Edith Bowman - The Singing Mermaid CBeebies Bedtime Stories


Edith Bowman - The Singing Mermaid

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Hello, my name is Edith

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and I thought you might like to hear a bedtime story.

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If you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.

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Tonight's story is called The Singing Mermaid

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and it's by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.

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Did you ever go to Silversands on a sunny summer's day?

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Then perhaps you saw the mermaid, who sang in the deep blue bay.

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She sang to the fish in the ocean -

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to the haddock, the hake and the ling.

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And they flashed their scales and swished their tails

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-to hear the mermaid sing. MERMAID:

-# La, la, la-la la. #

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And, sometimes, the Singing Mermaid swam to the silvery shore.

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She sat and combed her golden hair and then she sang some more.

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She sang to the cockles and mussels, she sang to the birds on the wing.

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And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped,

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to hear the mermaid sing.

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When Sam Sly's Circus came to town, Sam took a stroll by the sea.

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He heard the mermaid singing and he rubbed his hands with glee.

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He said, "Ah! I can make you famous, I can make you rich."

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He said, "You shall swim in a pool of marble

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"and sleep on a fine feather bed.

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"You shall sing for the lords and ladies,

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"you shall sing for the Queen and the King,

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"and young and old will pay good gold to hear the mermaid sing."

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"Don't go, don't go," cried the seagulls

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and the seashells warned, "He lies!"

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But the mermaid listened to old Sam Sly

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and smiled as she waved her goodbyes.

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And he took her away to the circus

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and she sang to the crowds round the ring.

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And "more, more, more," came the deafening roar,

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when they heard the mermaid sing.

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Now, the mermaid shared a caravan with Annie the acrobat

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and Ding and Dong, the circus dogs,

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and Bella, the circus cat. BARKING AND MEOWING

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She made good friends with the jugglers

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and the man who swallowed the fire

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and the clown with the tumbledown trousers

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and the woman who walked on wire.

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But she wasn't friends with old Sam Sly.

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No, she didn't care for him.

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For he made her live in a fish tank, where there wasn't room to swim.

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And there was no pool of marble. There was no feather bed.

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And when she begged him, "Set me free,"

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he laughed and shook his head.

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All summer long, the circus toured - all autumn, winter, spring.

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And many a crowd cheered long and loud

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to hear the mermaid sing.

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But the mermaid dreamed of Silversands

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and she longed for the deep blue sea.

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And her songs grew sad and again she said,

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"I beg you, set me free."

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But, again, he laughed and shook his head.

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And he told her, "No such thing!

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"Here you will stay while people pay to hear the mermaid sing."

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At Silversands, a seagull was flying to his nest,

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when on the breeze he heard a song, the song which he loved the best.

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He followed the song to the caravan. Sam Sly was about to lock it.

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The seagull watched as he turned the key

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and slipped it inside his pocket.

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The seagull waited till Sam had gone, then he perched on the windowsill.

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And tap, tap, tap at the window, he tapped with his yellow bill.

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"Come back, come back to Silversands! It's only a mile away.

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"I can find the key and set you free, if you'll come back home to the bay."

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"Escape!" barked the dogs. "Escape!" meowed the cat.

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But the mermaid sighed, "I'd fail.

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"For how could I walk to Silversands, when I only have a tail?"

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"Like this," cried Annie the acrobat, as she stood upon her hands.

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"This is the way, the only way, to get to Silversands.

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"Right hand, left hand, tail up high. There's really nothing to it.

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"If I give you lessons every night, you'll soon learn how to do it."

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Next week, while Sam was snoring, the seagull stole the key.

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He carried it off to the caravan and set the mermaid free.

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And he flew ahead to guide her, as she walked upon her hands...

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MERMAID SINGS

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..all along the moonlit road that led to Silversands.

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And the creatures on the seashore and the fish beneath the foam

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jumped and splashed and danced with joy to have their mermaid home.

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And she sang to the cockles and mussels

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and she sang to the birds on the wing.

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And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped

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to hear the mermaid sing.

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And if you go down to Silversands and swim in the bay of blue,

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perhaps you'll see the mermaid and perhaps she'll sing for you.

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# La, la, la. #

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What a lucky escape the mermaid had.

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I'm glad the seagull was able to set her free.

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Next time you go to the seaside, remember,

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if you listen carefully,

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you might hear the mermaid singing to the fish.

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It's bedtime now, so off you go

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and get tucked up warm and cosy for the night.

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Sleep tight and I'll see you again very soon.

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SNORING

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