Diddilydeedot's Dreamland presents her Favourite Things! RELICS AND RATS
Relics and rats cantrips and cats giraffes with short necks and kangaroos without flaps. Teapots and toads dead skunks and stoves terrible journies on ramshackle roads. Wombats with wings see-saws with stings these are just some of my favourite things. Relics and rats imps in straw hats maidens with cherries and silken cravattes. Kettles and kippers vicars and strippers chocolate ice cream and ladies with flippers. Fairies and foam griffin and gnome - fine in their place, but not in the home! Teapots and toads leprechauns in brogues cucumber coffee and squid a-la-mode. Owls baked in omelettes cats stuck in pelmets children on stilts and grannies in helmets Pigs in pink dresses tarts with dark tresses lime-flavoured ladders and foreign addresses Daisies that sing button that ping these are some more of my favourite things.
"Please, Aunt Patience, what can you see in the tea-leaves?" In the snug kitchen of his aunt's farmhouse in Vermont. New England, George Benner drained his teacup and handed it across the table. Aunt Patience turned the cup in her thin hand and said briskly, "Why, I see an old sea chest with a pirate's chart. If you follow the directions you will find lots of money." That night, as he sat by the stove with his aunts' tabby cat sitting on his lap, George turned to Aunt Patience's sister, Emeline. "Aunt Emeline, tell me the story of the old pirate who scared you so, all those years ago. "Somehow I thought you might be asking about him and the trunk tonight." Aunt Emeline said with a smile. She folded her sewing and laid it on the table.
The Man With The Golden Ear-rings
"It was just getting dark," she said. "I happened to look out of the window and saw the stage-coach stop a little way down the lane. Out climbed a strange old man, with long, white, wispy hair and a sash tied around his waist. From the top of the coack he took down a small brass-bound trunk; then, balancing it on his shoulder e started walking right towards the house. As he got closer I saw he was wearing gold ear-rings. I was scared wen he knocked the door, but I opened it just the same. He asked politely if he could stay the night - saying he was looking for an old shipmate who had settled somewhere in the neighbourhood, I told him he could leave the trunk in the shed and then showed him where he could get a wash. After supper he smoked his pipe and talked about all the foreign places he'd been to in more than fifty years of seafaring. "Next morning he fetched me a pail of water from the well, chopped some wood for me then staight after he had eaten breakfast he said he'd be off in search of his friend. He offered to pay for his keep, if he coud be allowed to leave the trunk with me for a few days.. I said I'd be glad to look after it for nothing , and off he went. And there he went up the lane and that, George was the last I ad ever saw of him. Eventually had his old trunk taken up to the attic, and there it still is today. No one has ever opened it, and no one is ever going to. That is his trunk, and hopefully one of these days he will come back to claim it.
..The Trunk in the Attic..
Several summers later George Benner and his best friend, another George, this time Levanselar, were staying in the aunt's farmhouse. One rainy day their conversation worked its way round to the pirate treasure, and once more the trunk in the attic was mentioned. But this timeAunt Emeline decided to let them open the trunk after George pointed out that if the pirate was alive he would have to have been at least 120! . .The trunk was carefully brought down from the attic, and already the straps began to crumble in their hands, there was doubt if anything could remain inside. The lock had become very rusted over and had to be forced open. Raising the lid, they found; a bundle of moth eaten garments, an unfinished carved model of a sailing ship, several ornaments made from shells, and old quadrant and a copy of The Pirate by Walter Scott. The boys looked disappointed, there was no treasure, not even a bar of gold or a coin they could have as a keepsake. With a double sigh the boys put everything back in the chest except the book. Later that evening George Benner thumbed through the old volume, and a sheet of very thin parchment fell out. On it was drawn what looked like part of the coast of Maine, a nearbystate. Many of the bays and inlets were shown, and one of them was marked with an X. Underneath it in faded writing were these crudely printed words:
STAND ABREAST QUARTZ BOULDER, BRING TOP IN LINE WITH HILL. NORTH ½ MILE IT LIES, 12 FATHOM N.E.NEAR BIG TREES UNDER STONE.
Treasure Seekers
A few days later, armed with Coastal Survey maps, the two boys left for Bath, on the Maine coast. There they hired a launch and took provisions for three days, as well as spades, picks and a crowbar. At daylight next day they began to search the coves trying to find one that would match the spot marked X on the rough map from the trunk. Several places looked promising but nowhere could they see the quartz boulder, which was the key to the whole map. It was late in the afternoon just as they were turning back. George Levanselar saw a glint of sunlight reflected from the shore. It was the boulder! .By the time they had beached the boat, it was too dark to start their search. The next morning they rushed to the top of the hill, but instead of the wild, lonely spot shown on the map, they were looking down on a village; there were streets and cottages. Their enthusiasm for treasure hunting was rapidly vanishing, but they lined up the rock with the hill and paced off half a mile. Within an hour they had discovered beyond the village, a flat stone partly overgrown with grass and bushes. With fast beating hearts, they dug round its edge, working with pick axe and crowbar until they had moved it. Now they began to dig in earnest, and soon they struck a smaller stone. It covered the remains of a rotton wooden keg.
