Lullaby

Beyond the cheering children 

Moon che cheese

Beyond the twinkling apple 

Moon twin twinks 

Beyond the sleeping stars 

Moon sleeps

Beyond the sleepy ‘your name here’ 

Moon sleeps

Night is such a good friend!

Sad Jack

There was a man named

Sad sack Jack

When he walked his feet clacked

He said "I don't like my shoes they leave a track"

He didn't like anyone

Pftf! this one is short

Pftt! this one is stupid

Pftt! this one is poor

He didn't like anything

blue

true

flue

Sad sack, sad Jack, chicken Jack quacked

Quacked quacked quacked

Ooo he said, I am so rich. How to count my gold, quack?

Ooo he said, my house is so big. How to keep it clean, quack?

Ooo he said, I am so pretty. How to let anyone kiss, quack?

Sad Jack, sad sack, sour faced Jack

Jack Jack Jack

Never thanked his kind valet

Never cleaned his blond toupee

Never shared toys nor smiled a day

Until that doomsday!

And

An elephant trampled his wall

O zut!

He lost his gold

O zut!

His house all burnt black

O zut!

His face fire engine red

O zut!

His head flat

A railhead

He was beguiled, beguiiiiiled 

A delirious child!

Then

Sad Jack, silly Jack never ever stopped

Could Not stop

To smile and fart and smiiiiile and faaaart 

quack quack 

(O zut alors!!!)

IllustrationandChildren'spoemSadSackJack©2010BabetteandFriends

Mr Donkey and His Key

Mr Donkey

Loves tea

He brays

"May I pleeeease have teaaaaa"

"With thrrree sugarrrs and one peeeaaa"

Donkeys are funny

Don't you agree?

Who drinks tea with pea?

Who has rabbit ears?

doggie nose?

and horsey hoofs?

Mr Donkey of course

Donkeys are funny!

Mr Donkey's name is Dony

He is a swanky donkey

Ties a blue tie

Wears a hat

Goes to restaurant

Eats eight pies

All for a dollar then brays in glee

And sips his tea

Some days Donkey Dony is a bit silly

He plays with the goat Billy

Some days Donkey Dony is smiley

He flirts with the cat Frilly

Somedays Donkey Dony is sleepy

Soooo sleeepy 

Just before he leaves home

He looses his key

He brays " where is my key, wheeeeere iiiiis myyyy keeeey?"

Then he looks

Up and down the chicken coop

Left and right the stable

Searches in and out of rooms

But no key!

Then it gets late

Then it gets dark

He can't go out

Donkey Dony brays

"Ooo, toooo laaattte!"

"Tomorrow is anooooother daate"

Sleeps in his hay bed

While

The key hides

Under his hay bed...

MrDonkeyandHisKey-story and illustration©2010Babetteandfriends

Ants and Blue jays

In a little tiny hole

By a tiny little house

Next to a tiny tree

Lived tiny ants and their family.

They always worked very hard

Carried tons of crumbs

Back and forth they pulled

Huge crumbs with their tiny thumbs.

Little ant Jim always wanted to help

He always worked hardest when others yelped

But, he was so young and so tiny he always flipped

Because crumbs were larger, much larger than his whole body.

Mama Ant said " My boy Jim Jim

You are a good ant but, you are very slim slim

Child ants should not work! it is too grim grim

We are going to build a school for you you with a big gym"

All Mama Ants and Papa Ants met up on the Hill

O What a good idea, a school, what a thrill!

But, the winter is upon us said one Papa ant, who is going to pay the bill?

All screamed and yelled and the meeting was done with a big shrill!

"O, no is this the end?

Don't ants have a friend who could lend them

A helping hand?"

Cried the little Jim.

Mama Papa Ants were sad

Not because they were poorly clad

But, because their little ants were not glad

Without a school they could never learn fun child things

Instead they worked in fields, they were tired

That made them naughty and slightly mad!

