There was once a turtle who talked all the time. He talked mostly about himself. The other creatures of the earth avoided him as much as possible. Who wants to listen to a braggart?
One day the turtle saw a goose flying above him.
“How I would love to fly,” he said, “like the geese. It must be wonderful to be up so high and see the world from that height.”
He could think of nothing else but flying. At last he met a goose on the ground and he hurried (as fast as he could-he was a turtle, after all) over to her and said, "Teach me how to fly."
"You're a turtle! Anyway, I can’t right now," the goose answered. "My flock is migrating for the summer and I must join them."
"I want to fly!" the turtle cried. "I want to fly HIGH!"
"We’ll have to ask my flock," the gentle goose said. You know what the flock said.
“Turtles can’t fly,” one goose said. "Whoever heard of a flying turtle!" another goose laughed.
"I want to fly!" the turtle cried. "I want to fly HIGH!"
“We can’t carry you. You have no wings, so how can you fly? asked the largest goose.
"I want to fly!" the turtle cried. "I want to fly HIGH!"
The geese got so tired of his pestering that they came up with a plan. The geese decided that if two of them would hold a stick in their bills, the turtle could bit onto the stick and they could carry him with them, up into the air.
"Remember, you must not open your mouth while we are flying!" they reminded the turtle.
The geese flew up into the air their strong wings.
"I am flying!" the turtle thought to himself. "Down on the ground I can see everyone looking at me. How wonderful this is! How wonderful I am!"
He opened his mouth to tell the geese to fly higher still."I want to fly!" the turtle cried. " I want to fly HIGH!"
And so of course his mouth came off the stick, and he fell down, down, down to the earth. His beautiful shell cracked all over. He crawled away into the mud at the edge of a pond in embarrassment, and there he stayed until his poor shell healed.
But to this day, turtle has a cracked shell, and he has never tried to fly again. And he has never tried to speak again either!
Attributed to several cultures, including East Indian and Tagalog. Versions in the Jataka Tales and the Panchatantra, along with many other story collections. Adapted by Granny Sue
Tuesday
The Man Who Forgot His Feet
John was selected to be a judge for the town's annual Liars Contest.
"This is an important occasion," John thought. "I must dress appropriately to be a judge."
He checked his closet. His funeral suit was in good condition. He was saving it for his own funeral, but for this one day, he thought, he could wear it.
"This is even more important than my funeral," John told his wife.
Shoes were a problem. He pulled out the one pair of dress shoes he'd ever owned, bought for him by his mother for his high school graduation. The shoes were covered in dust but still looked new. He'd only worn them one time, after all. He had been saving them to go with the funeral suit.
He slipped his foot into one shoe and discovered that he had a problem: his foot had grown at least an inch since graduation.
"Of course it has!" said his wife. "You were twenty years younger when you graduated! We'll have to give those shoes away."
"Oh no," replied John. "I can still wear them for my funeral. It won't matter to me then if the shoes are too tight!"
He continued, "But I need a pair for the contest. A judge can't show up in work boots! I need a new pair." He sighed. Shopping was not high on his list of ways to spend his time. Then he had an idea--his wife could go! She loved to shop.
John found a ruler and carefully measured his foot, both the width and the length. He wrote the measurements on a piece of paper and handed it to his wife.
"Here. Run down to the shoe store and get me a pair of good black shoes," he ordered.
"I can't go. Don't you remember that I start my new job this afternoon? You'll have to go yourself."
She handed the paper back to John.
There was nothing for it but he would have to go. John slicked back his hair and headed out.
As he walked to the shoe store, he met many neighbors who wanted to talk to him about his important role as judge of the liars' contest.
"You're a natural for the post," one man said. "Why anyone who tell lies like you do would know in a minute if a lie was a good 'un or not."
John swelled with pride. "Indeed," he said, "I am an accomplished liar. My wife never believes a word I say, even when it's the truth I'm speaking. She says I must be conserving truth because it's such a rarity in our house, and that I've told so many little white lies I've gotten color-blind. I tell her that although I am an exceptionally good liar, I always tell the truth."
