeing something. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that Kathy, Michael and Tosha?"

"Right on the dot." Kathy chuckled.

"I KNEW I wasn't dreaming." Marcie shrugged. "But when did you guys-never mind."

"So I guess activities are out of the question." Peppermint Patty sighed.

"We can still play games though." Heather realized.

"How about a game and a song together?" Barney asked.

"Sounds like fun." Peppermint Patty smiled.

"Yeah!" Marcie smiled.

"Let's do this!" Charlie Brown cheered.

Barney:

This is a song and a clapping game

It's so much fun to play

You can do it with a group, you can do it by yourself

You can do it most every day

Just listen now.

(clap rhythm)

Have you got it?

(clap rhythm)

Now it's going to be your turn

To try the clapping part

You can do it real loud or do it real soft

But get ready 'cause we're going to start

Here we go now.

(clap rhythm)

Once more now.

(clap rhythm)

The good thing about this clapping

Is that the rhythm will never, never change

But the things we're about to clap on

May seem a little strange

On your stomach now.

(clap rhythm)

On your shoulders.

(clap rhythm)

The good thing about this clapping

Is that the rhythm will never, never change

But the things we're about to clap on

May seem a little strange

On your knees now.

(clap rhythm)

On your hips now.

(clap rhythm)

Here is the end of the clapping song

It's sung in many lands

Just to make us feel good on the very last time

Everybody clap with your hands

Here we go now.

(clap rhythm)

Last time now.

(clap rhythm)

Yeah!