"Try On My Hat" Pre-Production Script by Bill Weber Studios

“Try On My Hat” (Pilot) PRE-PRODUCTION

Written by: Bill Weber

CAST OF CHARACTERS

REGULARS AVERY – male dove. “Everybird” with no attributed nationality. Curious, confident, kind, enthusiastic. ROSALIA (rose-a-LEE-a) – Latina bird of paradise. Creative, gracious, proud. RAGNAR – Scandinavian male seagull. Grumpy, impatient, and self-important. LAKPA – Asian boy kitten. Emotionally simple, intellectually precocious. Lakpa’s lines are delivered as “meows” which the animals understand. RICOTTA VAN CHEDDARS – Western European girl mouse. Mechanical, brainy, sensible. JUBNAH – Middle Eastern boy mouse. Clever, funny, hyperactive. GRANDMA BIBI – African female snake. Wise grandmother. GUEST VOICES YOUNG RAGNAR - a squeakier version of Ragnar GRANDPA FARFAR - kind, old, scatterbrained Swedish seagull GIRL GIRAFFE - shy young female A GROUP OF GIRAFFES - various diverse voices

REFERENCE

FOREIGN TERMS USED IN THE SCRIPT “Usch” OOSH - a Swedish exclamation “Caramba” Cah-RUM-bah - a Spanish exclamation “Beard caught in a mailbox” - Swedish expression for a messy situation

EXT. WORLD CITY – SKY - DAY - AUTUMN The sun plays hide-and-seek with big fluffy clouds as it shines down on a small city. The colors of autumn are reflected in glass buildings along tree-lined streets. A happy little river flows alongside downtown. Tucked inside the river is a lush little island, its gardens filled with color and its trees laden with fruit. Small animals busy themselves among the simple wooden buildings. EXT. AVERY’S ISLAND – SKY – DAY AVERY, a male dove in a tuxedo tailcoat, and ROSALIA, a female bird-of-paradise with long tail and head-feathers, fly above the island, dancing an aerial jitterbug to a jazzy tune. ROSALIA When I dance with you, Avery, I never want to stop! AVERY I feel the same way, Rosalia. I just want to dance and dance and dance! (singing) I want to share the world with you And take a look around with you I want to give a helping hand And spread smiles across the land I want to get together and get all the big jobs done ‘Cause two or more is always better than one The birds whoop and holler as they perform simple, cooperative moves: a DOUBLE INSIDE TURN (Rosalia turns under Avery’s raised arm and Avery follows) and a LADY’S INSIDE TURN (Rosalia turns through). The birds hold hands and play PATTYCAKE with their feet. They let go of their hands and continue pattycake with bodies leaning backwards.

AVERY AND ROSALIA I want to watch the sun play Peek-a-boo with the clouds I want to chase raindrops From the sky and laugh out loud I want to share the world with you THE CLOUDS PART to reveal the blazing sun. Avery reflexively covers his eyes with his wings. AVERY Ow! I can’t see! The sun’s too bright! Rosalia closes her eyes, wobbles and flaps wildly. ROSALIA Keep your eyes closed! Avery tumbles backwards, the back of his tailcoat falling over his face. AVERY But I can’t see where I’m going! Flying blind, Avery GROPES his way back to Rosalia. AVERY (CONT) Rosalia... where are you? ROSALIA Where are YOU? Avery CRASHES into Rosalia. They SHOUT and drop out of frame. After a beat, the birds, comically tangled and laughing, fly back up into frame. Avery’s tailcoat is flipped and folded over his head. Rosalia’s feathers twist and poke out around Avery’s face to form a feathery BEARD. AVERY You look funny!

ROSALIA You look funny, too. You look like you have a beard! Avery feels around his face and strokes his beard. AVERY Hmmmm. I like it. It helps me think. ROSALIA Let’s think of a way to get untangled. The two birds hem and haw, tug and flip around, getting even more tanlged. When they can no longer flap their wings to stay aloft, they start to fall. AVERY Aim for the garden! Ragnar can help us! EXT. ZUCCHINI GARDEN - CONTINUOUS RAGNAR, an old, pot-bellied seagull, wearing a SWEDISH HUNTING HAT with a bright orange top, works waist-deep in a patch of giant green leaves. Ragnar!

