I first started capturing her storytelling using the video mode on our digital camera, around about April, but she soon refused to let me film her. So I tried writing her stories while she told them, using pen and paper. That lasted for only a few stories too, before she caught on. Since then, I've been recording her using a mini MP3 recorder, which is pretty unobtrusive, and transcribing the audio later. She then objected strongly to this as well... Nowadays I use a combo of MP3 and video to record her before transcribing. I only manage to record a fraction of the stories she tells. I always have a backlog of stories on the recorder that still need transcribing, as it's impossible for me to keep up with her. To help new readers, I've marked my favourite stories with a star (*), so at least you have somewhere to start if you don't know where to begin. Don't forget to check the older archives too - there are some gems in there as well!

Sunday 24 June 2007

Jack and the Beanstalk, 2007-06-20

Again, again, and again, and again
And again, and again, and again, and again!
The noise…. balloons! Balloons!
And that didn’t bring the noise every time
And when they sleeping, at his bed
AND…. and he heard a noise
GOT him already
And Jack, climbed up a beanstalk, that hidden behind the bushes
And he got a little hook by the bench
No, not a little hook, not a little hook!
And he got a cow and that
He got a cow and that, by the little hook
And the little hook got a hook… another hook
A bent hook… bent hook, in a little hole
Ah ho ho! Ha ha! Ho ho! Then asked the bench, then…
Fuzzy wuzzy bear, fuzzy wuzzy bear, fuzzy wuzzy yellow… (singing)
Fuzzy wuzzy bear, fuzzy wuzzy bear, fuzzy wuzzy bear! (still singing, fades off)
Is it not this one? (three times)
And that, getting a hook, by the bench
He’s getting a hook by the bench!
And he haven’t found this one, down and that one and this one
And that one and this one…
And that ears, so shiny and black
And it can’t not… this is, this is…
(Indecipherable sentence)
This is a circle
Climbing inside or outside (sings loudly)
People climbing every day!
Climbing inside and outside, inside and outside (singsong)
And inside this place! And that one and that… is Jack! (sings again)
And that (indecipherable)
Asks to hold it for a minute
And they hold it for a minute! Until an hour or two
An hour or two, an hour or two, an hour or two
And Jack hear a noise…
That was a little hook, and a little hook made THAT noise
From, from, from the, from the bench, heard a sound
I think he might like it, asked Aladar
JACK would like it!
In, in, inside there
And, and, and, and it make (indecipherable, too soft)
Asked Aladar, and it make no (indecipherable, too soft)
And there something sticking out,
And there something else, up in Aladar
And checking up, out in the air
And they going up and up and up!
Down and down and down and down
And up and up and up again
And down and down again
And up and up again
And down and down again
And up and up again
And up and up and down and down again
Up and down!
(Indecipherable)
I almost here!
The end!
The end!

Tuesday 19 June 2007

The little hook returns, 2007-06-19

We were at the bookstore today and she pulled an Enid Blyton book off the shelf and started storytelling. She was so engrossed, she didn't mind that I even held the recorder in front of her like a reporter does when interviewing someone :-P

Baby saw! And mommy saw also
And they all meant for the others until Sally found…
Baby saw a little hook by the bench
And I keep asking it, every time!
Pop! Asked baby, can you do that like a jellyfish? No I can’t!
The end!
And then I walked, and I walked, and I WALKED AND I WALKED!
Heh… I SO tired from walking, and a DOG shoot after me!
And I will be VERY, VERY SAD!
And my dog shoots you up
And my dog shoots you up
And I’m SO TIRED!
And this, the, the bench bring me something…. Teapot
And they RAN away
And the teapot raaaan away
And I sit…. and see there
Aaaand….have to taste the porridge!
Food get…. damp!
And the porridge poured on the horses
And the horses saw a hook
And the horses got a hook
And a heater… GET ON!
And… afternoon and afternoon
And back to the time
And I walked and I walked and… (pants) didn’t KNOW
And I JUMPED to the heater! And I yelled
And I yelled, and yelled, I yelled! And yelled and I yelled
Yippee! Yippee! Yippee!
And there was a picture, hidden (in an undertone) from the bushes
“FOX! I want to tell you a story!” said the lion
And a lion came fast, and it (roars twice) everyday
Wolf the dog! (indecipherable) everyday
The piglet and me
The truck and the pig
LITTLE HOG, WHERE ARE YOU????
And they talked…
I hope the piglet not listen to me!
Not listen to, not to me
Not to me either, asked the man
Not to me either, asked the girl
And you must, you must be gentle, said the woman, please… BYE BYE!
And she lost her pig
And she lost her, lost her (indecipherable)
A beautiful hook haven’t found
We’re reading here! This book tells you about AAAALLL the animals
All the animals, even duck aaaand… everything
And ALL this book says you tell it!
I’m not everything in the whole world!
Someone reading here of this book TELLS you about ALL the animals that I found somewhere
I think in the woods
I think in the real meadow, or somewhere else here
And a boy opened the door
See one girl passing by and another girl
And there was two girls and two boys
And them was opened the door, and found another hook
And, and… the monkey JUMPED and said
KITE! My magic tree please! I don’t want anything
And baby saw
And the girl thought… and said
Do!… girls!... boys!
Girls and boys?... Girls and boys, COME!
And someone saw, and the girls didn’t come! O.K.!
OK, I will meet you dinosaurs
And the dinosaurs didn’t come either
And she stopped the other one
Where did we stop? Here? Right?
Chapter Eleven
And there was a kid, right?
And the man got a hook… SO
(whispers)
So they got some for the man, a present for the man
Asked who got a hook
(Sighs) And… the man got the hook, the little hook, by the bench
And the present already done
Engine number nine… engine number nine!
Going down…. PLEASE!
And the man get up and said, “THIS IS FUN!
Doop ah doo, doop a doo, doop a doo doo” (singsong)
SO, and the man do this
So, the man choosing this, he said
“I’m a man, who’s strong! So strong! Somewhere”
What??... What? I haven’t… I’m somewhere, I didn’t know…
Whether or not I here, there! Here and there. Anywhere!
Never mind… do a present, by ourselves!