Making his way down the street, John grandly bowed his head to all who called out congratulations.
When he got to the shoe store, he stepped up to the counter and said, "I have come, dear man, to purchase a pair of shoes for a most auspicious occasion." (John liked to use big words when he was feeling important.)
"Very good," said the shopkeeper. "What size do you need?"
John reached in his pocket for the paper with his foot measurements. The paper was not there. Frantically he searched all his pockets. No paper.
"Blast!" he cried. " I must return home to get the paper. I don't remember what the measurements were. I shall return as quickly as possible."
As John hurried up the street, he bumped into a friend. Of course the friend wanted to talk about John's upcoming position as judge of the contest, and John obliged by sharing all the details of his appointment.
"The mayor himself chose me," said John. "He said it takes one to know one. I always say that reality is tough enough without adding truth to it."
John finally reached his home and found the paper with the measurements. He ran back to the shoe store--but it was closed!
There was nothing he could do about it except return home without a new pair of shoes. He walked slowly up the street with his head down.
"Hey John!' called a neighbor. "Why so sad? A man with such a special job to do should be feeling fine!"
"Oh my," said John. "I needed a new pair of shoes to be the judge--a judge must be dressed properly, you know. But I left my measurements at home on my first trip to the store and had to go back and get them. And when I returned, the store was closed! Now I have no new shoes. I'll have to wear my old boots, I suppose. This is just terrible."
The neighbor was puzzled. "Who did you say you were buying the shoes for?" he asked.
"Myself, of course! Who else would I buy shoes for when I am the one who needs them?"
"But you had your feet with you the entire time! Why didn't you just try the shoes on and find a pair to fit?"
John looked at his neighbor a long time, and then down at his feet. Without another word he stepped into his house and closed the door.
The important judge of the liars' contest wore work boots with his funeral suit to the contest. Every now and then he would look down at his feet, as if to be sure they were still with him. He didn't want to forget he had them again!
This is my retelling of a Chinese fable. Some days we overlook the most basic things. But although I occasionally lose my head, I have yet to misplace my feet!
For other sources of this story, go to:The Storyteller OnlineChinese Culture
"This is an important occasion," John thought. "I must dress appropriately to be a judge."
He checked his closet. His funeral suit was in good condition. He was saving it for his own funeral, but for this one day, he thought, he could wear it.
"This is even more important than my funeral," John told his wife.
Shoes were a problem. He pulled out the one pair of dress shoes he'd ever owned, bought for him by his mother for his high school graduation. The shoes were covered in dust but still looked new. He'd only worn them one time, after all. He had been saving them to go with the funeral suit.
He slipped his foot into one shoe and discovered that he had a problem: his foot had grown at least an inch since graduation.
"Of course it has!" said his wife. "You were twenty years younger when you graduated! We'll have to give those shoes away."
"Oh no," replied John. "I can still wear them for my funeral. It won't matter to me then if the shoes are too tight!"
He continued, "But I need a pair for the contest. A judge can't show up in work boots! I need a new pair." He sighed. Shopping was not high on his list of ways to spend his time. Then he had an idea--his wife could go! She loved to shop.
John found a ruler and carefully measured his foot, both the width and the length. He wrote the measurements on a piece of paper and handed it to his wife.
"Here. Run down to the shoe store and get me a pair of good black shoes," he ordered.
"I can't go. Don't you remember that I start my new job this afternoon? You'll have to go yourself."
She handed the paper back to John.
There was nothing for it but he would have to go. John slicked back his hair and headed out.
As he walked to the shoe store, he met many neighbors who wanted to talk to him about his important role as judge of the liars' contest.
"You're a natural for the post," one man said. "Why anyone who tell lies like you do would know in a minute if a lie was a good 'un or not."
