YELLOW GIRAFFE
Yellow Giraffe´s animal stories
Poets and short storylines 1 -7 - 8 -14 - 15 -26
The Sun is a Yellow Giraffe - Poets and storylines 1- 5 , 6 -10
YELLOW GIRAFFE'S ANIMAL STORIES
Poets and short storylines 5
14. HEDGEHOG
A story to Lennart Hellsing’s poem “Igelkotten” (Sweden)
As soon as Nils the Hedgehog wakes up from his winter sleep he rushes to the post box to hear the latest news. Enviously, he listens to the others telling exciting tales about the past winter and talking about their adventures. Nils is the only one with no tales to tell – all he has done is sleep! He is annoyed with himself and decides to stay awake all of next year. Full of anticipation, he begins the wait for the winter – and the adventures!
15. SEASHELL
A story to Federico García Lorca’s poem “Caracola” (Spain)
Soledad lives in a small village on the shore of a great ocean. Every morning she wishes the ocean and all its creatures good morning. “The sea is Granny’s only field,” is what Granny always says when she and Soledad go fishing. Soledad hopes that the ocean will give them big fish. If they caught big fish, Soledad would get shiny shoes and Granny a new outboard engine for her boat. “But luck only turns when the whales sing,” says Granny, and Granny can tell the future!
16. THE UNEXPECTED GUEST
A story to Sergei Mikhalkov’s poem ”Беглец”(Runaway) (Russia)
Nina’s cat, Sasha, has befriended a stray cat that hangs about the yard. Where he comes from is anybody’s guess. At the same time a huge eagle appears on the roof of the house opposite. One day, the stray disappears mysteriously. Other strange things happen: Sasha disappears, too. And then the eagle flies onto Nina’s window ledge! Nina helps the eagle and in return he takes her to Sasha and the lost stray.
17. MOTHER DOESN´T WANT A DOG
A story to Judith Viorst’s poem “Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog”
Everybody except Susie has a pet. She has a problem, her mother does NOT like animals. But Susie loves all animals and absolutely must have a pet of her very own. She brings home candidates, each sweeter than the one before, but her mother doesn’t like any of them and so they have to go. Because her mother clearly doesn’t like small animals, Susie decides to try a slightly bigger one next time. She’s not going to give up: the world is full of animals and one of them will be hers!
18. THE SEPTEMBER RABBIT
A story to Michel Luneau’s poem “Le lapin de septembre” (France)
One evening when Hopsy is dining as is his custom in the backyard of the ’Little Rabbit’ restaurant, a country man happens to pass by. A trail of lovely smells floats after the man and makes Hopsy’s head spin. He’s just got to follow them. The smells lead him to a small country village and a lush kitchen garden. Hopsy thinks he’s arrived in a rabbits’ heaven. Henry, however, who owns the garden, has bitter experience of rabbits.
19. THE FOAL
A story to Ferenc Juhász’s poem “Csikóellés” (Hungary)
János has just moved to the country and is still learning the ways of country folk. As the neighbour’s billy goat refuses to pull a cart, János heads for the village to buy a workhorse. At the market he sees Alma, a lame old hack of a horse. She’s in such a pitiful state that János just has to buy her. He hasn’t the heart to make her work. She does have a huge appetite, though, and keeps getting fatter and fatter.
20. THE HERD BOY´S SONG
A story to Chen Shan-Shih’s poem “The Herd Boy’s Song” (China)
Bin is off to spend summer in the country. He didn’t want to go; the countryside is full of horrors, like animals and things. Bin is frightened of all animals, big or small, and refuses to spend one moment alone with them. But the farm animals are even more frightened of such a strange little boy and would like to send him back home. Grandfather is at his wit’s end. He doesn’t know what to do. Fortunately, Tao the buffalo has a solution to the problem.
21. THE ELEPHANTS
A story to Charles-Marie Leconte de Lisle’s poem “Les Éléphants” (France)
The old elephant is too weary to join in the young elephants’ fun and games. She prefers to spend her days leaning against a tree in the shade, dozing and dreaming and reliving her past. Once again she is with her childhood herd wandering through the desert to the long lost spring pastures.
22. THE CROW AND THE NIGHTINGALE
A story to Naoko Kudo’s poem “I am me. Eizo, Crow.” (Japan)
The nightingale is an admirer of Eizo the crow. In his opinion, the crow is the wisest, most wonderful bird in the world. Nowadays, however, Eizo isn’t even aware of the nightingale’s existence. He has eyes only for the peacock, whose magnificent train has him totally spellbound. Eizo wants to be the peacock’s friend, whatever the price. He’s even ready to abandon his old companion for the peacock.
23. MOUSE IN THE SUPERMARKET
A story to Annie G. Schmidt’s poem “Muis in de supermart” (Holland)
Bingo the Mouse has a hard life. He’s not wanted anywhere. Everywhere he goes there are mousetraps and rat poison. Fortunately, Yellow Giraffe knows a kind-hearted shopkeeper who always has room for a homeless creature. The mouse settles down to live in Willem’s supermarket and his future looks promising. There’s trouble ahead though, because not everybody likes having a mouse among their shopping.
24. THE CORN SCRATCH HEN
A story to Julie Holder’s poem “The Corn Scratch Kwa Kwa Hen”`
(Great Britain)
One day the henhouse door was left open by mistake and Corn Scratch Kwa Kwa escaped. She’d heard of a place where hens run free and the rich soil abounds in plump worms. That’s where she’s heading! When the trunk of driftwood brushes against the riverbank near a small country henhouse, Corn Scratch jumps ashore full of hope. But the occupants of the henhouse are anything but friendly; they have no wish to have a stranger among them.
25. THE KANGAROO
A story to Robert Gray’s poem “The Dusk”(Australia)
Late one afternoon a mother kangaroo appears out of the long grass carrying her little one with her. She’s tired and, looking worried, peers back in the direction from which she came. Something has frightened her into flight. She hides her little one in a thicket where he’ll be safe until she returns. Boobie, the young kangaroo, is huddling quite alone in his hiding place waiting. Evening comes, then night, but there’s no sign of the mother kangaroo. In the morning Yellow Giraffe and Willy the shearer find the little one. Do-Do, the cockatoo, is sent to look for his mother.
26. SONG TO THE FREEWHEELING PIGS
A story to Thorstein Thomsen’s poem “Sang til de fritgående svin” (Denmark)
The old sow Hula-Hula has seen a thing or two in her life. She knows only too well what it will mean when “Mr Sausage and choice goodies” and van appear at the door of the piggery. It means that her services are no longer required on this farm. A sensible pig doesn’t wait for her fate. She puts her best trotter forward and runs towards a better future.
Copyright©Epidem ZOT 2006
Epidem ZOT
Sepänkatu 15 B, 00150 Helsinki, Finland
Tel +358 9 6846612 Fax +358 9 6846614 E-mail: wahlforss@epidem.pp.fi
Copyright©Epidem ZOT 2006