Edith Bowman - The Singing Mermaid CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello, my name is Edith

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

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

Tonight's story is called The Singing Mermaid

and it's by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.

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

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

She sang to the fish in the ocean -

to the haddock, the hake and the ling.

And they flashed their scales and swished their tails

-to hear the mermaid sing. MERMAID:

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

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

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

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

And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped,

to hear the mermaid sing.

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

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

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

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

"and sleep on a fine feather bed.

"You shall sing for the lords and ladies,

"you shall sing for the Queen and the King,

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

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

and the seashells warned, "He lies!"

But the mermaid listened to old Sam Sly

and smiled as she waved her goodbyes.

And he took her away to the circus

and she sang to the crowds round the ring.

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

when they heard the mermaid sing.

Now, the mermaid shared a caravan with Annie the acrobat

and Ding and Dong, the circus dogs,

and Bella, the circus cat. BARKING AND MEOWING

She made good friends with the jugglers

and the man who swallowed the fire

and the clown with the tumbledown trousers

and the woman who walked on wire.

But she wasn't friends with old Sam Sly.

No, she didn't care for him.

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

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

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

he laughed and shook his head.

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

And many a crowd cheered long and loud

to hear the mermaid sing.

But the mermaid dreamed of Silversands

and she longed for the deep blue sea.

And her songs grew sad and again she said,

"I beg you, set me free."

But, again, he laughed and shook his head.

And he told her, "No such thing!

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

At Silversands, a seagull was flying to his nest,

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

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

The seagull watched as he turned the key

and slipped it inside his pocket.

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

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

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

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

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

But the mermaid sighed, "I'd fail.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MERMAID SINGS

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

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

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

And she sang to the cockles and mussels

and she sang to the birds on the wing.

And the seashells clapped and the seagulls flapped

to hear the mermaid sing.

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

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

# La, la, la. #

What a lucky escape the mermaid had.

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

Next time you go to the seaside, remember,

if you listen carefully,

you might hear the mermaid singing to the fish.

It's bedtime now, so off you go

and get tucked up warm and cosy for the night.

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

SNORING