John swelled with pride. "Indeed," he said, "I am an accomplished liar. My wife never believes a word I say, even when it's the truth I'm speaking. She says I must be conserving truth because it's such a rarity in our house, and that I've told so many little white lies I've gotten color-blind. I tell her that although I am an exceptionally good liar, I always tell the truth."
Making his way down the street, John grandly bowed his head to all who called out congratulations.
When he got to the shoe store, he stepped up to the counter and said, "I have come, dear man, to purchase a pair of shoes for a most auspicious occasion." (John liked to use big words when he was feeling important.)
"Very good," said the shopkeeper. "What size do you need?"
John reached in his pocket for the paper with his foot measurements. The paper was not there. Frantically he searched all his pockets. No paper.
"Blast!" he cried. " I must return home to get the paper. I don't remember what the measurements were. I shall return as quickly as possible."
As John hurried up the street, he bumped into a friend. Of course the friend wanted to talk about John's upcoming position as judge of the contest, and John obliged by sharing all the details of his appointment.
"The mayor himself chose me," said John. "He said it takes one to know one. I always say that reality is tough enough without adding truth to it."
John finally reached his home and found the paper with the measurements. He ran back to the shoe store--but it was closed!
There was nothing he could do about it except return home without a new pair of shoes. He walked slowly up the street with his head down.
"Hey John!' called a neighbor. "Why so sad? A man with such a special job to do should be feeling fine!"
"Oh my," said John. "I needed a new pair of shoes to be the judge--a judge must be dressed properly, you know. But I left my measurements at home on my first trip to the store and had to go back and get them. And when I returned, the store was closed! Now I have no new shoes. I'll have to wear my old boots, I suppose. This is just terrible."
The neighbor was puzzled. "Who did you say you were buying the shoes for?" he asked.
"Myself, of course! Who else would I buy shoes for when I am the one who needs them?"
"But you had your feet with you the entire time! Why didn't you just try the shoes on and find a pair to fit?"
John looked at his neighbor a long time, and then down at his feet. Without another word he stepped into his house and closed the door.
The important judge of the liars' contest wore work boots with his funeral suit to the contest. Every now and then he would look down at his feet, as if to be sure they were still with him. He didn't want to forget he had them again!
This is my retelling of a Chinese fable. Some days we overlook the most basic things. But although I occasionally lose my head, I have yet to misplace my feet!
For other sources of this story, go to:The Storyteller OnlineChinese Culture
The Rabbit with Many Friends
I found this little story in my files. I adapted it from Aesop for a participation story. It's easy to tell with children because of the repetition.
Once in the days before we were born, there lived a Rabbit was very popular with the other animals. All of them claimed to be her friend. One day she heard dogs running and barking and she was afraid.
“My friends will help me escape!” she thought. She hurried up to the horse.
“Please carry me on your back, away from these ferocious dogs!”
But the horse said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The rabbit ran to the bull.
“Please chase away these terrible dogs with your big, sharp horns.”
The bull replied, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
Poor Rabbit! She ran as fast as she could to the goat.
“Please goat, you have good horns. Chase these dogs away for me!”
The goat said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The terrified Rabbit scurried to the ram, who was grazing with the other sheep.
“Ram, please help me! Those dogs will eat me!”
The ram thought about it, but he knew that dogs sometimes ate sheep as well as rabbits.
He said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The Rabbit ran to her last friend, the baby calf. "Please help me, calf!"
The calf thought, “I am so small, and if those bigger animals could not help, how can I?”
So he said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
By this time the hounds were very close near. Rabbit cried,“Sometimes having many friends is worse than having no friends at all!”
And she took off running as fast as she could, popped into her rabbit hole and escaped—all by herself.
Once in the days before we were born, there lived a Rabbit was very popular with the other animals. All of them claimed to be her friend. One day she heard dogs running and barking and she was afraid.
“My friends will help me escape!” she thought. She hurried up to the horse.
“Please carry me on your back, away from these ferocious dogs!”
But the horse said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The rabbit ran to the bull.
