The Snail Choir Old Jack's Boat

Go on, Salty!

# Come with me

# We're off to the sea To where I used to play

# Looking back When I was a boy

# And the fun we had each day

# Over the cobbles and through the streets

# Playing in the sun

# Friends to meet with games and treats

# Adventures just begun

# Stories from a magical world washed in by the sea

# Meet the rockpool creatures there It's amazing what you see

# Looking back When I was a boy

# Shrimps and starfish crabs

# And snails in twinkly Rockpool Tales

# Those lovely Rockpool Tales. #

TOOT-TOOT!

Hello, there!

Salty and I, we've got big plans for today, haven't we, girl? Eh?

Yes, we have. We are going on a picnic.

Yes, I do love a good picnic.

I've packed all the food in there.

I've got a nice blanket for you, Salty, haven't I, girl? Yes.

All ready, aren't we? Ha-ha!

Listen, why don't I tell you a story of a picnic that I once had, eh?

Yeah, heh-heh!

It all happened when I was a boy.

In a twinkly time, long, long ago.

Heh-heh!

I used to run down to play on the beach as often as I could.

Meeting up with my best friends, Little Ernie and Little Sailor Sue.

Our mums and dads were having a picnic, and Ernie, Sue and I

were having a picnic of our own. We were all bringing some food.

"What have you got?" I asked Ernie. "An Apple", said Ernie. "Ah", I said.

"Me too."

Well, it wasn't going to be much of a picnic, was it? Just two apples?

Maybe Sue was bringing something better?

Where's Sue?

We looked around for her. She was on the far side of the rockpools.

There she is.

She had a very large bag on her back

which was making her walk really slowly.

"She's going to be a while", said Ernie.

"Let's meet her at the rockpools!" I said. So we dashed over.

When we got there, we gazed deep down in the glittery waters

and there a magical world appeared before our eyes.

BUBBLE-BUBBLE

One afternoon, Bertrum the Butterfish was fast asleep

in his little home in the rocky ridge.

All day he had been moving pebbles with his big clearing-up trolley.

He was dreaming a very happy dream,

when suddenly he heard singing.

# Wake up! Wake up!

# Get up and get out! #

Bertrum was so surprised that he almost fell out of bed.

-Where was that singing coming from? Any ideas, Salty?

-Ruff!

Anyway, he dashed over to his doorway and there, outside,

was Sidney the Snail.

"Afternoon!" said Sidney.

"Do you know what time it is?" demanded Bertrum.

Well, Sidney didn't know.

Snails don't wear watches.

"It's nap time, that's what it is!" said Bertrum, crossly.

"I thought you might like a song," said Sidney, a little surprised.

"No!" said Bertrum.

And he would have slammed his door, but he didn't have a door.

So he just huffed his way back to bed.

Buster the Crab clicked and clacked past.

"Bertrum doesn't like my singing," said Sidney to Buster.

"Oh, he probably doesn't like you singing on your own," said Buster.

"You need a trio, three voices singing together, he'll like that."

And he bustled off.

Meanwhile, Bertrum had settled back into his bed, when, suddenly...

# Wake up! Wa-a-ake up!

# Get up and get out! #

It was that song again!

-And even louder. Guess who, Salty?

-Ruff!

Hee-hee, yes.

Bertrum rushed outside and saw three snails waiting there.

One of them was Sidney.

"I thought a trio might be a good idea," said Sidney, hopefully.

"A trio is NOT a good idea!" shouted Bertrum.

"I don't want a trio singing outside my door!"

And he stomped back inside.

"He doesn't have a door!" said one of the snails.

"Doesn't he like our song?" said the other snail.

Sidney thought for a moment.

"No, but I've had an idea."

Back inside his home, Bertrum was snuggled down deep in his bed,

when suddenly he heard a muffled sound.

# Wake up, wa-a-ake up!

# Get up and get out! #

I think it might be the snails again, Salty! Yes! Anyway,

he dashed outside, and what a sight he saw!

It was a whole choir of snails.

There were snails everywhere.

And they were all singing together.

"Hello!" smiled Sidney.

"I thought you might prefer a snail choir singing."

"No!" squawked Bertrum.

"I do not! I don't like you singing on your own, in a trio

"or in a snail choir! Now go away!"

And he stomped back off.

Sidney turned to his mighty choir of snails.

