Saturday, February 5, 2011

Story - The Sweetest Song

The Sweetest Song is an African American tale that I just learned.
It has a lovely little line to sing throughout.  I taught it to the children so they could sing it with me.

The Sweetest Song     ---     An African American story

Once upon a time little daughter was picking flowers
Once upon a time little daughter was picking flowers on the far side of the fence
Her papa had told her not to, her mama had told her not to but her papa and her mama weren’t watching and little daughter had seen a beautiful yellow flower, nodding in the breeze just beyond the fence.
No harm in opening the gate and picking one little yellow flower she said to herself
then she saw a red one further away shining like a little flame
No harm picking a red one to put with the  yellow one.
Then she saw some blue flowers further away again
No harm putting the blues with the red and yellow
Soon the fence and gate were far behind her and she had her bunch of flowers in her hand.  They were shining and shining with such yellows, and reds and blues and purples and pinks that she started to sing with happiness
“ Trey blah, trey blah coom qua ki mo”
Suddenly she felt a shadow
She looked up and saw a wolf
A great gray wolf looking down at her with its yellow eyes
The wolf opened its mouth and spoke  “sing that sweetest, goodest song again”
So little daughter sang the song again
“ Trey blah, trey blah coom qua ki mo”
and as she sang the great gray wolf closed its eyes and smiled
and as she sang little daughter tiptoed tiptoed back toward the gate
as soon as the song was over the wolf opened his eyes and came bounding bounding behind her
Did you move?
Oh no said little daughter
Oh no why should I move?
Why indeed? Said the wolf
Now sing me that sweetest, goodest song again.
“ Trey blah, trey blah coom qua ki mo”
and as she sang the great gray wolf closed its eyes and smiled
and as she sang little daughter tiptoed tiptoed back towards the gate
as soon as the song was over the wolf opened its eyes and came bounding bounding behind her
Did you move?
Oh no said little daughter
Oh no why should I move?
Why indeed? Said the wolf
Now sing me that sweetest, goodest song one more time again.
So little daughter sang that song again
“ Trey blah, trey blah coom qua ki mo”
When the great gray wolf closed its eyes and smiled
Little daughter tiptoed tiptoed back towards the gate and through the gate
As soon the song was over the wolf came bounding bounding after her
But click the gate was shut
And clack the gate was locked
And little daughter was safe
 little daughter was sweetest, goodest safe inside the fence with a bunch of bright flowers in her fist.
And that was the end of that story.