“Please chase away these terrible dogs with your big, sharp horns.”
The bull replied, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
Poor Rabbit! She ran as fast as she could to the goat.
“Please goat, you have good horns. Chase these dogs away for me!”
The goat said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The terrified Rabbit scurried to the ram, who was grazing with the other sheep.
“Ram, please help me! Those dogs will eat me!”
The ram thought about it, but he knew that dogs sometimes ate sheep as well as rabbits.
He said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
The Rabbit ran to her last friend, the baby calf. "Please help me, calf!"
The calf thought, “I am so small, and if those bigger animals could not help, how can I?”
So he said, “I am very busy. You have so many friends, one of them will surely help.”
By this time the hounds were very close near. Rabbit cried,“Sometimes having many friends is worse than having no friends at all!”
And she took off running as fast as she could, popped into her rabbit hole and escaped—all by herself.
Aiken Drum
Fill in the blanks with your favorite foods or other items. You can make a pizza Aiken Drum, a fruit Aiken Drum, or even a hardware version. Imagination is the key to this inventive song. If you prefer not to sing, recite the song as a poem.
I use felt pieces of fruit and make Aiken Drum on a flannelboard as I sing the song. Children and adults are fascinated by the process, and more than one teacher has asked if they can “steal” the idea. Steal? It’s free for the taking!
Aiken Drum
There was a man lived in the moon,
Lived in the moon, lived in the moon.
There was a man lived in the moon,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Chorus:
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,
And he played upon a ladle,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
And his eyes they were two ___________________
His eyes they were two ______________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his nose it was a _______________________
His nose it was a __________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his cheeks they were two _________________
His cheeks they were two ____________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his mouth it was a _______________________
His mouth it was a __________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his face it was a ________________________
His face it was a ___________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his hair it was __________________________
His hair it was _____________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
Now wasn’t he a funny man,
funny man, a funny man,
Now wasn’t he a funny man
And his name was Aiken Drum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This nonsense song may or may not be related to the story Aiken Drum. In the story, a brownie helps people do their work, with the stipulation that they never give him any new clothes. The people worry about the little man and finally someone gives him something new and he leaves, never to be seen again.
The two go together well as a story and song set, and the song allows for participation through singing, and putting the felt pieces on the board.
Sources for the poem:
http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/aikendrumpoem.htm
Online text: Celtic Folklore: Welsh And Manxby by John Rhys [1901]
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/cfwm/cf109.htm
“The Brownie of Blednoch” by William Nicholson, originally published in The Dumfries Magazine in October 1825. Online information about the author and the poem can be found at http://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/people/nicholson.htm
Forsyth, Anne. Aiken Drum: A Story in Scots for Young Readers (A Black and White Book) . Scottish Children's Press; June 1995. ISBN: 1899827005
Story Books: Maroon Group: Aiken Drum the Brownie. James Nisbet & Co Ltd. No date given. ASIN: 0720206278
Source for the melody: www.contemplator.com/folk4/aikendrm.html
I use felt pieces of fruit and make Aiken Drum on a flannelboard as I sing the song. Children and adults are fascinated by the process, and more than one teacher has asked if they can “steal” the idea. Steal? It’s free for the taking!
Aiken Drum
There was a man lived in the moon,
Lived in the moon, lived in the moon.
There was a man lived in the moon,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
Chorus:
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,
And he played upon a ladle,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
And his eyes they were two ___________________
His eyes they were two ______________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his nose it was a _______________________
His nose it was a __________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his cheeks they were two _________________
His cheeks they were two ____________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his mouth it was a _______________________
His mouth it was a __________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his face it was a ________________________
His face it was a ___________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
And his hair it was __________________________
His hair it was _____________________________
And his name was Aiken Drum.
(Chorus)
Now wasn’t he a funny man,
funny man, a funny man,
Now wasn’t he a funny man
And his name was Aiken Drum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This nonsense song may or may not be related to the story Aiken Drum. In the story, a brownie helps people do their work, with the stipulation that they never give him any new clothes. The people worry about the little man and finally someone gives him something new and he leaves, never to be seen again.
