1. |
The Gingerbread Man
05:54
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There was an old man and his wife who longed for children all their lives
So the woman baked a gingerbread man and as she did she sang
Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
Around half past ten or quarter to eleven there was a sound from in the oven
A pair of frightened raisin eyes and a little voice that cried
Help me someone let me out; the woman was without a doubt
Her prayers were answered; she opened the door and he ran across the floor
Singing run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
And through the open window he jumped right out; the woman she
Cried come back ginger, don’t you run! Why would I eat my son?
But off he scampered down the street, smelling of freshly baked treats
So every animal downwind could smell him and hear him sing
Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
And soon a dog, cat, horse and cow as well as children from the town
With bellies rumbling as they ran all chased the gingerbread man
And it seemed like they might catch their dinner when his path was blocked by a river
Dirty, deep, dark, cold and wide, without a bridge in sight
But just when hope seemed all but gone a fox came sauntering along
Climb upon my back said fox; I’ll see you get across
And despite the fox’s silky voice the gingerbread man had no choice
He clambered up the foxes tail and sang as they set sail
Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
And when they were about half-way, fox turned his head around to say
My back is starting to get wet – my nose is your best bet
And not well placed to disagree the gingerbread man did as he
Was told and climbed on fox’s nose, and what do you suppose
Happened next? Suffice to say the assembled crowd back on shore they
Were never again to lay eyes on him or to hear his sweet voice sing
Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
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2. |
Three Billy Goats Gruff
06:59
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Three Billy Goats, Gruff was their name
Lived in the valley eating all day
Grass was greener on the opposite brae
But there was no way to get there at all
Cos under the bridge there lived a troll
Almost as wide as he was tall
Little Billy Goat just wants to play
Skipped onto the bridge early one day
Underneath him he heard a voice say
Who's that trip trip trapping over my bridge?
Little Billy Goat said to the troll
There's not much meat on me at all
Not enough for a growing troll
Middle-size Billy Goat is bigger than me
He'll be along soon if you set me free
The greedy troll licked his lips and agreed
Middle-size Billy Goat, one leg lame
Limped onto the bridge around mid-day
Underneath him he heard a voice say
Who's that trip trip trapping over my bridge?
Middle-size Billy Goat said to the troll
Don't eat me I don't taste good at all
Not nice enough for the likes of a troll
Big Billy Goat's a delicacy
He'll be along soon if you set me free
The greedy troll licked his lips and agreed
Big Billy Goat, strong as a train
Stomped onto the bridge later that day
Underneath him he heard a voice say
Who's that trip trip trapping over my bridge?
But Big Billy Goat wasn't scared
He squared up to the troll
And butted him over the wall
Three Billy Goats went on their way
And although the grass tasted much the same
Never again did they hear that voice say
Who's that trip trip trapping over my bridge?
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3. |
The Pied Piper
05:48
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The good people of Hamelin
Have a bit of a problem
Everywhere they turn their heads they see
Big rats, little rats, fat rats and skinny rats
Long rats, short rats, black rats and brown rats
Along came a pied piper
Wearing clothes that were brighter
Than anything the town had ever seen
He went to visit the mayor
And said for a price that is fair
I will rid this town of every rat
Those big rats, little rats, fat rats and skinny rats
Long rats, short rats, black rats and brown rats
The mayor who was not to be trusted
Said I'll give you what you requested
But only after every rat is gone
So putting his pipe to his two lips
The piper played some strange music
And out of every corner there appeared
Bit rats, little rats, fat rats and skinny rats
Long rats, short rats, black rats and brown rats
They all followed the music
Through the town to the river flowing through it
And when they reached the water they jumped in
The piper said to the mayor
You won't find a rat anywhere
The mayor said good, in that case you can go
The piper smiled and shook his head
He said if you don't pay me like you said
Then I will play a different tune
The mayor said I'm not scared of you
And so the piper played a different tune
And all the children stopped playing in their rooms
And jumped out their windows in their dressing gowns
Following the piper right out of the town
They came to a mountain which opened up for them
Full of fun things to do with all your friends
And then the mountain closed back up behind
The children when everybody was inside
Except for the boy with the sore leg
Who had to limp back home instead
And tell the waiting mums and dads
The reason why he looked so sad
His friends were all in the mountain
The mayor looked but never found them
He should have paid the money that was due
The pied piper of Hamelin
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4. |
Jack and the Beanstalk
05:48
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Jack was a boy from a poor poor family
His mother said go out and buy me some
Milk and bread and then bring me the change
But Jack's head was in the clouds and he never listened
And he brought home some magic beans
Jack's mother said Jack we're a poor poor family
What good will these stupid beans do me?