AVERY and ROSALIA

Avery and Rosalia PLOP down beside him. RAGNAR (startled) “Usch!” (OOSH) What happened to you? ROSALIA The sun got in our eyes while we were dancing... AVERY ...and now we’re stuck together like birds of a feather!

ROSALIA Can you get us apart, please? RAGNAR (annoyed) Oh, all right. But I’ve got to get back to my zucchinis. Avery and Rosalia fidget and laugh while Ragnar works. RAGNAR (CONT) Stand still! I haven’t seen such a mess since my grandpa’s beard got caught in a mailbox. EXT. ZUCCHINI GARDEN - MINUTES LATER Now untangled, the birds comb and straighten out their feathers. Avery suddenly remembers something. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a baseball cap, and puts it on. AVERY I forgot that I had my baseball cap with me. It keeps the sun out of my eyes. You try it, Rosalia! Avery offers Rosalia his cap. ROSALIA (afraid) N-No, thank you. When I wear a hat, my feathers always get squished. And that hurts. AVERY Maybe you just haven’t found the right hat. Try mine? Please? Rosalia gingerly takes the cap and tries it on. Her headfeathers accordion down like a spring. Oww!

ROSALIA

The spring releases and tosses the cap into the air. ZING! Avery catches it. ROSALIA (CONT) (disappointed) See? It’s so hard to find the right hat for me. AVERY I know! Let’s try Ragnar’s hat! RAGNAR MY HAT? M-m-my Swedish gardening hat? My “jachthoed?” (YACHT-hoet) ROSALIA

Yacht who?

RAGNAR Yacht-hoeT! ROSALIA I like the color. It’s bright. RAGNAR It’s supposed to be bright. I’ll tell you why. When I was a little bird in the forests of Sweden... RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. SWEDISH FOREST - DAY - FLASHBACK GRANDPA FARFAR, a kindly old seagull with an enormous wiry beard, and YOUNG RAGNAR stand in front of a rustic cabin in a deep, sun-dappled forest. A large metal mailbox is at the top of steep porch steps. RAGNAR (VO)(CONT) ...my Grandpa Farfar gave me this hat so he could see me when I was playing outside. Grandpa Farfar puts the hat on Young Ragnar’s head. The ORANGE TOP reflects bright sunlight.

GRANDPA FARFAR This hat is special, just like you, Ragnar. The bright color stands out even in the dark forest. Stay close so I always know where you are. Young Ragnar skips off. Grandpa Farfar climbs the steps to the mail box and reaches in to pull out the mail. YOUNG RAGNAR (OS) (ear-drum lasting loud yodel) Far-farrrrrrrrrrrrr! Come find me! Started by the sound, Grandpa Farfar twists around to see where it is coming from. He loses his footing, slides backwards and, as the mailbox door snaps shut, gets his beard caught. Grandpa Farfar hangs from the mailbox by his beard, letters scattered all around. The beard separates and Yougn Ragnar pokes his head out. YOUNG RAGNAR (CONT) I did what you said, Farfar! I stayed close where you can see me! GRANDPA FARFAR (deflated)

Usch.

RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ZUCCHINI GARDEN - PRESENT Ragnar plucks hairs off his hat. RAGNAR My jachthoed is very important to me. Please be careful with it. Ragnar hands Rosalia his hat. She puts it on. ZING! It springs off. Ragnar jumps to catch it. Rosalia frowns. LEAVES RUSTLE around them.

AVERY What’s that? RAGNAR Oh, that’s Lakpa. He’s always hiding. (calling) Lak-paa! Where are you? Avery and Rosalia fly over the leaves and look for Lakpa. AVERY (CONT) Lak-paa! Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are... Like a game of WHACK-A-MOLE, the characters grab at moving leaves, but come up empty-clawed and empty-winged. ROSALIA

“Caramba!” Hmph!

AVERY (CONT)

After a beat, leaves shake far right. The birds turn in unison to look. Ragnar TIP-TOES then LEAPS. RAGNAR I got you... Usch! CRASH! Ragnar lands under the leaves. He lifts his head to reveal LAKPA the kitten sitting on it. Lakpa, in an Asian conical bamboo har, is covered with dirt. Bits of zucchini surround his mouth. Lakpa rubs his own head. (Lakpa’s lines are delivered as fast “meows” which the animals understand.) (“Ouch!”)