The two go together well as a story and song set, and the song allows for participation through singing, and putting the felt pieces on the board.
Sources for the poem:
http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/aikendrumpoem.htm
Online text: Celtic Folklore: Welsh And Manxby by John Rhys [1901]
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/cfwm/cf109.htm
“The Brownie of Blednoch” by William Nicholson, originally published in The Dumfries Magazine in October 1825. Online information about the author and the poem can be found at http://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/people/nicholson.htm
Forsyth, Anne. Aiken Drum: A Story in Scots for Young Readers (A Black and White Book) . Scottish Children's Press; June 1995. ISBN: 1899827005
Story Books: Maroon Group: Aiken Drum the Brownie. James Nisbet & Co Ltd. No date given. ASIN: 0720206278
Source for the melody: www.contemplator.com/folk4/aikendrm.html
Drakestail
Drakestail was very little, that’s why he was called Drakestail. But tiny as he was, he had brains. He started out in life with nothing, but over time he managed to save a great deal of money.
Now the King of this country was exactly the opposite. He spent and spent and never saved any money at all. So when he heard about Drakestail’s fortune, he went to Drakestail’s home and asked to borrow most of it. Drakestail had brains as I said, but he couldn’t help feeling proud that the King himself had come to visit him, and all his friends had seen it happen. He didn’t mind at all lending his money to the King.
A year later, the King had still not paid back any of the money, and Drakestail wasn’t feeling quite so proud. And after two years, he was downright angry! He decided that the only thing to be done was to go to the King and demand his money back. He dressed in his finest outfit and down the road he went, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He hadn’t traveled far at all when he met up with his friend Fox.
“Good morning, my Friend,” said Fox. “Where are you off to so early this morning?”
And Drakestail said,
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh! Take me with you,” said the Fox.
Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
And he said to the fox,
“Certainly you may come. But traveling is tiresome. Make yourself very small and go down my throat and into my gizzard and I’ll carry you along with me.” And Fox did exactly that.
Drakestail set off again, singing to himself,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He hadn’t traveled very far when he met another friend, Lady Ladder.
“Good morning, Drakestail. Where are you going on this fine day?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh, well! May I go with you?” asked Lady Ladder.
And Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Of course you may come. But walking on those wooden legs will make you very tired. Why don’t you make yourself very small and go down my throat into my gizzard with Friend Fox?”
“Brilliant!” said Lady Ladder. And she did exactly that. And Drakestail was on his way again, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
Only a little further along he met yet another friend, River, bubbling along quietly.
“Hello, Drakestail. Where are you traveling today?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh, well!” said River. “May I go along with you?”
Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Of course you may. Just make yourself very small and go down my throat into my gizzard with Fox and Ladder and the trip will seem much easier for you.”
“What a lovely thought,” said River. And she did exactly that.
And off went Drakestail, singing,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
And would you believe he met yet another friend-Wasp Nest!
“Drakestail, friend!” called the wasps. “Where are you off to?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“How exciting!” said the wasps. (They were all a-buzz with excitement.) “Can we go with you?”
Drakestail thought himself
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Certainly you may come. Only make yourself very small and slip down my throat into my gizzard with Fox, Ladder and River? The trip will be so much easier on you that way.”
Wasp-net agreed and off they went again, Drakestail singing,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
It wasn’t long til Drakestail and his friends arrived at the King’s palace. Drakestail marched right up to the door, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, I’VE COME TO GET MY MONEY BACK!
He knocked right on the door, and the guard asked “Who’s there?”
“It is I, Drakestail. I wish to speak to the King.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Yes! Tell him it is I and he knows what I’ve come for.”
The guard shut the door and went in to see the King. The King was just sitting down to dinner, even had his napkin tucked in his collar. All his trusted ministers were there with him when the guard came in and told him what Drakestail had said.