The giraffe and the Pelly and Me, 2007-06-17

She was pretending to read from Roald Dahl’s “The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me” for this one. Seems pretty true to the essence of the actual story, except for the last section.

I peeked in from the door… I saw nothing inside!
And I didn’t know what to do
And I peeked inside!
And a bathtub came down, not UP!
Someone came to throw it!
The door, and something like that ALSO!
The bathtub! And the bathtub dripping along the wall
I knew somebody have opened it
And the door flew open!
And a head and opened, shout, and a (indecipherable) door to open
And he left the door open, “Who are these creatures??” asked me
“The giraffe and the pelly and me!” (indecipherable)
My beak, my beak,
HO WAH HO WAH (sings)
Asked the monkey little dance, a little dance (indecipherable)
Why can’t I do it? Why can’t I do it? Asked the pelican (singing)
The pelly and the giraffe (sings to a stop)
And he flew up to the monkey…
(singing whispers) this is… what?....
What is this man?
Who are these creatures?
Who are these creatures?
I want the big black one!
I want the big, black one!
Please give me the BIG one!
Get my gun, get my gun, get my gun
Get my gun, get my gun, get my gun
Someone eating that cherries
MY CHERRIES!
And I picked some cherries
Then the old man probably have (indecipherable)
I CRACKED THE SIDE! But picked it!
This creature, he found
I want to get it, asked the giraffe carefully
He getting longer and longer and longer
And taller and taller and taller!
And some more (indecipherable)
And they sang this
COFFEE DIO CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP (sings)
(indecipherable) now opened, and the giraffe said this, and they snapped
And I… I, did open… my neck, with my neck!
I’m Chapter Nine!
They are OH KAY said the (indecipherable)
One day someone gave them a gun, my necklace
And my necklace, and my necklace, and my necklace, and my necklace (chants)
Six of them, and wait for you, POLICE… police…(chants)
And I told… why wait for you! (chants)
They here, and they all came down a tree
And the (indecipherable) came (indecipherable) here
(indecipherable)
And none of them, none of them, and the banana tree
(indecipherable)
And this banana tree, and this banana tree, and this banana tree
Balls and trees and all the things… (chants)
A lot of things…
A shop… sweets… shop….
They got softer and softer and softer and softer!
The end!
The whole book of engine number nine
The whole book, the whole book, the whole book
One day when I be eat in my shop, in the sweet shop
The sweet, the sweet… someone have been eaten, everyday
And a rocket did come by
And (knocks recorder, very noisy) outside
Inside and outside and in!
Inside and outside and inside and out!
Inside and outside and inside and outside and inside and…
Once upon a time (too noisy)
Baby climbed up the little hook by the bench
Little hook by the bench!
I saw a little hook by the bench!
I talk about a little hook by the bench!
I KEEP asking it!
The barrel (indecipherable)
The owner seems to be eating it
Somebody eating my porridge everyday, someone, someone, someone have to (sings)
Someone, someone (sings)
I didn’t notice. Look!
I didn’t notice
SOMETHING FLEW OPEN! And the door CRASHED!
And the door FLEW…. Flew open, and I RUN AWAY FROM THE NOISE!
And I didn’t (whispers) stop… I stopped
A PAIR OF GREEN PANTS! NOBODY INSIDE THEM!
Nobody in the pants….
The pants in green sing a little song
And the hook by the bench
And the crack flew open!
And (indecipherable)
Down…. down, down, gravity and I run away (sings softly)
The giraffe and the pelly and me (still singing)
The giraffe and the pelly and me (singing softer and softer)
The giraffe and the pelly and me (fading away)
And… flew OPEN! And…. it didn’t, it didn’t…

Monday 18 June 2007

A few short stories, 2007-06,8th-17th

I mentioned I had a backlog of stories on my recorder. Several of these were fragmented, either due to too noisy background during the recording, or because of her new dramatizations: extreme volume fluctuations, moving around while storytelling, etc; so the recorder didn't pick up her narrative too clearly. So I thought I'd just post the bunch of fragments here on one post instead of cluttering up the blog with several fragmented stories. Oh, I also discovered my recorder doesn't keep a record of the date of recording, so I've forgotten the exact date of some of these, but the range of dates is as in the header of this post. Here goes.