Both boys plunged their hands through the crumbling wood. They had found the pirates treasure! There were hundreds of coins, and near the bottom was something heavy, wrapped in decaying cloth. The boys put the treasure on board the launch and set a course down the coast to Boston, which they reached the next morning. By nine o'clock they were telling their story to disbelieving officials of the Atlantic National Bank. The bank officials' disbelief turned to astonishment when the boys dumped their treasure on the table. There were 17th and 18th century coins - dubloons, gold moidores and silver pieces of eight. Then George Benner unrolled the heavy bundle. Under the decaying cloth was a gold cross, nine inches long and studded with rubies and diamonds; twisted around it was a pearl necklace. As a result of the search which really began in the bottom of a teacup, the two Georges had found a treasure worth £7,000. As for aunt Emeline, she went on worrying about what she would say to the pirate if he should return. But she never had to say it. When she died in March 1935, at the age of 103, her pirate had still not called for his trunk.
Below you will find a wonderful collection of sea songs, mostly Pirate ones, and of course there has to be quite a few Johnny Deppe amongst them Don't missthe first video, it's called "The Nancy Bell" you can find this and all the url's on youtube. Just luck for seligors playlists.
JUST CLICK ^ON THE DVD SLOT NEXT TO START ON VIDEO BOX IF THE "ERROR" SLOGAN SHOWS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH VIDEO Dodies dream world
Long ago there lived a king who was called Rumpisulk. He had a fine palace
to live in, and more gold than any other king in the whole world. But,
all day long he lay upon a fine bed, hung with silk curtains, and
yawned, and yawned, and yawned. "Bah-bah-bah!" yawned King
Rumpisulk. "What a weary world this is" What a weary, weary world this
is!" Everything I see and everything I do makes me tired to death.
Bah-bah-bah!" On each side of the king's fine bed stood a Lord
of the Court, dressed in red and silver, with a little gold buckle on
his silver shoes. King Rumpisulk turned to one of these Lords of the
Court, and said. "What is the news? Tell me the latest news, perhaps it
will amuse me." The Lord of the Court could not answer at once
for the king had just yawned again, and it was the rule of the court
that every time the king yawned the Lords of the Court must yawn too. But in a few minutes he stepped forward, took a sheet of paper from his pocket, put his glasses on, and began to read;
"Princess May has torn her lace, Minna would not wash her face.
Nob, the dog, has run away, The hens laid badly yesterday,
And the housemaid, Abigail, Trod upon the kitten's tail.
"Enough, Enough," cried Rumpisulk. "How can you read such stupid news to me? Tear up your paper and let me hear no more." The king turned to the other Lord of the Court and asked him could he not tell him something more amusing.
The second Lord took out a sheet of paper, put on his glasses, and
began to read, just as gravely as the first Lord had read;
"Yesterday fast fell the rain; Today the clouds are black again,
And tomorrow, so they say, Will also be a stormy day.
Last night the meat was over done. The pies were heavy, every one.
Today the palace cook will ack A very nice and large plum cake.
And tomorrow we shall eat A very tender joint of meat."
The king was so angry that he pulled off one of his golden shoes and threw it at the second Lord of the Court. "Enough,
enough!" he cried crossly, "I do not want to hear such dull news. Oh
deary me, what a weary world this is! What a weary, weary world this
is! What a weary, weary world. Bah-bah-bah!" and he yawned again. Bah-bah-bah!" Yawned the Lords of the Court after him.
They would have liked so much to say something, but dared not forget
that it was their duty to yawn every time the King yawned. King Rumpisulk sat up. "Send my servants all through my kingdom!" he cried. "Let
them bring to me people who can laugh and sing, people who know how to
be happy and gay, people who can say or do something to amuse me. Then perhaps I can be cured" The Lords of the court bowed very low to the king, and went out to do as he bade them.
Chapter Two
LITTLE WING
In
a little hut upon a hillside far, far away from the palace, lived a
shepherd and his wife. They had nothing but their little hut and a
small flock of sheep. So they had to work very, very hard from morning
till night to earn enough money to buy food and clothing for their ten
children. But they were always very happy. The ten children were so merry, so rosy and beautiful that they were a joy to see.
The most beautiful and merriest of them all was the eldest, a little
maid with happy blue eyes and the gayest, prettiest face that ever was
seen. Because she was so merry of heart, and always went here and there singing like a little bird she was called Little Wing. One day a new little baby was born in the hut upon the hillside. Just at the time when the shepherd had hardly any money at all. And
in the house were only ten little stools, ten knives and forks, ten
plates and spoons - enough of everything for ten children, but nothing
left over. "Oh deary me!" sighed the mother, "What shall we do now? here we are with eleven children and we only have room for ten." "Never
mind," laughed Little Wing. "I am the eldest and I shall go out into
the woorld and find work. By and by the new little sister can have my
bed and stool, my knife, fork and my stool." At first her mother
would not hear of this. But Little Wing laughed so much, such a merry,
ringing laugh, that the mother had to let her have her way. Little Wing packed her clothes into a tidy bundle, left the hut, and went singing out into the world.