“Ah!” said the King. “Drakestail! Here’s what you can do with him! Put him in the pen with all the turkeys and chickens.”
The guard returned to Drakestail and said, “Follow me.”
“Ha!” thought Drakestail. “They know how important I am!”
And then… the porter led him into the chicken house and locked him in there!
“What!” cried Drakestail. “In the chicken house?” You can imagine how angry he was.
“The King has tricked me. I’ll find a way yet for him to talk to me. Quack, Quack, Quack! When shall I get my money back?”
The chickens were all looking at him in a very unfriendly way. Chickens don’t like those who are different than they are, you know, and Drakestail was muttering to himself and pacing around. They began to circle around him in a very menacing way.
Drakestail thought and thought and thought …. And then he had an idea. “Fox! He’s here with me. He can help!”
FOX, FOX, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
And out came Fox and he chased those wicked birds around til they all flew high up into the rafters of the coop.
Drakestail watched all this quite happily, and all the while he was singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! WHEN SHALL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He sang so loudly that the King heard him in the dining hall.
And when his poultry keeper came to tell him what happened in the chicken yard, he was very annoyed.
‘Throw this pesky Drakestail into the well and drown him!” cried the King.
The King’s men grabbed hold of Drakestail then and there and flung him down into the deepest well they could find.
“I’m done for!” cried Drakestail. And then he remembered-his friend Lady Ladder was still with him!
LADDER, LADDER, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
Ladder came at once and laid herself against the side of the well, and Drakestail climbed right out. He was no sooner out than he began shouting
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! WHEN SHALL I GET MY MONEY BACK?”
“Aah, this pesky duck! Men! Throw him into the hottest part of the furnace!”
His soldiers grabbed hold of Drakestail and took him down into the cellars, back to the hottest, biggest furnace and threw him in. Drakestail was thinking ahead by now, and as soon as he felt the heat of that fire, he called
RIVER, RIVER, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
River flowed out like a ….well, like a river and put out the fire in the furnace. Then she flowed out of the cellar and down the halls, filling them four feet deep.
Let me tell you, the King was furious! He said, “Bring him here! I’ll cut his throat with my sword!” He really was angry.
The soldiers ….at least the ones who hadn’t been washed out of the palace by the flood River had created… grabbed Drakestail and brought him to stand in front of the King. Do you think Drakestail was afraid? He was terrified! But he didn’t show it. And he remembered that he had one friend left in his gizzard. He called out
WASP NEST! WASP NEST! HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
And out buzzed the wasps-hundreds, thousands of wasps! They flew straight at the King, their stingers ready.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” shouted the King as he ran out of the palace, followed by angry, stinging wasps. The King’s men were right behind him, shouting “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” as more and more wasps chased after them.
Drakestail stood alone in that giant dining hall, very much surprised at the way things had turned out. But then he remembered just why he had come there in the first place and began looking for his money. He said
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! I’VE COME TO GET MY MONEY BACK!
But hard as he looked, he didn’t find one penny-it had all been spent. He looked everywhere until at last he found himself in the throne room. By this time he was very tired, and he sat down upon the throne to rest.
At that moment, the people of the town came running into the palace. They had seen their King and all his men running out of town and wanted to know why they were deserting the kingdom.
When they saw Drakestail sitting on the throne, they cried out,
“Drakestail, Drakestail, long live our King!
Drakestail, Drakestail, he’s our King!”
Drakestail looked out on them all as if he had always been a king and this was nothing unusual at all. The people placed a crown on his head, and it fitted him perfectly.
“And now,” said Drakestail, “let’s eat! I am so hungry!”
And that’s what they all did!
This is a fun story to tell! Audiences pick up quickly on the repeated phrases. One way to be sure they do this is to pause, then say the phrase a little louder and slower than the rest of the story. Make direct eye contact with the audience, and make a gesture with your hand to indicate that they should join in.