1. TO MARKET
And they crack, back, action!

And they
And they got it… oh they didn’t got it yet
They haven’t got it
They… something by
Have you got it yet?
You haven’t got it

When baby saw the bench
She, she, run and hide
And she got up, she got up
And she got a little hook
And she sat down, she sat on the little bench
Made the bench in SUCH a hurry
In such a hurry, in such a hurry
And baby heard a noise, about that
And then she didn’t know what to do
And she stepped on something
And she saw a lizard passing by
And said, this is a little fun ask the lizard
This little fun ask (indecipherable)
Behind the bushes, behind the trees, behind the leaves
What is that? Asked the, asked the, asked the (indecipherable)
Watching out behind the bushes, hiding behind the leaves, and the trees
After, after
In such a hurry passing by
That is fun asked
Baby
That is fun! I like to play by the bench
Somewhere in, something going on, asked baby
And baby saw a little hook by the bench
Aaand the hook by the bench
A recepeed, a recepeed… what is this?
(checks with me as to what picture she’s looking at in the book)
Centipede, or a millipede got a little hook by the bench
I saw…. Aaaand a little hook by the bench
Somewhere by a centipede
I like this centipede…
Millipede… millipede… I like this one!
Don’t like the centipede!
To market, to market to buy a fat hog (sings)
Home again, home again, home again (still singing)
Dumpy by your edges, I want the centipede to go near me, to go near my (still singing)
(Cuts in) WHY? Asked mommy, holding by
I haven’t got it
OH! A little hook over the bench
We SAW it
And there she took by the bench
We saw, and how she saw
How we found it somewhere
Aaand
And he gave them
So we packed, we packed
Somewhere… in such a hurry
In such a hurry
I haven’t got it
To market, to market to buy… wash wash wash wash wash
Soap away
No dear away


2.THE TURTLE
The Lion and the Turtle
One day the turtle went for a walk in the woods by himself
And his mommy say “No, you can’t!”
And the daddy say “That ALL right! He will come back”
And the mommy said “NO!!!! He won’t!”
And, and the mommy said “Yup…He will come back, the turtle”
Why… he… coming…. Back
Who coming? Come back!
No you can’t, you can’t come back
One day, one dinosaur came and said “this is NOT”
And one dinosaur came also, with the other dinosaur
There’s dinosaurs coming around
It went somewhere in the other island


3. BABY WASN'T INSIDE
I want that, asked the lion
You know…the elephant, ELEPHANT!!!!
You have to put off the elephant, put off the elephant
Put off the elephant… light
Home again, home again, jiggety jog (sings)
That was a good story! Baby wasn’t inside!
The dinosaur was
So…brachiosaurus wasn’t inside, but not iguanodon
A whole BUNCH of them, the whole bunch of them coming
They queue
Baby didn’t know… baby didn’t get a hook already
It was on the bench
It haven’t got it, baby haven’t
Baby going home
BABY was not going home because SHE want mommy
Mommy? Mommy seen, because (noisy)


4. HELLO, I'M NOT ANYTHING
Hello, I’m not anything, I’m giraffe!
(too noisy to hear a bunch of words)
And up and down (singsong)
Standing still or spinning around
Learning opposite, see what opposite can still run around
Lots of opposite can still run around
(Getting slower and slower)
And you can’t do that!
Engine!
You can’t…. and wise man
W and H and H and W and H and W and me and umph!
Mean WHAT IS UMPH?
THAT??? Word?
That word means umph and humph
A boy and a girl!
A boy and a girl and a fox and a king (sings)
So clean and so dusty (still singing)
And I didn’t know even what to do!
There’s some (indecipherable)
Let’s clean, proper animals clean
(indecipherable, whispering)
Done that!
Let’s be here!
Hmm hmm hmm huh huh huh (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”)
Where are you sayshell, where are you sayshell,
Here am I! Here am I!
Suddenly I spied them, a pale of green pants, with nobody inside them
TOO RAMBLING – STILL A LOT, BUT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE…


5.SOMETHING TO DO WITH BIRDS
Happen and Bill, Happy and Bill, Happen and Bill Contents
And they come here, quite sunburnt to pieces
That is man, that is the man from him, that is the man!
And he didn’t know what to do!
Then, you can talk to this one while I’m waiting
If you finish talking to him, you catch him,
Catch this book
He’s my friend!
I put this thing in the cage, with my one and CATCH him
And his bird tried to run away if he catch him
This bird is burnt
“I’m not! I will not!” Asked baby in a W mood
Anything here, by the edges
What is that??? At the edges?
It be… I… that’s better!
I choose….ummm…. This! And I choose a friend!
So, this! one
NO! They are flying away!
CATCH! CATCH!
(indecipherable for a few sentences)
He didn’t know what to do (indecipherable)
(Indecipherable) please I can’t do it!The mouse is, is… contents already
And I BROKE my bones!....and, and
Contents… you can look at me properly… another one…(whiny)
And then… contents now… check out, and said
I wrote! But I’m working!
Uhm… thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And she got open
And she got back, said, “I’m NOT! I’m content!”
“MAN!”
“What are you doing girl?”
“I’m a man”
“I’m a girl, and you live with me, every time man, and you’re a girl-boy!”
“What is a girl-boy?”
“That’s a girl and a boy. This mean, someone rode in a bike!”
Contents are… the contents are… ready for you
He, he have, he’s, he’s, he’s panting
He wants to LOCK YOU UP in the contents page, and you have some…fun
You, you cannot escape if they lock you up
“I might escape!” But the girl said to me
“That is me! I’m the kitten! I’m not the (indecipherable)”
And they RUN away, two (indecipherable)
Hmph! What is it? Two (indecipherable)
She’s the one to do the job, and find them!