LAKPA

Ragnar grabs Lakpa and stands up. RAGNAR Lakpa! There you are.

Lakpa looks up with big, soulful eyes. He holds up a halfeaten zucchini and smiles. LAKPA (“Gotta love me!”) RAGNAR (tenderly) I do love you, little Lakpa. Ragnar hugs Lakpa. Pieces of dirt and zucchini fly off. Ragnar wriggles up his nose. RAGNAR (CONT) Usch! You need a bath. Ragnar picks up a WATERING CAN and douses Lakpa. Water runs off the douli, leaving Lakpa dry. Lakpa shakes the water off the douli, spinning water onto the others. Ragnar frowns, Avery and Rosalia laugh. AVERY

Heyyyy! (a beat) That’s a pretty smart hat, Lakpa. What is it called? Lakpa takes off his hat and dramatically demonstrates it, as if an infomercial. LAKPA (over-the-top) (“It’s my douli (doh-LEE) and it has seven amazing, fantastic features. One, it is made from waterproof bamboo reeds from my home in Asia. Two, it is the perfect size, wider than me so that the water goes drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, right off the edge. Three, it is super-strong…”) Lakpa, totally manic, puts the hat in his teeth and growls and tears at it. AVERY Slow down, little fella!

Lakpa dead stops, exhausted and panting. Ragnar grabs the douli. RAGNAR (Impatient. Taking charge.) Oh, Lakpa! I’ll tell them the story about your “douli” (doh-LEE). LAKPA (subdued, helpful) (“doh-LEE”) AVERY Doh-LEE. Got it. RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ASIAN BAMBOO FIELD - SUNNY DAY - FLASHBACK LAKPA chases a BUTTERFLY while wearing his douli. RAGNAR (VO) Doulis are made from bamboo. Bamboo is light and strong and waterproof. It grows in Southern Asia where Lakpa was born. The butterfly lands on top of the hat. RAGNAR (VO)(CONT) It rains a lot there, so Lakpa wears a douli to keep the sun and rain off his head. Lakpa swats at the butterfly but cannot reach around the rim of the hat. LAKPA IN SCENE (frustrated grumble) SFX: THUNDER. The butterfly puts on a tiny douli. Rain falls. A dousing. The water runs off the doulis but Lakpa’s tail and rear end get wet.

LAKPA IN SCENE(CONT) (“Heyyyy!”) RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ZUCCHINI GARDEN - PRESENT LAKPA (CONT) (“Heyyyy!”) Lakpa, with his hat off, gets doused by Ragnar with the watering can. RAGNAR Usch! Stand still! I said it was bath time. Lakpa yanks out a ZUCCHINI LEAF and uses it as a towel to dry his butt. ROSALIA Thank you for your help. These are all good, useful hats. But a baseball cap and a jachthoed and a douli do not fit on my head. (frustrated) I want to find a hat that fits me! AVERY Cheer up, Rosalia. We’ll keep on looking until we solve this problem. Avery strokes his imaginary beard. AVERY (CONT) Hmmmm... Who do we know that’s good at solving problems? ROSALIA (cheering up) That’s easy... THE MICE!

EXT. FARMHOUSE ROOF - DAY TWO MICE are on a wild SLED RIDE down the front of the roof. They are seated on a SHINGLE, bobsled-style, seat belts holding them in. The roof is a CONSTRUCTION SITE with shingles, rope, and lumber strewn about. An apple tree hangs over it. In front, steering, is RICOTTA, a European girl mouse. She is wearing a wide-brimmed Italian summer hat. Directly behind her is JUBNAH, a Middle Eastern boy mouse in an Arabic headwrap that covers the back and side of his neck. Ricotta grabs a rope hanging down from the apple tree and swings the sled out from the roof’s edge to make a hairpin turn. RICOTTA Hold on to your hat! Ricotta holds down her hat as it threatens to fly off through the turn. Jubnah’s hat-flaps fly around and cover his face. JUBNAH My hat is holding on to me! Ricotta ducks under a rope that’s tight across the path. Jubnah grabs it and flies up in the air to perform a 360degree CORKSCREW FLIP. Ricotta steers through a second hairpin. On the straightaway, Jubnah lands back on the sled, in front of and facing Ricotta. They SCREAM. Ricotta, her view blocked, lets go of her hat. Tied around her, the hat acts as a parachute. The sled slows and slides perfectly into place at the end of a row of shingles. The mice untie their seat belts. With calm efficiency, they pull hammers from holsters and nail the shingle down. JUBNAH Another perfect trip! Ha ha ha ha ha! Jubnah wildly wiggles as he laughs, his hat flaps bouncing.

