Happy Days Stories

Long ago there was a soldier named Laugh-a-Lot.  He was called "Laugh-a-Lot" because he was friendly and loved to tell jokes at which he would roar with laughter.  He wore a tunic made of leather and had a helmet, a sword and a bow and arrows.

Each day his captain made sure that his soldiers practised with their weapons, so that when the time came, they would be able to fight the enemy.  "Be proud of your uniform," he told Laugh-a-Lot, "You are a soldier of the king!"

Laugh-a-Lot had one desire and that was to become a knight.  He would watch the knights as they rode proudly out of the castle each day.   In the great hall there was a long mirror and Laugh-a-Lot would spend hours in front of it imagining himself as a knight in shining armour.

He would have a huge horse covered with a green silk cloth as he sat proudly in the saddle.  He would be wearing a silk cloak with his coat of arms on it.  And he would ride out of the castle in front as the captain of the knights while the people cheered.  He would be proudly holding a great sword that sparkled with many precious jewels!!

Unfortunately, one day the captain let Laugh-a-Lot go to town.  He found an inn and began to drink and gamble.  He soon forgot what his captain had said about being proud of his uniform, as he was a soldier of the king.  In next to no time he had gambled all his money away and when he staggered out into the street, he was so drunk that he fell flat on his face in the mud!  As he fell, he tripped over his beautiful bow and it snapped into two pieces!

As he examined the remains, he heard small boys yelling.  They were kicking his helmet around like a football!  "Stop that at once!" he yelled, but it was too late, his smart helmet now resembled a squashed pumpkin!  He staggered off down the road and tried to sneak into the castle.  But someone spotted him and shouted, "Here comes Laugh-a-Lot.  Come and see this sorry sight!

All the soldiers and knights came running out and roared with laughter as a muddy figure came shame-faced before his angry captain.  He was clutching a dented helmet and a broken bow.  "You are a disgrace to this castle, Laugh-a-Lot," snapped the captain, "Go to your quarters at once!"

Someone shouted,"I think we must name him: 'Fall-a-Lot.'  Just look at the mess he's in!"  Poor Laugh-a-Lot crept away and it was many weeks before he could hold up his head again.  But the time came when an enemy attacked their castle.

Laugh-a-Lot stood in the gateway and fought so hard that the enemy had to retreat and then the knights were able to drive them away.  The captain was so pleased that he called all the soldiers and knights together and told them that he was going to recommend that Laugh-a-Lot be promoted as a knight.

The king was impressed with Laugh-a-Lot's bravery and agreed to make him a knight.  With a great fanfare on the trumpets, the king came into the great hall with all his attendants and sat down on his golden throne.  Laugh-a-Lot was called forward and as he kneeled, the king touched his shoulder with a huge silver sword and said, "You are no more 'Laugh-a-Lot'.  I now name you, 'Sir Lancelot'."

Never again did Lancelot forget who he was.  He no longer needed to look into the mirror in the great hall.  Now he was dressed in full armour as a knight and rode a huge brown horse just like the one he had dreamed about.  The time even came when the king promoted him to captain.  What a proud day that was when he rode out of the castle at the head of the knights!

Laugh-a-Lot forgot that his captain had told him that he was a soldier of the king!  And we are children of our great God!  Are you going to forget who you are?  Are you going to be naughty and get into trouble?  Are you going to fight, or be cheeky and shout and scream?

Our memory verse says, "Do what God says!"  God wants you to ask Jesus to live in your heart so that you can be one of God's children.  And then He wants you to be good and kind, and to obey your parents.

This verse tells us that we cannot just listen and pretend to do well.   We need to do it by being good in all we do and say.  Let's pray and ask God to help us remember that we are children of the King, and to help us to be good in all we do, and to help our parents and be obedient to them.

God bless!