6.PIGSLEY PIG
Pigsley Pig went to another castle in an area out in the woods
So, he (indecipherable)
See? What you can see?
And he didn’t know what to do, there’s another passage here!
Leads somewhere else
And he found all the ghosts
Boo! Said ghosts, BOO!!!!
There’s another passage here… leads somewhere…
(Knocking) Please, there’s another passage here
HALLO IN THERE!!!!!! IS ANYBODY HOME????
He asked together (indecipherable)
Nobody’s seems to be home and he,
He meet the dragon way, and go for a night market walk,
And lead somewhere else, and peeking and at, there’s another passage here!
….There’s another passage here!
….There’s another passage here, SEE?
….There’s another passage!
And he lead somewhere else and peeking out was from anything out in the woods
And he really saw the map, said
This is not fun! LET”S GO!
And he visited the night market
And he didn’t know what to do, The End!


Ok, that's it's for this post! The next one should be better - there's an 8 minute one waiting for transcription on my recorder at the moment ;-)

Saturday 16 June 2007

Little Bear, 2007-06-15

She had one of her old board books for this, Little Bear Paints the World.

Little Bear paint the world
And little bear climbed up the ladder
Up the ladder and down the ladder
Said, “This is fun! Let’s go on the apple tree!”
They picked some apples
And….could be here or there
So they didn’t know what to do
And daddy get little bear, inside a present
And little bear saw it was a grass paint
So little bear take the brush and baby hold the brush for him
So he, he then brushed, he brushed a little paint
And then, under there, under there
House clean, the house clean
The house clean…
House clean… the house cleaner got a lot of (indecipherable)
So, baby lost a hook at the bench
So, she, she decide… it NOT to go away
Mommy might be angry if she go away
And, she didn’t know what to do
And baby bear catch her mama there
She can’t get
Engine engine number nine (chants)
Going down the party line (chants)
When I stop upon the track, monkey sits upon the back! (chant)
And down, down they go!
And baby didn’t know what to do
And baby saw an ugly dragon in the wood
And baby saw mommy getting a present for her!
So, the sun is for the sun, it is for sun
Who didn’t know what to do
And the carrot (indecipherable)
Let’s go on the apple tree, asked little bear
And they goed on the apple tree
Is that the wolf??? You can’t, wolf, go on the apple tree!
You might eat it!
You climb up the ladder, and down the ladder
So, he didn’t know what to do
Let’s go on the apple tree!
Me, I’m not going on the apple tree, and he climbed down the apple tree
What is lot of feather inside here?
And baby saw feather inside her playroom, so
Daddy picked it up and said this is a feather from a bird
This one from the yellow bird who hidden behind the bushes, in the tree
So, the bird began to sing, so…
Where did we stop?
So, baby stopped, and cried (indecipherable)
The wolf baby saw and said, “this is fun! let’s go”
The little bird down, go and sing
So, baby bear caught, I want to go
Why do I want to go away from you?
Because I want you to play with me!
They didn’t know what to do
And they didn’t know what to do
So, they gave them some buns, up in bed
So they didn’t know what to do
And they didn’t know what to do
Little Bear… what are you doing Little Bear?
Little Brown Bear! Little Grey Bear!
Put on some TV…. watched it for a long time
Nooow, baby walked it home now…
I will bring this book!
(walks away from recorder)

Friday 15 June 2007

Internal dialogue, 2007-06-13

This was quite interesting to me. We'd just bought her a new storybook, which she wanted to look at in her car seat on the way home. This is what transpired.

Eh.. uhm.. eh.. uhm…eh… eh… and uhm!
Baby go out to the faraway tree
And they went, they went to the old
In, out, up, up...
They lost someone in such a hurry
Such, such, such, such, such, such, such….

(To me) Mom, what does this say?
(I replied her)
What does this say? The whole word?
(I told her I couldn't read to her in the car, but would when we got home)
(To herself) Ugh! Ack! Uck and ack, uck and ack
(To me) Mommy I can’t read! I caaan’t

(Silence for a short while, followed by what was obviously internal dialogue)
You can do it…
Can you do it? Do that?
This one have wild, wild... can you mean… it?
Why do you be so… tiresome??
So I caaaan
So, let’s go!
Do you know the letters? You know right???....
(indecipherable) Do you know?
I can’t…
I… don’t… know
You can’t… you can’t, you can’t….
Ask someone who is reading book…
(indecipherable)
You can’t…
And you don’t want Engine Number Nine

(continues with her regular storytelling)
Baby marched in, so
And baby marched in and said let’s go
And baby said don’t
Mommy says, DON”T… STOP! We lost something
What? Like what? Asked the baby
We can’t! Lost something
You lost something, and, they saw what they lost!
They saw what they lost!
Inside, inside
And they climbed up a BIG hedge
So full of (indecipherable)
So they cleaned the roof
And his mommy cleaned the den
And he cleaned the roof
And he said, “This is all better!”
You can’t do that like THAT! Asked her, hidden behind the (indecipherable)
You cannot do that in my wall because you (indecipherable) my garden also! (high pitched voice)
No, don’t do that, on my wall..
(indecipherable, same thing 3 times)
I don’t know whether or not
I’m troublesome, so troublesome!
I don’t know whether or not I saw her there, and lost
You can’t, you can’t! asked… some…. children… and looking at his, and, and it... (trails away)

(Sounds like the internal dialogue is back. She was speaking much more slowly and deliberately in these sections than in the storytelling ones, which were quicker. Really sounded like she was reasoning with herself)
Baby can’t...
So what?
Why the end then? Why the crack in the back?
You can’t….