She took then and through them out the window
And sent Jack off to his bed without any supper
And he heard a strange voice in his dreams
It went fee fi fo fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
Jack woke up to the sound of screaming
But this time he was far from dreaming
His mother was standing at the window
Pointing up at the clouds at a magic beanstalk
Growing right out of the ground
Jack's mother said Jack we're a poor poor family
Why don't you climb up and see what's there for me?
And bring me back anything that you find
So Jack climbed up to the clouds
And as he got higher he remembered the song from his dreams
It went fee fi fo fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
It got colder and it got windier
And Jack could hardly feel his fingers
But he kept climbing for all of his sins
To a castle up in the clouds
In which lived a giant whose wife took kindly on Jack and let him in
Now the giant didn't have a normal family
Instead of children he'd lots of money
And a harp and a goose that laid golden eggs
Of which the giant was very proud
And when he came home he smelled Jack and started to sing
Fee fi fo fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
Now the giant's wife was very fond of Jack
And hid him in a giant potato sack
Until the giant had gone to his bed
And in the dead of the night when everybody was sleeping
Jack did a dangerous thing
He took a bag of golden coins and he
Crept out of the castle quietly
And he even went back for the harp and goose as well
But on his way back down through the clouds
He heard giant footsteps and a thunderous voice bellowing
Fee fi fo fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread
When Jack got down to the bottom of the tree
His mother took the golden coins and she
Screamed and pointed back up at the sky
Because coming down through the clouds was the angry giant
There wasn't a second to spare
So Jack grabbed the axe that was good for chopping wood
And hacked at the trunk of the beanstalk hard as he could
His mother said don't let it land on the house
But the beanstalk fell to the ground along with the giant
Who lay there not making a sound
And Jack and his mum lived wealthily every after
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5. |
Little Red Riding Hood
06:07
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Who’s that going through the woods
Picking wild flowers for her grandmother?
It’s Little Red Riding Hood, daydreaming all day
Until she bumped into the wolf
Where are you going to? he casually inquired
With dinner on his mind
I’m off to my grandma’s house Red Riding Hood replied
And as fast as the wolf had appeared he was gone
So Little Red Riding Hood picked flowers
But oh, look at the time!
Grandma was in her bed with a cold hot water bottle
When she heard a knock on the door
It’s Little Red Riding Hood with cake and lemonade
Said a voice not unlike the wolf’s
So Grandmother let the wolf come in
And the wolf swallowed her whole
Two hours later who came calling round at Grandma’s?