RICOTTA Next time, I get to do the flip. Look! It’s Avery and Rosalia. Avery and Rosalia are waiting at the finish line. AVERY Hey kids. We’ve got a problem and need your help. RICOTTA and JUBNAH (excited) A problem?! The mice burst into a CHEER. RICOTTA I’m Ricotta! JUBNAH I’m Jubnah! RICOTTA I’m your sister! JUBNAH I’m your brother! RICOTTA If you’ve got a problem JUBNAH Don’t make a fuss! RICOTTA and JUBNAH We love problems! Bring ‘em to us! Applause all around. Ricotta and Jubnah bow. AVERY Rosalia needs a hat that will fit her head and keep the sun out of her eyes.

RICOTTA Oh! Try my hat! It is made in Italy just for the sun. It even has a special name: “cappello estivo.” (ca-PELL-o es-TEEV-o) ROSALIA (sing-song) Capello estivo! I like it! RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MEDITERRANEAN BEACH - SUMMER DAY - FLASHBACK Ricotta is stretched out on a towel, her hat over her face. RICOTTA (VO) In the summer, I like to visit Italy’s sunny beaches. I wear my cappello estivo to protect me from the sun. Ricotta pulls the hat down so that only her wiggling FEET and twisting TAIL stick out. RICOTTA (VO)(CONT) Every itty-bitty bit of me! Ricotta’s feet and tail are pulled under the hat. POP! RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOF - PRESENT ROSALIA I like your hat, Ricotta. May I try it on? RICOTTA Of course! It may, er, be a small. Rosalia takes the mouse-sized hat from Ricotta. She places it on top of her head-feathers where it delicately balances.

A WIND BURST blows the hat from Rosalia’s head. Avery flies up and retrieves the hat. Rosalia frowns. RICOTTA Oops. It gets a little windy up here on the roof. JUBNAH That’s why you should try MY hat. It’s good for the sun AND the wind! It’s a “keffiyeh.” (keh-FEE-yeh) ROSALIA (sing-song) Keh-FEE-yeh! JUBNAH (mimicking Rosalia) Keh-FEE-yeh! Love that! My family in the Middle East wears them all the time. RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS OF GIZA - DAY - FLASHBACK The Pyramids loom over five tiny pyramid-shaped SANDPILES. JUBNAH (VO)(CONT) There is a lot of wind and sand in the desert, so we wear keffiyehs to keep the sand from tickling our necks. One by one, mice wearing keffiyehs POP out of the sandpiles. The last sandpile doesn’t pop. It wiggles. JUBNAH IN SCENE (OS) (extended tickle laughter) Jubnah pops out of the last sandpile without a keffiyeh, sand swirling around his neck. JUBNAH IN SCENE (CONT) That tickles! Ha ha ha ha ha!

RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROOFTOP - PRESENT AVERY Ha! Keffiyehs are problemsolvers, just like you. JUBNAH That’s right! Keffiyehs are Sand-tickle stopping-toppers! (sing-song) Sand tickle stopping toppers Sand tickle stopping toppers Sand tick SFX: Thunder. The sky darkens with rain clouds. A few drops of rain fall. JUBNAH (CONT) Uh-oh. (inspired) Wait! I know a hat that’s good for the rain! Jubnah whispers in Ricotta’s ear and she nods. Together they pick up a heavy shingle and hold it over their heads. JUBNAH (CONT) It’s a house hat! RICOTTA Everyone wears hats, even houses! The mice STRUGGLE with the weight of the shingle. RICOTTA and JUBNAH

Uh-oh... Suddenly, GRANDMA BIBI, a down from the apple tree. and pushes up the shingle then fly above, use their put it down safely.

large snake in a headwrap, swoops She darts between the two mice with her head. Avery and Rosalia feet to pick up the shingle, and