Tigger, Pooh, Action Ride, 2007-06-13

I left the recorder on in the other room, so I didn't see her on this one. I assume she was holding a Pooh book as a prop. What I found funny is the section with sound effects ;)

Tigger, Pooh, Action Ride…
Pooh, didn’t know why Tigger HIT the door
Asked Tigger carefully, “what can I put in there…”
“That is fun”, asked Piglet, and cheerfully
(indecipherable) said Eeyore (more indecipherable), “what is wait?”
And didn’t he wait
And he didn’t know what to do at the Piglet’s house
And Owl talked to him, and cheerfully
“SO, what do you do, with him?”
And Owl stopped by and then stepped back
And Tigger jumped to his feet and meowed
“YUKKK!!! YUKKK!!!!”
And he looked for his (indecipherable)
Walk, sing like that
“Sing at last, I eaten at last (chanting)
I eaten at last (X6) (still chanting)
Sing at last, sing at last. I eaten at last (chanting)
Eaten at last (X4) (still chanting)”
THAT ME! THAT ME! THAT ME!
THAT ME IN THE PICTURE, PICTURE, PICTURE!
(Panting, and knocking/banging on the floor)
THAT ME! THAT ME! THAT ME!
(more panting and knocking/banging on the floor)
THAT ME! THAT ME!
(more panting and knocking/banging on the floor)
THAT ME! THAT ME!
(more panting and knocking/banging on the floor)
THAT ME! THAT ME!
(more panting and knocking/banging on the floor)
That me! Hmph! They all say, THAT ME!
THAAAAT!!!! They say
We go, we go (more knocking/banging on the floor)
Thump, thump, thump…
And Giant came near and everytime
Then when Tigger come up to Piglet house
He really, really, want Piglet and find
Want Piglet and find, want piglet and find
Want piglet and find, deep and wide
Deep and wide, deep and wide (singsong)
There’s a fountain going deep and wide (sings)
Deep and wide, there’s a fountain going deep and wide (sings)
And he sing, everyday
And, and the reaction of the blue thing , of the burnt anything
(I think that’s what she said :-P)
If anybody think collection on the blue thing, or they burnt other things that they found, SO (Indecipherable)
Anything I did
UHMMMM!!!! We haven’t
And they looked at Piglet, and Tigger, themselves
By themselves
And they didn’t know what to do, they didn’t know what to do
And they didn’t know what to do
And they go back to their own place and their own house and their own garden
Where have they been?
And they got lost
(Whispers)
UHH!!!!! POOH!!! WHERE ARE YOU????
Here am I! I am here!
And he didn’t know what to do
He didn’t know what to do
And they all laughed
And Rabbit came
And (indecipherable) Where? Where? Where?
Where?
Tum ti tum, sum si sum, by your edge (chanting)
(Wanders away)

Thursday 14 June 2007

Fairytales rehashed, 2007-06-11

Here's an original spin on some standard fairytales ;-). She was using a book of fairytales as her storytelling prop. Sadly, the recording came out with a lot of background hiss, so a few long sections and some shorter ones were pretty indecipherable. Still, I think there is enough to enjoy anyway, so.. enjoy!