If the audience is still a little shy, stop and issue an invitation, “Why don’t you say this part with me?” As the story progresses, the audience will become more sure of its part in the story and jump right in at the appropriate times.
Sources for other versions of this story:
Lang, Andrew. The Red Fairy Book. Dover Books, 1966. (Originally published byLongmans, Green and Co. in London in 1890.)
Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France. Little, Brown and Co, 1959.
Forest, Heather. Wonder Tales from Around the World. August House Publishers, Inc, 1995.
Now the King of this country was exactly the opposite. He spent and spent and never saved any money at all. So when he heard about Drakestail’s fortune, he went to Drakestail’s home and asked to borrow most of it. Drakestail had brains as I said, but he couldn’t help feeling proud that the King himself had come to visit him, and all his friends had seen it happen. He didn’t mind at all lending his money to the King.
A year later, the King had still not paid back any of the money, and Drakestail wasn’t feeling quite so proud. And after two years, he was downright angry! He decided that the only thing to be done was to go to the King and demand his money back. He dressed in his finest outfit and down the road he went, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He hadn’t traveled far at all when he met up with his friend Fox.
“Good morning, my Friend,” said Fox. “Where are you off to so early this morning?”
And Drakestail said,
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh! Take me with you,” said the Fox.
Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
And he said to the fox,
“Certainly you may come. But traveling is tiresome. Make yourself very small and go down my throat and into my gizzard and I’ll carry you along with me.” And Fox did exactly that.
Drakestail set off again, singing to himself,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He hadn’t traveled very far when he met another friend, Lady Ladder.
“Good morning, Drakestail. Where are you going on this fine day?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh, well! May I go with you?” asked Lady Ladder.
And Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Of course you may come. But walking on those wooden legs will make you very tired. Why don’t you make yourself very small and go down my throat into my gizzard with Friend Fox?”
“Brilliant!” said Lady Ladder. And she did exactly that. And Drakestail was on his way again, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
Only a little further along he met yet another friend, River, bubbling along quietly.
“Hello, Drakestail. Where are you traveling today?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“Oh, well!” said River. “May I go along with you?”
Drakestail thought to himself,
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Of course you may. Just make yourself very small and go down my throat into my gizzard with Fox and Ladder and the trip will seem much easier for you.”
“What a lovely thought,” said River. And she did exactly that.
And off went Drakestail, singing,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
And would you believe he met yet another friend-Wasp Nest!
“Drakestail, friend!” called the wasps. “Where are you off to?”
I’M GOING TO THE KING TO GET WHAT HE OWES ME.
“How exciting!” said the wasps. (They were all a-buzz with excitement.) “Can we go with you?”
Drakestail thought himself
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MANY FRIENDS.
“Certainly you may come. Only make yourself very small and slip down my throat into my gizzard with Fox, Ladder and River? The trip will be so much easier on you that way.”
Wasp-net agreed and off they went again, Drakestail singing,
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, WHEN WILL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
It wasn’t long til Drakestail and his friends arrived at the King’s palace. Drakestail marched right up to the door, singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, I’VE COME TO GET MY MONEY BACK!
He knocked right on the door, and the guard asked “Who’s there?”
“It is I, Drakestail. I wish to speak to the King.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Yes! Tell him it is I and he knows what I’ve come for.”
The guard shut the door and went in to see the King. The King was just sitting down to dinner, even had his napkin tucked in his collar. All his trusted ministers were there with him when the guard came in and told him what Drakestail had said.
“Ah!” said the King. “Drakestail! Here’s what you can do with him! Put him in the pen with all the turkeys and chickens.”
The guard returned to Drakestail and said, “Follow me.”
“Ha!” thought Drakestail. “They know how important I am!”
And then… the porter led him into the chicken house and locked him in there!
“What!” cried Drakestail. “In the chicken house?” You can imagine how angry he was.
“The King has tricked me. I’ll find a way yet for him to talk to me. Quack, Quack, Quack! When shall I get my money back?”