Chapter Three
SIX BLANKETS
She came into a wide field, and there she saw a score or more of little green frogs jumping along the edge of a brook.
The frogs looked so funny. Every time they went hop, hop,
hoppity-hop, Little Wing laughed because she was so amused. A shepherd
who was passing heard the laughter and going over to her he said, "Why
are you laughing? What makes you so merry? Little Wing pointed to
the frogs, that now went splash-splashing into the brook, and she
laughed again, such a gay laugh that the shepherd could not help
laughing too. "Upon my word," he said, wiping the tears from
his eyes, "you must have a very merry heart! Now I have a poor wife at
home who is very ill and very sad. The doctor says that she must have
someone to amuse her. Do you think you could come home with me and make
her laugh too, you shall have plenty to eat and a nice bed to sleep in." "That will be good," said Little Wing. I shall come with you."
The shepherd's wife lay in bed under six woolen blankets. She looked
very ill and very sad indeed. Her face was so yellow and old, and her
nose was so long, that when Little Wing looked at her, she could not
help laughing, though of course she didn't mean to be rude. The shepherd's wife stared at Little Wing, she heard the merry laugh, and she could not help laughing a little too. Little
Wing laughed again, and so did the shepherd's wife. Little Wing laughed
more and more, and the shepherd's wife laughed with her, till neither
of them could stop laughing. The shepherd's wife laughed so
much that she grew hotter and hotter under her six blankets and by and
by she took off the top blanket. Then she took off the next, then the
next and the next and the next. Then she took off the last blanket of
all and sprang out of bed to make a warm cup of tea for Little Wing.
Little Wing. stayed there for a whole week, and by ththe end of that
time the shepherd's wife was quite well again, and Little Wing thought
she would like to go a little farther in the to find work to do. So early in the bright summer morning Little Wing set out.
Chapter Four
THE KINGDOM OF YAWNS
She walked a long, long way, till she came to a great golden gate and saw written above it, "THE KINGDOM OF KING RUMPISULK." "King Rumpisulk!" cried Little Wing. "Fie! what a name! I shall go inside and see what this kingdom is like."
The porters opened the gate and Little Wing passed inside. "Oh dear me,
what a dreary land this is!" thought she. All the people looked tired
and sad. The very dogs had unhappy faces. In truth, no one had laughed
in that kingdom for a hundred years. Little Wing saw that everybody yawned and that the ported at the gate had a very long face. "What is the matter with you?" she asked. "Why are you so sad on this lovely summer day?" "How
can I help being sad?" replied the porter. "My master the King is very
ill. If no one can make him laugh he will die before the day comes to
an end." "What is the matter with your king?" asked Little Wing. "He
does not know how to laugh. Every one around him yawns. No one laughs.
He has never heard a merry laugh during the whole of his life." "That is very, very sad!" said Little Wing. "Now
he has sent all the great and clever people in the kingdom," went on
the porter, "and they are all trying very hard to amuse him. We do hope
that one of them will make him laugh and as yet no one has been able to
do so." "May I try?" asked Little Wing. "Of course you may, but a little maid like you cannot do anything to amuse a great king." Little
Wing left the porter and walked on to the palace. In the courtyard she
saw the crowd of clever people who were trying to make the King laugh. Just
near to her stood a tall, thin man with a monkey. The monkey could do
many clever tricks, and everytime it did something funny the tall, thin
man said to all the people, "Look at that! I am sure the King will
laugh when he sees that!" By his side was a little stout man with a long red beard. "Pooh!
Pooh! Pooh!" said he. "A monkey is nothing wonderful. I will show you
something wonderful." He pulled off his cap, and out flew a little bird
which cried, "peep, peep," and then stood on the stout man's head and danced a little jig. "That is very funny" said the stout man proudly. "I am sure the king will laugh when he sees that!" "Dear
me," said Little Wing to herself, "I have no clever tricks like these.
Perhaps I had better go away." But she wanted very much to see King
Rumpisulk, so she made up her mind to stay after all.
Chapter Five
THE KING LAUGHS.
One
after another the people were sent into the king's room. One after
another they came out again, shaking their heads and saying, "No, the
King has not laughed. The King does not know how to laugh!" Now it was the turn of the tall, thin man with the monkey.