Oh it empty, SO…
Aaaand, so they do it (indecipherable)
Properly.. have when they do this (indecipherable)
And why the friend picture, and both saw the little baby threw the key
So, they TOOK them to the place where the mommy lay down in the ocean
Where the proper picture?
We don’t step on anything
And they didn’t (indecipherable)
(long indecipherable section – too soft)
I like it in that, I like it in that
Why? That is why
(another long indecipherable section – too soft)
And they find them a little lock, a little bed
And I find them, to make my bread (singsong)
(more indecipherable stuff)
And they lived in a shoe, out in a bay
One little girl, after (more indecipherable stuff)
Met a little people
Fee fei fum I’m a smell an Englishman (chanting)
Be he alive or be he dead I’ll grind his bones to make my bread (still chanting)
And the daughter wife, carried him to the princess room
And the princess room got a hook, a bench
The princess said (whispers softly)
Munchkins, munchkins, we cannot find Jack, Jack, (singsong)
Jack and the beanstalk (singsong still)
Fee fei fum, I’m a smell an Englishman
Chee chai chum Chee chai chum (singsong)
Chee chai chum Chee chai chum (still singsong)
That, who that?
When they find…. Jack (very soft)
Boom! …. Boom!..... Boom! He says
And they free the princess, the beauty!
Cannot even find them
And they lived alone, without any bread
They lived in the woods, out in the wood
They CAN’T asked their mother
And they yelled, like the little piggy
“I’ll fiiind them” (singing softly)
Later along, later again, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!
The end, the end!
“You can’t”, asked the
Incy wincy spider (singing) honky honky honk
Inky inky inky inky inky ink (sill singing)…
Unky unky unky unky unky unky unky (still singing, more softly)
(Getting softer and slower but still singing) Unky unky unky…. I like the princess
I like the princess, I like the princess!
(Silence for several seconds)
And later along, and later again
And later along, and later again
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread
To make my bread, to make my bread
I’ll have a little girl to make my bread…
SO, and the daughter wife came to the (indecipherable)
They saw a little hook by the bench and baby said “Huh?? What??!!... I didn’t KNOW about the engine… in the back and the pack”
Engine, engine number nine, going down the party line! (chanting)
When it jump upon the track, monkey swing, back on the wind! (still chanting)
By your scalp, by you scalp, treetop, treetop swing! (still chanting)
And the magic beans heard it from somewhere
The beanstalk went for the, for, for, for the giant
And the giant did came home
Saw giant climbing down, by the broken (indecipherable)
Anybody don’t have wings… have wings
The have, might have… they might have…
Later along, and later again
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread (singsong)
To make my bread, to make my bread
A little girl to make my bread
To make my bread, to make my bread
A little girl to make my bread
(stops singsong and calls) Froggie, froggie…
Froggie, froggie…. I’m right here…
And the little pig said that he saw a horse
And the little daughter wife!
And the three little piggies got their mother to go find them
We are lost! They said, we are lost, a little lost
I saw it, they’re plenty of them, lost
The three little piggies got to run
SO, they saw the piggies, she... nobody can eat them
I think little wolf, I’m a… I’m a herbivore
I can’t eat carnivore, asked the sad little piggy
I think… row, row, row, gently down the stream (singing)
If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream!
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream,
If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream!
(finishes the song)
AAAAHHHHH!!!!
(sings softly) row, row, row…
(indecipherable)… do what????
AHHH! This is painful!
(indecipherable)… it’s a spider!
Is she?... I know she is
I caught her!
I hold her!
(sings softly) Don’t know how I got a little bite, come and give you me and...
Don’t know! (speaking)
And there’s some frog, he have little bite in a hook (sings again)
Frog, don’t have…he have a (indecipherable)
He don’t have he just make a (indecipherable) (singing again)
The frog did bite her.. the princess..
And the princess… frog… and the king…
I don’t…
(moves far away from recorder)
You cannot catch me, you cannot catch… you cannot catch…

Wednesday 13 June 2007

Dorothy and friends, 2007-06-09

She was telling this story with The Wizard of Oz as her book prop. Sorry for the many "indecipherable" sections - her volume range on this one was really big, from shouting to very soft whispers, and she was REALLY into doing different voices too - her Lion esp. was very cute!

Hey, I didn’t say anything….