Blue jays heard ants wanted a school for their little ants

They also heard crumbs needed to be moved from fields

So they flew from their nests to ants' hill and volunteered:

"Here we are! we will carry your crumbs, you go on

Build your school for your little ants "

They flew and disappeared with a big Whooosh

"O what good friends we have

Such lovely friends

Isn't it nice to live in a world

Where all love and give

Just because one can?"

Ants were very happy, they gladly accepted bluejays' offer

Ran and got their tools hired a contractor

Built a beautiful school with many holes and a coffer

Found for their little ants' education the best tutors.

In the meantime, all summer long

Bluejays flew back and forth and ling long

Carried crumbs by millions

Stashed them in tiny ants' homes

Prepared them for the long cold winter days

That always come at the end of summer days!

AntsandBlueJaysStory©Babetteandfriends

IllustrationAntsandBlueJays@Babetteandfriends

Babette and The Bent Apple Tree

Illustration©2010Babetteandfriends

A beautiful apple tree

Still flowering but, all bent

Like the letter n

Bloomed on the hill top.

Babette being a curious pup

Decided to climb up

And ask how she came to be

Such a bent up tree.

On her way up the mountain

She met the gardner Mr. Anton

Asked him if he knew

How the apple tree came to be

Such a bent up tree.

Mr Anton had a belly laugh

Ha ha ha he always laughed.

"Naughty children of course! They did it"

He said continuing his joyful laugh.

"Children pulled down her branches and never stopped

Climbed up and swung, hopped and dropped

So, the tree got bent. What else could she do but, stoop at the end?

Babette said

"O, is that so?"

She continued her walk

Towards the hill top.

By the stream she met little bluejay

Happily washing his wing and drinking from the stream

"Tweets to you Babette

Where are you trotting like a horse

So early in the morning?"

"I am going up the hilltop

To ask the Bent Apple tree

How she got her shape

Like the letter n"

"O"

Said little Blue jay.

"My grandmother told me

How Bent Apple tree got her bent

Like the letter n.

Let me tell you :

Many many many years ago

When this very apple tree

Was a very young apple tree

On a very very very rainy night

A terrible wind was blowing hard

There was a mother bird and her baby chicks

Nesting on this very apple tree.

That night of the storm

Poor bird's nest was hanging from a thread

About to be swept away, o what dread!

Little chicks chirp chirped hither and thither

Mother bird fluttered titter jitter

But, Apple tree said:

"Do not shed one more tear,I will save ye!

Then bowed her branches and bent like a snake

Held the nest between her tree fingers like a cradle

Crouching and bowing against its blows

Bravely fought against the mighty wind

Finally she did save all the chicks

But, she remained forever bent

After that rainy stormy night."

"O" said Babette " is that so?"

She continued her walk

Up the hill top

To ask the Bent Apple tree

How she got her bent.

When she finally arrived by the tree

She met Mr O'Chip the chipmunk

"O, hello Babette what a surprise" he said.

"What are you doing up, so far from home at the hill top?"

Babette now a little tired

From climbing up

Said "I came to find out

How the Bent Apple tree

Came to be such a bent tree."

"O, We chipmunks know how she came to be so bent" said Mr O' Chip.

"Long long long longtime ago

Our ancestors had a terrible king: Chippy The Terrible.

He did not have a red tail

So, he ordered all chipmunks with red tails

To be banished from Chip Kingdom.

Of course, red tailed chips were not happy

To be exiled by the foolish king for having red tails.

They formed their own chip army.

A terrible walnut war ensued

Between "Have reds"

And "Without the reds".

Wars are terrible things

Walnuts are thrown

Back and forth

From one camp to the other.

Houses are destroyed,

Branches are broken

Little chips cry and get lost!

That is how

Apple tree's branch got

Permanently damaged in the Red Tail War.

She got that slant

And forever remained bent."

"O" said Babette

Is that so?"

"Now that I am near

I will ask the Bent Apple Tree herself

How she got her Bent."

They suddenly heard a laugh

A strange mixture of a laugh

Giggly monkey laugh

And a hollow elephant's snort.

It was the Bent Apple Tree's laugh!

"Well hello Babette

You want to ask me

How I got my slouch?

You walked all the way up here to ask me that?"