He bowed low to the King and showed his monkey. The King only yawned,
and before he could think what he was doing, the tall, thin man started
to yawn as well. "Away with him," cried the King, and he yawned again. Next
to go in was the little stout man with the red beard. But even as he
walked into the room the king began to yawn, and the little stout man
yawned too. "Send him out, send him out," said King Rumpisulk. "Another man who yawns! I can see that there is no cure for me. Everybody yawns What a weary, weary world this is!" The
King yawned again. "If you please, Your Majesty," said one of the Lords
of the Court, "there is a little maid outside who would like to try to
make you laugh." "Send her in," said King Rumpisulk, but I am sure she can do nothing to amuse me. "All the old men, all the wise men can only yawn. How can a little maid make me laugh?" The Lord of the Court bowed and went out, but he yawned again as he went. Little Wing walked shyly into the fine room and looked at the King. The King looked at Little Wing, and then began to yawn, Bah-bah-bah!" Little Wing thought that in all her life she had never seen anything so funny - a king who lay on a fine couch and yawned. She really did not mean to be rude, but she couldn't help laughing. It
started of small and grew and grew, oh my what a laugh it became. Such
a sound had never been heard in the great palace before. It was the
merriest, gayest laugh that ever was laughed. The King sat up and stared, and rubbed his eyes and yawned. This
my Little Wing laugh all the more. A king who could only yawn! It was
so funny. She laughed and laughed until the tears were running down her
cheeks. And now the two Lords of the Court began to laugh. They laughed
and they laughed, as they had never laughed in all their lives before.
The King stared more and more, and then, suddenly, he began to
laugh too, such a happy, merry laugh that everyone came running to see
what had happened. And then the people were so happy that they went
running everywhere to tell the glad news, "The King has laughed! The
King has laughed!" As for King Rumpisulk, he took Little Wing by the
hand and said gaily, "I am cured. At last I have found someone who can
laugh. Now you must stay here, and when you are older you shall be my Queen and no one will ever yawn again. And
so after a few years, and when, by that time all the people in the
kingdom were able to laugh. The sign above the gates stated , "The
Kingdom of King and Queen Rumpisulk, the Kingdom of Laughter." He was quite cured of yawning, in fact he was the happiest king in all the world.
Tall Tales
THE UGLY DUCKLING
An old mother duck who was very proud of her handsome family was very
disappointed when another little one was born who was so ugly that
everybody called him an Ugly Duckling. "I never imagined,"
she said to a friend who came to visit her, "That I should ever have
such an ugly child. Just look at the others, how pretty they are and
how gracefully they move!" Soon the ducklings grew old enough to have their first swimming lesson. "Quack,
quack!" cried their mother, and out they all came, as fine a brood of
ducklings as any mother could wish to see. And then behind them came
the ugly duckling all alone and forlorn. "Do you not see your young brother?" said the mother duck. "He can't really be our brother," they replied scornfully. "He is so ugly that we cannot bear to look at him." But when they
found that he took to the water like a brave young chick should, and
beat them at all their games and races, they then became very jealous
of him as well. One day the mother duck decided to take the
children to a neighbouring farm. They had not been there long before
the ugly duckling found everybody staring at him, and one old duck even
flew at him and bit him on the neck. "You are not like the rest of us," she said. "You are so big and ugly. "Why do you come here?"
"Let him alone," said his mother, "he may not be pretty like my
other children, but he is good natured, and he swims better than any of
them." But as soon as the mother's back was turned the poor little
duckling had a bad time of it. All the others made fun of him and gave
him many sharp pecks. "It's not fair, they all make fun of me
because I am ugly," sobbed the poor fellow, "and it's no fault of mine.
I am evidently not wanted here, I will go away from here." And so
when no one was looking he stole away. On and on he went until he came
to a great moor, where he saw a number of wild ducks who came to have a
look at the stranger. "How
do you do?" said the ugly duckling politely. But they stared at him for
some time without answering, and then one said; "Gosh, how ugly you
are!" And they all began to laugh. But just at that moment there came a
sound which terrified the poor duckling. "Pop,pop, pop." went a gun, and down dropped the wild ducks one by one. The
smoke from the guns blew across the water and choked the duckling, and
as it faded away in the air he was terrified to see a huge dog dash
into the water and come swimming towards him. He was to frightened to
move, but to his surprise the animal, after sniffing him suspiciously
at him, passed him by and left him trembling from head to foot with
fright. "Oh dear, I am so ugly that even the dog couldn't bear to
look at me," he thought, and he shivered and dared not move till the
sun had gone down, lest other strange dangers should come upon him.
When morning dawned he caught sight of a little cottage that lay
close by. Perhaps it might offer him some shelter. Very quietly he went
up to the door and peeped in. An old lady stood by the hearth, and
nearby crouched a cat and a hen. "Perhaps they will not notice how
ugly I am, and they will let me stay," thought the duckling, and he
crept inside the door and waited. The cat saw him first and began to purr loudly, and then the old woman looked round. The Ugly Duckling held his breath for fear that she would turn him out, but a smile spread over her face. "How very fortunate I am," she exclaimed, "for now I shall have some duck eggs." But the duckling did not present her with any eggs and after a time the cat and the hen began to quarrel with him. "I
don't know what use you are in the world," said the hen sourly, "You
can't lay eggs like I can; you can't even purr like a cat, and no one
could call you handsome. Poor poor duckling, once more he felt he
ought to move on before he was cast out yet again. So he left the
cottage and returned to the water, feeling even more lonely and
helpless than before.