Now my voice is coming… my voice is coming
You can’t… my story want to sing everyday (indecipherable)
I want to turn the page…
And from here and the whole day, and that was gooood…
The whole garden, the WHOLE people
And tell you what to do, and you got a (indecipherable)
And as he WALKED in the woods
And saaaaaw the hog, he went, running away from the woods
Why… why… why
Why, he going to (indecipherable)
She wanted some friends, didn’t meant to talk
And the lion, and she, she, she… Munchkins are dancing around
And the witch, the witch get a hook
There took a BIG THUNDERSTORM
She have a big thunderstorm, in in her house
And she didn’t know what to do
Aaaand… she didn’t know what to do
And the witch KILLED the wicked witch of the east
The scarecrow, the tin woodman and Dorothy walked deep in the woods
And (indecipherable) saw a chopper knife… CHOP!!!!
(indecipherable)
WELL… Dorothy stepped back
And the whole life
(Indecipherable) it’s too long
And the tin woodman saw the chopper THERE!
And they looked for them and said
HELLO!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?????
And the Lion said “Here am I!” (in a growly voice)
“Here am I” asked the scarecrow, “We are waiting for you!
And wanting you for the beach, you will come! You didn’t COME yet, just now!”
And they standing there and wishing her (indecipherable singing)
And the scarecrow went “he can’t” (creaky voice) asked the scarecrow (normal voice)
“He can’t” (growly voice) “we can’t get to find the witch… and kill the witch”
The witch died… (small voice) and (indecipherable) and kill the lion
And she didn’t know what to do, and she didn’t get it
And all she can see, and all she can do
And she did send someone else in there
Out in (indecipherable) so… so….escaped (very soft), escaped
They didn’t know what to do
So, they kept a knife, (indecipherable)
They didn’t do (indecipherable whispering)
Soooo, the Munchkins were bad right?
So we are here!
So how do we get out? We are here
We cannot get out from here
Can we get out from here asked the scarecrow
Who’s there? The three of them didn’t know what to do…
The lion said “DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!
We don’t know what to do…”
And it was then
BAT!!! One bat!! Flying in the east!
An L FOR LION???? L for lion…. THERE!!!!
Actually… they took…. Got in trouble, right?
This is the top, of the edge, top…
(whispering indecipherable)
When I walk it, escape…
Wizard of Oz, Chapter Eleven…
Chapter Eleven!
One day Dorothy and her mommy and daddy (indecipherable)
The whole beach was clean, they all could see
In the whole life, and they all saw… SOMETHING! INCREDIBLE!
And HUGE thunderstorm came, destroyed…whole house, their whole life!
Saw, a big thunderstorm…(indecipherable)
And there’s a crack in the back
Actually, I WANT YOU TO BEGIN!
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, BOYS AND GIRLS
I’ll begin, THE SHOW OF THE LION!
And the loudspeaker… the loudspeaker… the loudspeaker (softer and softer)
Dorothy and her friends got in trouble
And she got it… IN TROUBLE!
And, and someone came and told (indecipherable whispering)
Heard in the night
And she whimper… I don’t be afraid of anything
And she, she didn’t know what to do
And, and… she, she didn’t know what to do
And she gave them some (indecipherable)
Out in the bin, and she squished them (indecipherable)
Out in the bin, and she squished them, together
Try and leave them together
Out in the bin
There seen something
They merrily, merrily along (singing)
Merrily, merrily, merrily along (singing)
Merrily, merrily, merrily along (still singing)
That’s a different song! I want to try another song
I WANT TO DO THIS SONG AGAIN!!!!
(indecipherable whispering)
DADDY!!!! Asked someone hidden behind the scarecrow
I… DON”T WANT!!!!
Now, let’s go back (whispering)
(indecipherable whispering) here… here!
Here, I can’t…you really damaged it
(indecipherable) and bring your parents, asked Munchkins (indecipherable whispering)
About doing this, and that
And this and that (singsong)
They heard a voice from out
“JOO JEE JOO JEE JOO JEE JOO (singsong)
JOO JEE JOO JEE JOO JEE JOO
JOO JEE JOO JEE JOO JEE, my friend and ME!
Joo jee joo jee joo jee JEE!
Joo jee joo jee joo jee JEE!
Joo jee joo jee joo jee jee’
And they think about it and they lie down
And think about him
On her own…
And, what about this and thaaat
This and that
They ALWAYS coming again when the scarecrow found an idea
We are here again! Leaning at the wall, the scarecrow asked, by the wall
That was me, asked scarecrow
Looking at the flowers at home
Coming here? Is he coming?
Asked the scarecrow and (indecipherable whispering)
(indecipherable whispering)
That was me! Asked the scarecrow lying down
(indecipherable whispering)
That was me! Asked the lion, going down (indecipherable whispering)
And they got a good home
(indecipherable whispering)
They making noise, and they, they sitting down the wall
On the crack, aaaand
Told a good story! (indecipherable whispering)
By the bench, as they saw someone in (indecipherable whispering)
With a chocolate cake, from… from… which shop? What shop?
Aaaand…. Dorothy and her friends…
We are walking behind the bushes
Eating (indecipherable) I think
(indecipherable whispering)
Here am I! asked the Lion
Here am I also!
In my garden just now
They ALL got in this night
They talked, they talked
Good night, good night
(indecipherable whispering)
The, the wind…(indecipherable whispering)
That was (indecipherable whispering)
But you didn’t care
The dog, the dog he didn’t care
(indecipherable whispering)
When the thunderstorm coming….
The end!

Hop on Pop, 2007-06-08

Well, this is more real pretend reading than storytelling, but it shows how she's been attempting to really read. I think when the books are easier for her like this, she's increasingly trying to read the actual text on the page, whereas when the book is well beyond that possiblity (as in chapter books or MY books!) she just launches straight into more elaborate storytelling. I've marked anyplace where I respond to her with an M:

I can’t read… Hop on Pop
Hop on Pop
Hop on Pop by Dr Seuss
By Dr Seuss
What does this say?
M: Up Pup
Up Pup, and Down Pup
Up and Down Pup
Up and down pup
Mouse on the house!
Mouse is on the house
Mouse is on top of the house
There’s some more…
They all play ball
ALL play ball, go down the wall
What does this say? What does this say?
M: Play
Play night, and play day!
Turn page…
Jim after him, Jim is after him, Jim is after him
He see, he see three bees, he see bee….
What is that thing? The thing sing sing sing
What is that thing? That thing can sing!
That thing can sing too long, bye bye thing!
He walked and he talked
Mommy! I can READ mommy!
M: yeah, you can! You’re doing very well
What does this say?
M: Brown
And this one?
M: Mr.. Brown… Mrs
Mrs Brown? And who is this?
M: Mr Brown and Mrs Brown
What does this say?
M: Mr Brown, upside..
Down!
What does this say? ... pup… up… down… Brown…
M: Yes, excellent!
Pup down, and Brown up!
M: And where is brown?
Brown!
M: Where is Brown? There is Brown. Mr Brown is out of…
Town!

Conversational Story, 2007-06-08

This one evolved out of a conversation between Bethany and me. Listen to the audio file, it should be clear enough without a transcription. It's an evolving story about, you guessed it, dinosaurs.

LISTEN TO STORY
(Clicking on the link should launch Media player - it's an MP3 file)

Monday 11 June 2007

The house, 2007-06-08

The story backlog is pretty big at the moment... I haven't yet had the time to transcribe them all. She was pretending to read this one to her cousin, still using Charlotte's Web as a prop.