Little Red Riding Hood
Grandma, it’s me she called, with cake and lemonade
Oh good said the wolf, then come in
So Little Red Riding Hood walked in
Right up to grandmother’s bed
And when she saw the wolf she said
Grandma what big eyes you have
All the better to see you with my dear
Grandma what big ears you have
All the better to hear you with my dear
Grandma what big hands you have
All the better to hug you with my dear
Grandma what big teeth you have
All the better to eat you with
And before Red Riding Hood could scream
The wolf swallowed her whole
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6. |
Snow White
05:18
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There’s a drop of blood on freshly fallen snow
On a black windowsill, oh how the colours show
It made the good queen gasp “if I could make it so
“I’d have a daughter just the same”
Well soon she had a daughter with skin white as snow
Lips as red as blood and hair black as a crow
The queen said “it’s just like the wish I made so Snow
White has to be her name”
But then the good queen died; soon after Snow White’s dad
Married another queen but this time she was bad
She sang into a magic mirror that she had
Every morning just the same
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
The mirror said “your majesty you are”
Which pleased her cos the magic mirror never ever lies
Then Snow White grew up to be very beautiful
And everyone could see she that she was beautiful
Even the bad queen saw that she was beautiful
And grew more beautiful each day
Although the magic mirror never ever lies
The bad queen didn’t expect any other reply
Each time she faced the mirror in the morning light
Yes, she was definitely vain
So just imagine the shock to the system when
She woke up late one morning, had her breakfast, then
Went over to her magic mirror yet again
And sang out the same refrain
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
The mirror said “your majesty Show White”
The bad queen said “then I’m afraid that Snow White has to die”
So she told her huntsman to take Snow White out
Into the woods to kill her; he was just about
To do it when he was filled with last minute doubts
And he let Snow White run away
Well soon she came across a house inside a hill
Where she ate all the food, then lay down feeling ill
But when the dwarves who lived there came back home they still
Invited her to stay
Meanwhile the huntsman presented the evil queen
With the heart of a pig; she gave a chilling scream
Shouting “Snow White is dead” and then excitedly
She asked her mirror right away
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
The mirror said “your majesty Show White”
The bad queen said “I’ll have to kill Snow White all by myself”
So she dressed up in an old woman disguise
And while the dwarves were out she visited Snow White
And tried to kill her with a dress that was too tight
And then a poisoned comb but didn’t get it right
Until she finally got her step daughter to bite
Into a poisoned apple and much to her delight
Snow White fell asleep and couldn’t be revived
Just as the dwarves were all ready to say goodbye
A passing prince fell madly in love with Snow White
And because the dwarves weren’t in a mood to fight
They let the Prince take her away
But what he planned to do with her we’ll never know
Because his servants dropped her coffin on the road
Which dislodged the apple from her throat and Snow
White lived another day
Of course the bad queen was back in her bathroom now
She couldn’t wait to hear her mirror tell her how
She was once more the most beautiful girl in town
And so began the old refrain
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
The mirror said “your majesty Show White”
The bad queen was so angry that she died
And everyone rejoiced to see Snow White with her eight men
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7. |
Rapunzel
07:04
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Long, long ago, a woman asked her husband to
Climb over the wall to the garden of the house next door
And bring her back one of the delicious looking lettuces growing there
But just as the man was digging one out the dirt
He felt the icy hand of a wicked witch upon his shirt
She let him keep the lettuce in exchange for the couple's first born son
The very next year, the woman had a baby girl
Who, even as a child, had long shoulder length blond hair
But one stormy night the couple heard some knocking at the door
It was the wicked witch to claim what was promised her
She took away the child and called her Rapunzel
And locked her in a tower where she'd visit every now and then and sing
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair
So that I may climb the golden stair
And out of the window away up there
The golden ladder fell
Rapunzel grew up into a big strong girl
But combing her hair was all she knew in the world
Until one day a prince by chance was walking by and heard her sing
Enchanted by her voice, the prince returned day after day
And learned the witch's song and after she'd gone home one day
He tried it out himself and climbed Rapunzel's ladder to the tower
Rapunzel and the prince got along like a house on fire
And planned to get married as soon as she escaped the tower
But the witch grew suspicious something wasnt right and hatched a clever plan
She cut Rapunzel's hair and sent her to live far away
And waited for the prince to visit later on that day
And dropped Rapunzel's ladder from the window when the prince began to sing
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair
So that I may climb the golden stair
And out of the window away up there
The golden ladder fell
When the prince saw the witch he got such a shock he screamed
And fell out of the tower into a thorny bush below
And scratched both his eyes so badly that he could no longer see
He wandered the land not knowing where he was going
Till after many years he heard somebody singing
And he knew right away it was Rapunzel and sang out in reply
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair
So that I may climb the golden stair
And when her tears touched his eyes he could see once again
And they lived happily for ever more
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Jaggy Nettles Glasgow, UK
In 2015, Bluebell Woods resident, Jaggy Nettles started singing fairy tales to his two junior nettles before bedtime. They enjoyed them so much that Jaggy decided to start performing and recording them for children (and adults) everywhere. More recently, Jaggy Nettles has been writing and performing some songs about climate change. ... more
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