That evening as sun set there came out of the bushes a flock of birds,
so beautiful and so white that the ugly duckling gazed at them in
astonishment. They were swans. It was the first time he had ever seen a
swan, and he thought that he had never seen anything so beautiful
before. They uttered strange cries as they passed and for some minutes
the duckling watched them, admiring their beauty. "Wow, how glorious to be so beautiful!" he thought. Soon
winter came upon the duckling and with it came the frost and ice, and
the poor duckling, cold and often hungry, longed for the home that he
had left, for, bad as things had seemed, they were far worse now. Sometimes
the air was so cold that he was obliged to keep swimming about to
prevent the water from freezing. All through the winter he suffered
from cold and hunger, until at last the beautiful spring arrived and
with it the sun and warmth. "This feels so good!" said the duckling, "why it makes me feel quite strong." And
on he went until he came to a pond. The pond was as smooth and as clear
as a mirror, and in passing the Ugly Duckling looked down at his
reflection. He was startled, surely something was wrong! He looked
again, and then he gazed all about himelf, but there was no one else
around, not a single other creature in sight. What could have happened.
Instead of a big, ugly duckling he saw a smooth graceful swan, as
beautiful as the one's he had seen before the winter set in. Was it
possible, that he, the ugly duckling, could have changed into a lovely
swan.
He looked up and there gliding towards him, a number of these
beautiful creatures. They greeted him politly and called him brother.
"Come, come with us," they cried. "You are such a fine fellow, we would
love you to be with us." And then lifting up his head and quivering
with excitement, the Ugly Duckling, who no longer deserved his name,
proudly followed the rest, with whom he lived happily ever after. Another version of the Ugly Duckling as told by Arthur Mee.
TALL TALES
Before
reading this little story by Hans Christian Andersen, beware of its
strange meanings, Diddily thinks they are wonderfully woven into the
story.
The Darning-Needle There was once a Darning-needle which thought itself so fine, that it imagined it was a Sewing-needle. "Mind
how you hold me," the Darning-needle said to the fingers as they took
it up, "or you may lose me, and, if I fall, it is a great question
whether I shall be found again, for I am so fine!" "That can be managed," said the Fingers and they laid hold of it tight round the body. "See, I have a train!" the Darning-needle said, and it drew a long thread after it, in which there was no knot. The Fingers applied the needle to the Cook's slipper, the upper leather of which had burst and required mending. "That
is coarse work!" the Needle said. "I shall never get through it. I
shall break! I am breaking!" and it did break. "Didn't I not say so?"
the Needle sighed; I am too fine!" "Now it is of no use," the
Fingers thought, but they still had hold of it, and the cook dropped
some melted sealing wax upon it and stuck it in her neck-handkerchief. "Now I am a breast pin!" the Needle said, "I knew I would come to honours, for when one is something, one is sure to rise."
"May I take the liberty to ask whether you are of gold?" it
inquired of a pin that was it's neighbour. "Your outward appearance is
splendid! and I see that you have a head too, though it is very small.
You must see if you cannot get it to grow, for all cannot have sealing
wax dropped upon them!" Hereupon the Needle raised itself up so
proudly, that it fell out of the handkerchief into the sink, just as
the cook was washing a dish. "Now I am going to travel!" the Needle said, "I hope I may not get lost," But lost it was. "I
am too fine for this world!" the Darning-needle said, as it lay in the
gutter. "But I know my own worth, and there is always a satisfaction in
that!" And the Needle did not lose its presence of mind nor its good humour.
All sorts of things floated past over its head - chips od wood,
straw, and pieces of newspaper. "How they sail along!" the Needle said,
"And they think little of what is lying beneath them. There goes a
Chip, thinking of nothing in the world but of a chip, and that is
itself. Now a Piece of Straw floats past. Oh how it twists and twirls
about! but do not think to much of yourself; take care, or you may
knock against that stone. Now there swims a Piece of Newspaper! What is
in it is soon forgotten, and yet, see how it spreads itself out! Here I
sit patient and quiet. I know what I am, and that I shall remain!" One
day, something glittering lay close by its side, and the Nedle thought
it was a diamond, though it was nothing more than a piece of Glass; but
because it glittered the Needle addressed it, and introduced itself as
a Brest-pin. "You are a Diamond I suppose?" "Yes, I am something of
that sort!" So each thought the other something very valuable, and they
complained about the arrogance of the world. "I lived in a box with
a young lady," the Needle said. "She was the cook, and on each hand she
had five Fingers, and never have I seen anything as conceited as those
Fingers, though they were only made on purpose to lay hold of me, to
take me out of the box, and to put me in again." "Did they shine?" the Piece of Glass asked. "Shine!"