"O" said Babette

You are a unique tree crowned

There are none with your bent

You make a perfect n.

With flowers

Our hill's bestower

Come spring

You are a beautiful ring!

I came to inquire

How you came to acquire

Such a marvelous bent."

"Let me tell you then" said the bent Apple tree:

The gardner is right.

Kids played on my branches.

But, they never hurt me!

They never pulled out my leaves and my blooming flowers

They were careful never to break my branches.

I loved happy and sweet children swinging from my branches"

"Blue jay is also right. I did my best

To save many nests

Helped little chicks

Cuddled them in my leaves

I bent and bowed my branches

To keep them from crushing away in terrible storms"

"I remember the king, Terrible Chippy

His Red Tail War and the walnuts

That hit against my belly.

O,Those were terrible times

When chips waged war against their brother chips

Because of a vain and foolish king!

All chips suffer for no reason!

In the mean time they broke

Few of my branches"

" But, none and all are true and bent me!

I lived a full tree life with many leaves met many, like you Babette!

Kids, dogs, cats and goats

Owls,chipmunks and ants

Butterflies caterpillars

O but,thankfully not a lumberjack !"

"I am bent

Because I am old

That is all.

I am shaped

Like the letter n

Because I have lived long

Time bends us all."

BentAppleTreeStory©2010YankaErimtan-Babetteandfriends

The Naughty Cricket

Collage©2010Babetteandfriends

It was Babette’s birthday
A perfect lovely sunny day for a party

Must prepare goodies without delay

For celebration is on its way.

We took the large wicker basket
Stuffed it with cakes
Walked by the river, passed the thicket
Arrived to our favourite corner for our picnic.

We sat on soft grass 

Under a maple tree
The view of the valley was so beautiful no other could surpass.
On our straw cloth we set our eight brioches and one big 

strawberry tart

Eight chocolate cookies and one big almond tart

Mmmm so delicious, we could hardly wait

To begin our feast

Thankfully our guests were not late.

Soon lady bugs flew by, caterpillars crawled in tow
Butterflies made a festive tent in two two's
Holding honeysuckles with their wings into a bow.

Near-by sheep and sheep dogs joined us

Bunnies hopped hopped to greet us

Frogs croaked croaked nearby in chorus.

Jaybirds accompanied with sweet sweet tweets

We made merry and danced danced tapping our feet

"O What great party this is!  so complete

With sweets and sweet giggles and tweets!

woof la la la la lolo, mee mee, la la la lo lo, mee mee,

woof la lal lal la la li li li low tit tot teet tweet"

Suddenly we heard coming from the basket a strange sound
A houm hum houm
It was sort of a hum pun hum houm

A hum pun pooouuun hum sound!

SHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Carefully we listened.
it was a humming song sung languidly

"O Whaaat a life I had, what sweet life
Now sliced perfectly in haaaalf ! in half with a silver knife
You may thiiiink your deeds are redeemed
But sooooon discover your candles less gleamed"

What was THAT?
We trembled...
WHO was THAT?
A ghostly, scary humming sound
Coming from Inside the basket?
Bunnies hop hop hopped and escaped
Frogs croaked louder in protest
Butterflies flew away scared
Babette doggie woofed woofed and

 I too fluttered

We cautiously approached

Opened

The basket
AND
Discovered
It was only a winged litttle insect
Who was making that dreadful noise
His wing caught
Under the handle
He had become a prisoner of the basket!
Between a big scary knife

And the delicious birthday cake,

He hang between Sweet Life and Silver Death
He was afraid
As we were

Hence his frightful serenade.

'I said hellooo
Mr Grasshopper?
Sorry we bothered you
We are only passing through.'

'WHAT WHAT WHAT!
Passing through air?
I don't understand.
I don't see a tunnel anywhere!
AND, you are not winged!'
He screamed.

He added
Most insolently:

'Don't you ever call me a grasshopper
I am a cricket!'

O,sorry woof said Babette 
O, pardonez moi, Monsieur, said I
'Whatever were you searching for
If I may ask
In the basket
which is Mine?'