The chickens were all looking at him in a very unfriendly way. Chickens don’t like those who are different than they are, you know, and Drakestail was muttering to himself and pacing around. They began to circle around him in a very menacing way.
Drakestail thought and thought and thought …. And then he had an idea. “Fox! He’s here with me. He can help!”
FOX, FOX, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
And out came Fox and he chased those wicked birds around til they all flew high up into the rafters of the coop.
Drakestail watched all this quite happily, and all the while he was singing
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! WHEN SHALL I GET MY MONEY BACK?
He sang so loudly that the King heard him in the dining hall.
And when his poultry keeper came to tell him what happened in the chicken yard, he was very annoyed.
‘Throw this pesky Drakestail into the well and drown him!” cried the King.
The King’s men grabbed hold of Drakestail then and there and flung him down into the deepest well they could find.
“I’m done for!” cried Drakestail. And then he remembered-his friend Lady Ladder was still with him!
LADDER, LADDER, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
Ladder came at once and laid herself against the side of the well, and Drakestail climbed right out. He was no sooner out than he began shouting
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! WHEN SHALL I GET MY MONEY BACK?”
“Aah, this pesky duck! Men! Throw him into the hottest part of the furnace!”
His soldiers grabbed hold of Drakestail and took him down into the cellars, back to the hottest, biggest furnace and threw him in. Drakestail was thinking ahead by now, and as soon as he felt the heat of that fire, he called
RIVER, RIVER, HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
River flowed out like a ….well, like a river and put out the fire in the furnace. Then she flowed out of the cellar and down the halls, filling them four feet deep.
Let me tell you, the King was furious! He said, “Bring him here! I’ll cut his throat with my sword!” He really was angry.
The soldiers ….at least the ones who hadn’t been washed out of the palace by the flood River had created… grabbed Drakestail and brought him to stand in front of the King. Do you think Drakestail was afraid? He was terrified! But he didn’t show it. And he remembered that he had one friend left in his gizzard. He called out
WASP NEST! WASP NEST! HURRY FRIEND!
OR DRAKESTAIL'S LIFE IS AT AN END.
And out buzzed the wasps-hundreds, thousands of wasps! They flew straight at the King, their stingers ready.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” shouted the King as he ran out of the palace, followed by angry, stinging wasps. The King’s men were right behind him, shouting “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” as more and more wasps chased after them.
Drakestail stood alone in that giant dining hall, very much surprised at the way things had turned out. But then he remembered just why he had come there in the first place and began looking for his money. He said
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! I’VE COME TO GET MY MONEY BACK!
But hard as he looked, he didn’t find one penny-it had all been spent. He looked everywhere until at last he found himself in the throne room. By this time he was very tired, and he sat down upon the throne to rest.
At that moment, the people of the town came running into the palace. They had seen their King and all his men running out of town and wanted to know why they were deserting the kingdom.
When they saw Drakestail sitting on the throne, they cried out,
“Drakestail, Drakestail, long live our King!
Drakestail, Drakestail, he’s our King!”
Drakestail looked out on them all as if he had always been a king and this was nothing unusual at all. The people placed a crown on his head, and it fitted him perfectly.
“And now,” said Drakestail, “let’s eat! I am so hungry!”
And that’s what they all did!
This is a fun story to tell! Audiences pick up quickly on the repeated phrases. One way to be sure they do this is to pause, then say the phrase a little louder and slower than the rest of the story. Make direct eye contact with the audience, and make a gesture with your hand to indicate that they should join in.
If the audience is still a little shy, stop and issue an invitation, “Why don’t you say this part with me?” As the story progresses, the audience will become more sure of its part in the story and jump right in at the appropriate times.
Sources for other versions of this story:
Lang, Andrew. The Red Fairy Book. Dover Books, 1966. (Originally published byLongmans, Green and Co. in London in 1890.)
Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France. Little, Brown and Co, 1959.
Forest, Heather. Wonder Tales from Around the World. August House Publishers, Inc, 1995.