Sunday, December 29, 2013

"The Lambikin" Traditional and here retold with considerable liberty.

This is the start of a new project based loosely on Candlelight Stories selected and edited by Veronica S. Hutchinson with drawings by Lois Lenski, 1927.
Image: © Nevit Dilmen found at Wikimedia commons










The Lambikin

Lambikin, Lambikin was light on his heels,
he leapt through the forest
turning cartwheels.
Along came a jackal
who looked hard and long,
then with a sad look,
Jackal sang him this song:

Lambikin, Lambikin,
you would have a sweet taste.
If you want to get to grandma's
you'd better make haste. 

Lambikin, Lambikin was light on his heels,
he leapt through the forest
turning cartwheels.
Then along came a Vulture
who looked hard and long,
then with a sad look,
Vulture sang him this song:

Lambikin, Lambikin,
I hear through the trees.
you're sweet to the taste,
better than butter, sweeter than fleas.
Like a rabbit to Grandma's,
you really must hurry, so
take your woolie-white furry,
and go scurry now, scurry.

Lambikin, Lambikin was light on his heels,
he leapt through the forest
turning cartwheels.
Then along came a Tiger, a Wolf,
a Dog, and an Eagle.

They looked and they looked,
they prowled and they  growled,
they looked and they circled,
then stopped when wolf howled,

Oh Lambikin, Lambikin
you'd better get going,
our bellies are empty
our ribs, they are showing!

Lambikin, Lambikin leapt through the wood
and in Grandma's door as fast as he could.
He never forgot his friends of the forest
and put out a suet with cranberry porridge.




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