"Well, lads," he said, sadly,

"I think we need to move on."

"Why don't we sing a song while we're moving?" piped up one of the snails.

So the cheery band of snails started to sing as they set off.

Back inside, Bertrum heard them singing.

He waited.

And he waited.

SINGING CONTINUES

But the singing went on and on.

This was starting to make him very cross indeed.

He dashed outside again and there was the snail choir.

It hadn't moved at all!

"You're still here and still singing!" he roared.

"I thought you were going?"

"We are!" replied Sidney.

"But we are snails. It takes us a very, very, very long time to go.

"We're not the fastest creatures in the rockpool,

"and we have to sing to get ourselves moving.

"Well, you got here quickly enough," said Bertrum.

"That's because we came by taxi," said Sidney.

"But taxis are expensive, so we are leaving under our own steam,

"at our own pace. Slow."

Bertrum sighed.

He wasn't going to get any sleep at this rate. And then he had an idea.

If the snails weren't going to move, HE would.

Moments later, the snails watched, amazed,

as all Bertrum's things started to fly out of his doorway.

His wind-up gramophone, his favourite socks, his bedside table

and, finally, his bed. They all landed in a heap outside his home.

And then he fetched his big clearing-up trolley.

He piled all his possessions onto the trolley

and then, with a heave, he set off for the far side of the rockpool.

"I'm moving house!" he announced.

"Now try and wake me!"

Well, Buster heard the commotion

and he clicked and clacked back over.

"What did he say?" asked Buster.

"He said, 'Now try and wake me'," said Sidney.

"Well," said Buster,

"perhaps you should."

Meanwhile, on the far side of the rockpool,

Bertrum had rebuilt his little bedroom under a shady piece of coral.

He was already tucked back up in his bed.

"You are brilliant, Bertrum!" he said to himself.

"Those snails are too slow to get all the way over here.

"Now you can sleep in peace! Ooh!"

And he closed his eyes and rested his weary head.

And he heard...

singing.

Snails singing, a whole choir of snails, singing.

He dashed out from under his little piece of coral,

and there he saw his clearing-up trolley,

piled high with snails, snails, snails everywhere!

They were all singing.

Sidney sat on the very top of the pile of snails.

"Hello, Bertrum!" he smiled.

"You said, 'Now try and wake me!'

"So, Buster pulled us over on your big trolley to wake you.

"Ahh! Surprise!"

Bertrum was surprised, very surprised.

He was about to shout the loudest, crossest shout

ever heard in the rockpool, ever.

When Buster clicked and clacked over to him.

"Have you ever thought of singing with the choir?"

Bertrum looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, yes!" said Sidney.

"I'm sure you have a lovely voice."

There was silence.

The snails all looked at Bertrum

and blinked, hopefully.

"Well," said Bertrum, "I have been told that my singing voice

"is rather lovely."

He looked at the faces of the little snails who just wanted to sing.

And he realised that he'd been wrong all along.

"You know, I don't want to stop any of you singing," he announced.

"In fact, let's all sing together!"

Sidney and the snails let out a great cheer,

and Buster clicked and clacked happily.

And so, Bertrum joined the snail choir

and they sang and they sang and they sang for the rest of the day.

# Get up and get out! #

Ernie and I looked up from the rockpool

and there was Sue.

She'd arrived at last with her big, heavy bag,

still on her back.

"You look just like a snail with an enormous shell!" laughed Ernie.

Sue heaved the big bag off her back and she smiled.

"Well, you two might laugh at me for looking like a snail,

"but I think you'll like what I've got in here!"

We both looked at each other.

What was inside the bag? "A proper picnic," laughed Sue.

So we helped to carry the bag all the way back to our mums and dads,

and do you know what was inside that snail-shell bag of hers?

Cakes and pies and fruit and biscuits.

It was a picnic fit for kings.

"Thank you, Sue!"

"We'll never make fun of snails again!" said Ernie.

Well, after our picnic we played and played

until it was time for us to go home.

And the tide came in and covered the rockpool

like a great seaweedy blanket.

And you know what? We still love going on picnics, don't we, Salty?

Ha-ha!

This is a picnic surprise for Big Ernie,

I'm sure he's going to love it. HE WHISTLES

So why don't you join us for some more Rockpool Tales next time?

All right? Heh-heh.

Goodbye! Come on, girl!