He said
Suddenly most gentile
'Criccccccccck crickk crickk, dear lady
O please please
Don't be mad
You see, you see
It is my birthday too
I was flying above when I saw your picnic basket and the scrumptious cake
I thought I could stop by and get a taste.
Sorry if I didn't ask first, I am not a thief, really! I am a good insect!

'I am too far from the sea you see
Without my wing I can't wing my way to my friends at the sea.
Ooo, what pain
This looks like the end
Farewell to you my dear lady
And your, flea bag friend
Adieu'

'O I said, don't be so dramatic, we will help you of course!
I am a girl and this is my dog
We have legs and not wings we came to the meadow for an afternoon tea.'

We guessed he was frightened and decided to be kind to him.
We took a close look at his wing
And noticed it was just a small scratch not a cut nor a splint.
We removed him
From under the clutter and mess
Cleaned his wing
And send him on his way
After we offered him a piece of the birthday cake.

He sang again, this time more melodiously
Thanked my noble dog most profusely
He apologized for calling him a flea bag and kissed him most adoringly.

'O life O life, hope hope hope, so good to be hopeful again
Just when I was insane with too much pain
Then the lady and her pretty dog heard me complain
Made my hole whole whole, let's celebrate with rivers of champagne'

So with that he cricket crickk crickkketted and flew to join his friends...

TheNaughtyCricketStory©2010Babetteandfriends

Envious Apple Tree

Illustration©2010Babetteandfriends

Babette was taking a walk
She noticed a hawk
A sheep and her flock
Then she saw
A very strange old tree
It looked as if it was covered just with flea

O how horrid!
What happened to that poor tree she wondered
The hawk above
Perching on the tree
Said
'I know what happened to this apple tree! my great grand parents told my grandparents my grandparents told my parents my parents told me. I can tell you what happened to that tree'
O Yes, Do tell

So, the Hawk started to tell
The story of the Apple Tree:

In a sunny field facing south
By a river’s mouth
Lived a family of pear trees
And a host of bees

Each spring they held a festival
To cherish it’s arrival
Prepared a festive carnival
That made envious the neighboring apple trees, their rival

One Apple tree in particular was very envious
Of one particular pear tree’s blooms
That were
Larger whiter pinker and had
Lovelier blossoms than hers
Bees congregated on pear’s flowers
More often than apple’s
This made the apple tree jealous and most furious

She wished she was a pear and not an apple
Day and night she imagined what would it be like
To be green and not red
With a smooth silky skin and a soft bite
Not shiny skinned, crunchy and red

But pear tree never knew any of this
She thought apple tree was a sis
After all they were all trees and lived in bliss
If she knew anything was amiss
She would surely been in an abyss

When the envious Apple tree received the invitation for the spring party
She was temporarily green with envy.
'Again, Pear is having the festivity before me'
This time she knew she could not take it!
She summoned the Westerly wind and whispered in his ear:

‘Wind wind my old friend, I know we had our differences,
do me a favor do visit the festivities and blow your mightiest
make sure the pear tree looses all her bloom, then I promise to give you all my apples in season’
The wind liked this arrangement it seemed
Imagining all the delicious apples he will collect in the summer next.

The day of the festivity, the apple tree was very content waiting for the Westerly
She knew it was the end
For her rival the Pear tree
From now on she was going to be
The Belle of the Bees

But, unexpectedly, before the Westerly wind
Arrived a friend of the Pear tree
the Southerly wind
Who blew a mighty breath
So strong all was upside down
And in the hulloboloo
It was the Apple Tree
And not the Pear
Who lost all her budding leaves instead

She shriveled up and dried.


O said Babette:
Yes, indeed everyone has a rival
A czar
A car
A star
A guitar
It is bizarre
How people, animals and things like compare
O it is very incomprehensible
Life is such fanfare

Because each fruit
Because each car
Because each star
Because each tree
Because each animal
Because each person
Has its purpose and place
Best
Don’t covet
But want best
With zest
For all friends
East and West.



EnviousAppleTreeStory©2010Babetteandfriends