the Needle said. "Not they; and yet they were as conceited and arrogant
as possible. They were five brothers, all born Fingers, and held
themselves so proudly, one by the side of the other, though they were
of different lengths. The outer one, Mr Thumb, was short and thick, and
had but one joint it his back, so he could only make one bow: but he
did say that if he was cut off from a man's hand, the man would be
unfit for military service. Foreman, the second, dived into the sweets
and sours, pointed at the sun and moon, and pressed upon the pen in
writing; Middleman looked right over the others' heads; Ringman wore a
gold ring round his body, and Littleman did nothing at all, which he
was particularly proud of. It was all bragging and boasting, and that
is why I went into the sink." "And now we lie here and shine!" the Piece of Glass said, Just then there was an increase of the water in the gutter so that it overflowed and the Piece of Glass was carried away. "Now
she has had a rise," the Needle said, "And I remain; I am so fine! but
that is my pride, which is to be honoured." So there it lay in its
pride and ruminated deeply. "I could almost believe I was born of a
Sunbeam, I am so fine! Indeed it seems as if the Sun were looking for
me under the water; but I am so fine, that my own mother cannot find
me. If I had my eye which broke off I think I should cry; but no, I
would not cry, for that would be beneath me." One day some boys were rummaging about in the gutter hunting for halfpence, nails and such like. "Ah!" one of them cried out, as he pricked himself with the Needle."This is a pretty fellow!" "I
am no fellow at all, but a young lady!" the Needlesaid, but no one
heard it. The sealing wax had got worn off and it had grown quiteblack,
but that only made it look thinner, and it thought itself finer than
ever. "Here comes an egg-shell sailing along!" the boys cried and they stuck the Needle into it. "White
walls, I myself black," the Needle said; "that looks well, and people
cannot help seeing me now. I only hope I shall not be sea-sick, for
then I should break. It was not sea-sick, nor did it break. "There
is no protection against sea-sickness like having a steel stomach, and
the constant thought that one is something more than man. It is passed
now. The finer one is the more one can bear." Crash! went the egg-shell as a wagon passed over it, "Ah!
how heavy it is!" the Darning-needle said, "I shall be sea-sick after
all. I am breaking, I am breaking!" but it did not break, for all the
wagon passed over it. There it lay its full length, and there let it
lie!
AFTER THAT STRANGE TALE FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN;
JUST CLICK ON ^ THE DVD SLOT NEXT TO START ON VIDEO BOX IF THE "ERROR" SLOGAN SHOWS, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH VIDEO
Here we have a few tiny songs from the Middle East.
Enjoy, Diddilydeedot. x
LITTLE ONE EYE,
LITTLE TWO EYES,
LITTLE THREE EYES.
Once upon a time there was a one eyed woman who had three daughters. The eldest was called Little One Eye, because she only had one eye in the middle of her forehead; the second was called Little Two Eyes, because she had two eyes like other people and the youngest was called Little Three Eyes because she ad three eyes, and her third eye was also in the middle of her forhead. But because little two eyes did not look any different from other children, her sisters and mother would say to her. "You with your two eyes, are no better than common folk. You don't belong to this family." They pushed her here, they threw her clothes there and let her eat only the little that they left over. They were so unkind to her, poor little girl.
One day Little Two Eyes had to go out into the fields to take care of her goat. She was so hungry and sad, her sisters were making her life so unhappy. Unable to control her emotions anymore Little Two Eyes sat down in the meadow and began to cry, She cried so much that two little brooks were running out of her eyes. "Hello Little Two Eyes," a soft voice said. " Why are you crying?" Little Two Eyes looked up to where the voice came from and there standing right besides her was an old woman. "I'm sorry," sniffled Little Two Eyes, "but haven't I reason to cry. Because I have two eyes like other people, my sisters and my mother hate me, they push me away from them, and they only give me the scraps to eat. I am so hungry all the time." Then the wise woman smiled and said. "Little Two Eyes, you must dry your eyes and I will tell you how you will never be hungry again. All you have to say to your goat is:
Little goat, bleat, Little table, appear,
and a beautiful spread table will stand before with the most delicious food on it, and my dear you can then eat as much as you want. Then when you have finished eating say to your goat:
Little goat, bleat, Little table, away,
and the table will vanish." Then when she had finised telling Little Two Eyes what to do, she vanished out of sight. Little Two Eyes thought, I must try this at once, I hope she wasn't joking for I am so hungry. Little Two Eyes closed her eyes then opening them she looked straight at her little goat and quickly said;
Little goat, bleat, Little table, appear.
and scarely had she uttered the words when a little table stood before, covered with a white cloth on which were arranged, a plate, silver knife, fork and spoon. and the most beeautiful dishes which were full of steaming hot food, as if it had just come from the kitchen. Little Two Eyes ate it all up every little bit, never in her life had she had so much to eat, her little tummy was full to the top. With a smile spreading from one ear to the other, she looked at her little goat and said;
Little goat, bleat, Little table, away,
And without a sound the little table vanished. Little Two Eyes smiled, she didn't even have to do any washing up.
