More about stories...

Friday January 27 2012

I'e been writing about stories for the last couple of days and I still have a bit more to say about stories. The Sunday morning stories in particular. Memories of different stories bubbled up and I went to bed thinking about Max Mainspring the mechanical man and Maxi The Taxi, who sang

'My name is Maxi, I drive a Taxi

and I give the kids a ride around the square,

I let them ride for free

but they had to promise me,

to brush their teeth and wash their face and always comb their hair.

Then there was Little Toot, the tugboat who was always getting into trouble, but saved the day in the end. As did Flick The Little Fire Engine. Despite being the smallest engine and not allowed to go out with the big engines and fight real fires, Flick puts out a big fire in the fire-station and is then considered big and brave enough to go out with the big engines. Well done Flick. Not to be confused with Herr Flick in in the sit com 'Ello 'Ello.

The sad story of the Happy Prince used to almost make me cry. The bejewelled statue convinces a migrating swallow to stay and strip away the jewels to give to the poor, culminating in the swallow freezing to death. A happy story.

But Danny Kaye's telling of The Magic Toyshop was a favourite, probably because he was the story teller. As was his using song to tell the story of the Ugly Ducking and Hans Christian Anderson, Danny Kaye was a true comedic actor, but he could be serious as well, as the movie Five Pennies testifies.

I am probably boring you with allt his old stuff, but I am enjoying reminiscing. And as the Krispie add used to say (does perhaps still say) just one more OK?

Finally, for this time anyway, was the story set to the music of the Waltz of the Flowers. About mice who were compelled to dance by the music and how they fooled a waiting hungry cat by dressing up as flowers. Looking for all the world as if the flowers really wee dancing by themselves.

OK I'll stop now.