'The Cloud' by Oliver Postgate

The cloud is outside the Clangers' planet but the Clangers are inside having a party. Tiny Clanger comes out and invites the cloud indoors. The cloud comes in. It refuses food and drink but plays music for them. Small Clanger does a conjuring trick and produces the three froglets out of their top-hat. The Clangers laugh and the cloud laughs so much it rains on them. Major Clanger is displeased and the cloud leaves. Tiny Clanger is upset because they are not friendly to the incontinent cloud. She leaves the party and goes out to sit with the cloud. A froglet appears out of a hole. It calls down and the top-hat is thrown up. The froglet jumps into the top-hat and vanishes. The top-hat is now empty. Then two froglets jump out of the top-hat. Tiny Clanger asks them if they want the cloud to enter the top-hat. They nod. The cloud extends itself pseudopodiously into the top-hat and vanishes. Then the froglets lead Tiny Clanger below to one of the caves. There they see another top-hat identical to the first. There is no cloud. The froglets dance around the hat and gradually wisps of cloud emerge and form as the cloud. They all laugh and dance. The soup-dragon comes and the froglets demonstrate the trick to her. She turns the hat upside down with a froglet inside it. This displeases the froglets and the soup-dragon retires. The cloud dives into the hat again. The froglets follow. Tiny Clanger looks into the hat. It is empty. She is about to walk sadly away when a froglet jumps out and calls her. Tiny Clanger wriggles into the hat and vanishes. She reappears outside. Tiny Clanger and the cloud and music trees make music. Mother Clanger calls Tiny Clanger in. The froglets say goodbye and go in through the hat. Tiny Clanger goes in through a lid. The cloud stays outside for a moment and then goes in through the top-hat.

Original Conception:
Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin

Scenery and Puppets:
Peter Firmin

Music:
Composed by Vernon Elliott

Filming and Editing:
Oliver Postgate

Film Company:
Smallfilms

TX:
16th May 1971 @ 5.05pm

Notes:
*This synopsis is the original outline written by Oliver Postgate for the BBC prior to production, and may differ slightly from the transmitted version.

*The Clangers voices were played on swannee whistles by Oliver Postgate and Stephen Sylvester.