In the evening when she arrived back home, she made sure her goat was fed and had fresh straw to sleep on and went indoors, she found a small dish of left-overs on the table that her sisters had left her, she didn't touch it. In the morning she left the scraps again. Unfortunately it didn't take long for her mother and sisters to notice that she wasn't eating the scraps and they began to wonder where she was getting her food from. They decided that Little One Eye should go with her the next day when she took her goat out.
So when Little Two Eyes was setting out, Little One Eye came up to her and said, "I will go with you and make sure you look after the goat properly. But Little Two Eyes knew dashed well what her sister was up to, and she drove her goat into the long grass, then she sat down. "Come Little One Eye, we will sit down together and I will sing you a song. Little One Eye was very happy to sit, she was very tired after the long walk. Little Two Eyes began her song,
Little One Eye, are you awake? Little One Eye, are you asleep?
and as she sang, Little One Eye shut her eye and fell fast asleep. When she was certain that her sister was sleeping soundly, she whispered to her goat:
Little goat, bleat, Little goat, appear,
and she sat down at her table and ate away. As soon as she had finished all her food, she whispered the closing words and in a twinkling the little table disappeared. Little Two Eyes let her goat finish eating his full and then she woke her sister. "I don't know why you bothered coming Little One Eye, you were supposed to have been watching me and you went to sleep. Come on I guess we may as well go home now." So they went home and once again Little Two Etes let her dinner scraps go untouched. "Did you not see anything," their mother asked. "No mother I didn't, I'm afraid I fell asleep in the sun."
The next day the mother said to Little three Eyes, "Today you shall go with Little Two Eyes and the goat and see if anyone brings her food or drink. So it was, Little Three Eyes went with her sister to the fields. "Come sister, we must wait now for the goat to eat her fill. Sit with me and I will sing to you. Little Three Eyes was tired out by the long walk,and it was very hot so she lay down on the sweet grass and Little Two Eyes began to sing. But unfortunately Little Two Eyes sang the wrong words, she should have sang:
Little Three Eyes, are you sleeping?
But instead she sang:
Little Two Eyes, are you sleeping?
And she went on singing it, immediately two of Little Three Eyes went to sleep, the other however remained awake. Of course Little Three Eyes made sure to close her third eye, but she kept peeking now and then to watch if her sister had any food.
Little two Eyes fell right into the trap and thinking that her sister was asleep, she called her table to feed her. When she had finished she sent away the table and waking her sister, they went back home. Little Two Eyes didn't eat again, but this time her sister stood before her as she went to leave the room. "Mother I can tell you why Little Two Eyes is not hungry. Today I saw her ask her goat for food and it was given her." She smiled at her sister, "You see sister dear," She smirked, "you sang for two of my eyes to go to sleep but you forgot about the third. I saw everything, luckily!" Her mother began to push Little Two Eyes around,"Will you dare to live better than us, you will not get the chance to do it again." and with that she took a knife and went and killed the goat. Poor Little Two Eyes she was devastated, how cruel was this mother to kill her goat, her friend. She ran away from the house, down to the meadow where she used to sit with he goat and cried bitter tears. Then suddenly as before the wise woman was stood in front of her again, "Why do you cry so Little Two Eyes, are you not happy with your food." Oh yes, I was so happy. But my mother has killed my goat and now I will go hungry agaain, more so for she was so angry than before." The wise woman picked Little Two Eyes from off the grass and told her to return to her home and ask her sisters if she could please have the heart of the dead goat. Then you must bury it in the earth next to the house door. I feel that will bring you luck." Then she was gone. Little Two Eyes looked round to see if there was any sign of her , but nothing. So picking up her stick she went back home. "Dear sisters," she said kneeling before them, "Do let me have the heart of my dead goat, that I might have something to remind me of him." The sisters laughed in her face and said. "You may have the heart if you want it, but nothing more." Little Two Eyes left them and later that evening, when all was quiet, she went outside and buried the goats heart beneath the house door and then re went to bed.
The next morning, when they all woke up, outside the house door there had grown a most wonderful tree. The tree had leaves of silver and fruit of gold growing on it, more lovely than any tree they had ever seen in their lives. But it was only Little Two Eyes that knew that the tree had sprung from the heart she alone had buried in the ground. The childrens greedy mother came to the door and stood in amazement looking at the beautiful tree. "Little One Eye, "Climb that tree and pass us some fruit." Little One Eye did as she was told but just as she was going to pick the fruit the bough she was holding sprang out of her hand. This happened time, after time, after time. "Come down at once," the mother shouted. "Little Three Eyes, you can climb the tree, for with your three eyes you will be able to see better than Little One Eye." But it was not to be, for as soon as Little Three Eyes tried to pick the fruit, the bough moved away from her. In the end their mother losing her temper and getting very impatient dragged her daughter down and climbed up herself. Little Two Eyes had stood watching all the goings on, and she had already guessed that it was her tree therefore only she could pick the fruit. "Maybe I will try to pick the fruit." she said, "Maybe I will be able to do better than all of you." "Hm, you with your two eyes, you will never , ever be able to succeed." Ignoring them, Little Two Eyes climbed theTree and the golden apples did not jump away from her, quite the opposite for she collected a whole apron full and brought them down with her.