EVERYONE Grandma Bibi! Thank you! GRANDMA BIBI That was not very safe. A shingle is a good hat for a house, but it is too big for a mouse. SFX: THUNDER. It starts to rain. RICOTTA Time to get off the roof, folks. GRANDMA BIBI Yes, let us all go inside where it is warm and dry. I want to hear what everyone learned today. INT. FARMHOUSE - LATER A great room decorated with eclectic art from around the world. Apples and zucchinis are piled on the open kitchen counter. A picture window looks out on a rainy landscape. Grandma Bibi sits in a wingback chair with Ricotta and Jubnah on the wings. The other characters are gathered around. All hats are on. ROSALIA I’ve been learning about hats today, Grandma Bibi. I saw a lot of wonderful hats: jachthoets and doulis and cappello estivos and keffiyehs JUBNAH And house hats! ROSALIA And house hats! But I didn’t find one that was right for me.

GRANDMA BIBI (thinking) Hmmm. I think you will like my hat. It is called a “gele.” (JEH-lay) JUBNAH Jelly? That’s fruit you put on bread. GRANDMA BIBI (laughs) No, little Jubnah. This is a JEH-lay, an African headwrap. I wrap it around my head to fit right and tight. When I lived in Africa... RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: EXT. AFRICAN TREE GROVE - SUNNY DAY - FLASHBACK Grandma Bibi picks apples from the ground and tosses them into a basket. GRANDMA BIBI (VO)(CONT) ...I wore a beautiful gele from sun to moon everyday. I wore it in the hot sun when I was picking apples… EXT. AFRICAN TREE GROVE - SHADY EVENING Grandma Bibi, basket balanced on her head, walks past a group of giraffes. GRANDMA BIBI (VO)(CONT) ...and I wore it in the cool evening when I shared my apples with my family. Grandma Bibi stretches up to full height. A GIRL GIRAFFE leans down and takes an apple from the basket. GIRL GIRAFFE Thank you, Grandma.

Another giraffe leans down and takes an apple. Then another, and another, as a whole group of giraffes feed. A variety of FUNNY VOICES say “Thank You, Grandma” until the empty basket falls off Bibi’s head. BLUNK! RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO: INT. FARMHOUSE - PRESENT ROSALIA I would like to try your gele, but I’m afraid. Will it hurt my feathers? GRANDMA BIBI I know you are afraid, dear. I promise that the gele will not hurt your feathers. Come, Rosalia. Grandma Bibi puts her gele on Rosalia’s head, winding it up and around her head-feathers. GRANDMA BIBI (CONT) (singing) Try on my hat I’ll try on yours There’s new things to learn When you walk through new doors ROSALIA It fits perfectly! I can’t wait to go out in the sun. Thank you Grandma! The characters join in the song. They strut around the room, bowing and making “after you” gestures as they pretend to walk through open doors. EVERYONE Try on my hat I’ll try on yours There’s new things to learn When you walk through new doors

AVERY (rapping) Our hats are many shapes And many colors too Our hats look very different Just like me and you Our hats tell many stories From many different lands And when we share we reach and there will be a new friend’s hand The characters circle up and hold hands. They pass around their hats for each to try on. The mice get buried in big hats, little hats look silly on big heads, and an extracareful Rosalia avoids crushing her head-feathers. GRANDMA BIBI Try on my hat (try on my hat) I’ll try on yours (I’ll try on yours) There’s new things to learn (there’s new things to learn) When you walk through new doors (when you walk through new doors) The characters pile the hats, one on top of the other, on top of Avery’s head. The characters repeat after Avery. AVERY Our hats tell many stories (Our hats tell many stories) From many different lands (From many different lands) And when we share (And when we share) we reach and there (we reach and there) will be a new friend’s hand (will be a new friend’s hand) EVERYONE Try on my hat!

Avery spins around and the hats fly back to their owners. The douli lands in front of Grandma Bibi and Rosalia, who are both hatless. ROSALIA Where’s Lakpa? RAGNAR Lak-paaa! Where are you? Lakpa pushes his way to the front of the group, wearing Grandma’s too-big-for-him gele like a regal African set of robes. He holds a half-eaten zucchini. LAKPA BUUUURRRRP! (a beat) (“Lakpa out.”) Lakpa does a “mic drop” with the zucchini. Everyone laughs. FADE OUT