Little Two Eyes thought that by helping her mother and sisters they would be happy with her and treat her better. but they didn't instead they treated her worse. Then one day when she had just returned to the ground beneath the tree, the sisters saw a Knight approaching and instantly the sisters pushed Little Two Eyes away from them, "Quick hide under here, you must not be seen, you must not disgrace us." Poor Little Two Eyes, she and her golden apples were pushed under an empty cask. The Knight rode up to the house, he was very young and very handsome and he was very amazed when he saw the beautiful tree. "I beg your pardon, but could you tell me who owns this beautiful tree. I should very much like to own just a twig of it. Whoever can give me this will have what ever she wants. The sisters immediately answered that the tree was there's and they would gladly give him a twig. But try as they might tey could not even touch the tree. "Do you not think it very strange that the tree will not give up a single twig to either of you. Are you sure it belongs to the two of you?" The sisters pleaded with the Knight, insisting that the tree was theirs. All this time Little Two Eyes was smiling away to herself under the Cask. Then she had a brilliant plan, she lifted the edge of the cask and rolled a couple of golden apples which just happened to stop at the Knight's feet. When the Knight looked down he saw the apples and asked the girls where they had come from.
A little frightened now Little One Eye and Little Three Eye told the Knight that they had another sister, but that they had hidden her away because she only had two eyes like ordinary people. The Knight stood looking at them and then demanded that he be allowed to see their sister. Little Two Eyes was so pleased to get out from under the cask that she came out quite happily, smiling at the handsome Knight The Knight was astonished at the beauty and said, "You must be Little Two Eyes, do you think you could break a twig off for me." Little Two Eyes," smiled again and without another word she began to climb the tree." "As you see Sire, the tree is easy for me to climb, for the tree belongs to me alone." She broke of a small branch with both silver leaf and golden apple and handed them down to the Knight. "Oh Little Two Eyes what can I give you in return?" The Knight asked. "I have suffered hunger and thirst, neglect and sorrow, from early morning till late in the evening. If you would take me with you and free me from this I should be very happy." The Knight lifted Little Two Eyes onto his horse and together they rode off to his father's castle. There she was given beautiful clothes to wear, food to drink, and because he was fast falling in love with her, it was not long till they were married and lived happily ever after. But that is not quite the end of this tall tale, for although the sisters had lost their slave, they consoled themselves with the fact that they still had the tree. Then could not collect the fruit but they were sure it would become a great attraction and people would gladly pay to see such a fabulous tree. But alas, things that are made with magic, are only made for the person who needed the magic to help her in the first place. And that was Little Two Eyes, and in the morning when the girls and their mother came down, the tree was gone but not vanished. The magic in the tree had followed Little Two Eyes to her new home, and their it stood resplendant within her husbands castle walls.
However there is yet another twist to this tale for one day, two poor women came to the castle to beg for alms. Little Two Eyes recognised them as her sisters who had lost everything, including their mother and had een reduced to beg for a living. For all the hurt and sorrow Little One Eye and Little Three Eyes had wrought upon her, Little Two Eyes heart was tender and she made them welcome and never again were they cruel to anyone, in fact.... now they all
"Lived Happily Ever After."
from the wonderful collections of the Brothers Grimm
imps in straw hats
Pigs in pink dresses
farmhouse in Vermont. New England, George Benner drained his teacup and handed it across the table.
KING RUMPISULK
"Never
mind," laughed Little Wing. "I am the eldest and I shall go out into
the woorld and find work. By and by the new little sister can have my
bed and stool, my knife, fork and my stool."
It
started of small and grew and grew, oh my what a laugh it became. Such
a sound had never been heard in the great palace before. It was the
merriest, gayest laugh that ever was laughed.
der you shall be my Queen and no one will ever yawn again.
they
found that he took to the water like a brave young chick should, and
beat them at all their games and races, they then became very jealous
of him as well.
began to quarrel with him.
And
on he went until he came to a pond. The pond was as smooth and as clear
as a mirror, and in passing the Ugly Duckling looked down at his
reflection. He was startled, surely something was wrong! He looked
again, and then he gazed all about himelf, but there was no one else
around, not a single other creature in sight. What could have happened.
Instead of a big, ugly duckling he saw a smooth graceful swan, as
beautiful as the one's he had seen before the winter set in. Was it
possible, that he, the ugly duckling, could have changed into a lovely
swan.
He looked up and there gliding towards him, a number of these
beautiful creatures. They greeted him politly and called him brother.
"Come, come with us," they cried. "You are such a fine fellow, we would
love you to be with us."
The Darning-Needle