And they found a doll house
One made out of wood
Actually, they haven’t and they found out this also made of something that is (whispers)
Mean, mean, mean, mean, get on this
And they talked to a this house made of something else
And something came and stepped and said “this isn’t your house, this is MY house!”
And then they went inside and they heard a noise
And they saw a fat hog made out of wood and branch
And they got it, didn’t got the wood
Made of wood and (indecipherable)
Go inside, and said “Mouse, ah! (squeaky voice)
Hmph. Hmph! What you doing?” asked something hidden there on the wall
Something…something…something….
Doing by your edges, crack, back, ack, back…
Action, action! Action…
Names, names, names…
Means and they found something there was made of...
Bear got xxx and
You already something, do it by your edges,
Crack, back, action! Means, means
AAAH! Asked little pet stretching out, that is good!
They put on some clothes and they bring him down
To you be out
They heard a noise
“That…something… doing..,”
Do what he does
Asked something else, stretching out below, and heard another noise
That! Have it!
And a picture came and said “THIS is fun!”
And smiled at someone
“Who I have to playyyyy…” (creaky voice)

They got a something like a Crack! Back!
And they heard a noise and said “this is fun! Let’s go inside the house”
And they get inside the house
And took everything and kept getting it at the edges
They seen by the crack, back, action
That is a fun, it given by the house,
It by the house, it is by the house, of something
They living on… this
And something, something, something, something, was here!
And they getting it away… also!
Important… (indecipherable)
Fear not, something is poking you
It not will be anything, toy…
Not any toy pressing out, pressing out into of you
It’s not pressing all of you
And she got a little hook and a bench have baby filled
And they, theyyyy got back once
And went upstairs and downstairs
And they got it and numbered it here, and they sat here in the house by the bench
And she got a light
Oh she, oh she, oh she GOT them at last!
Baby didn’t buy anything (indecipherable)
End! Yaaay! That is a story! Asked, asked something sitting by the door
Fun! Fun!
Munchy, munchy. munchy, munch (singsong)
Munchy, munchy. munchy, munch (singsong still)
This is fun!...
And they SAW a little party! But didn’t (indecipherable)
One little hook by the bench
And they saw someone cooking it (indecipherable)
And have lot of fun in such a hurry
And they search for something and
They have to make a present
They like it! Fun.
And she doing it by a little girl, something by she is anything by bringing it
Bring it! Bring it, asked baby, in such a hurry
Said the man by the bench from that girl
Take it! Take it! Take it!
Asked the bench and me, has told them, the other carnivores
Would you just settle down please
Or, when there NOTHING to do
He asked what you doing? I want something by your teapot!
Asked something by your edges
Crack, back, action!
And they heard a noise and laughed
They heard a flying dino
They heard a final…
And said WHAT IS THAT?
And she wake up and put a noise all on, all on (indecipherable)
And he heard a noise (indecipherable)
Finding which way to go
And he find it, GOT it at last
Find it and got it at last!
Got it! Got it! Got it! (gleefully)

Wednesday 6 June 2007

Reading a dinosaur book, 2007-06-05

I got this video clip at the Singapore Science Center library, where we stopped by for a short break. She'd taken a few of the dinosaur books off the shelf and sat there "reading" for a little while. Sorry that the audio quality is so poor on the video - I still haven't figured out why it does that!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

Dinosaurs!
And none of their bones ever living again, they all’s gone
(indecipherable) Books
None have escaped, they, dinosaurs..
(Indecipherable) knew about dinosaurs
One of the lives of the biggest creatures of all times…
DINOSAURS!
And (indecipherable)
Protoceratops have no horns
Although many have one horn or others
OH!!! Protoceratops, protoceratops… are dinosaurs!
It all died out, (indecipherable) it’s a reptile
Paleontologists liked (whispers) protoceratops to shut up
(Indecipherable), it’s a dinosaur!
Dinosaur!
Dinosaurs have covered the earth
Something like to
Dinosaurs! In the … have
Is, is this ichthyosaurus? Ichthyosaurus?
Me: uh-huh
Ichthyosaurus, ichthyosaurus, it have got two fin
Is this iguanodon? Iguanodon?
Me: hmm, I’m not sure, I don’t know..
Is this iguanodon? Nooo, maybe it’s not iguanodon
Maybe it’s someone else! Maybe it’s not iguanodon
Is this iguanodon? Maybe it’s not…
And the mommy see what happening with dinosaur….
Baby don’t want them to chew us now daddy
And mommy says don’t matter, the palaeontologist will help them
And they watched, to their home… dinosaurs
Got it next… this one have no words…
I can see them…
Is this corythosaurus? Is it corythosaurus?
Me: yes
That’s corythosaurus, and the reptiles they said
Corythosaurus, where are you?
And they walked… they passing
They walking and they tried to walk near them
But… this one? This one?
I don’t know…
I don’t know ALSO!
Heh! So they laughed, they doing something
Don’t know what… but this (indecipherable)
Oh! Found a… (runs away)


After that she continued reading a little way away. I sneaked up with my MP3 recorder in hand ;)

Dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs covered the earth
Is there iguanodon in here? (to me)
Ah, never mind.. I check it in my hand
Baby? What? Wake! Be awake!
Something is happening with the dinosaurs
This book help you to see they grow, where they lived
How they died out
And the others, maybe they died out also
And they found a little book…
Who is it? (to me)
Me: deinonychus trying to eat iguanodon
What is he doing?
Me: deinonychus is attacking iguanodon
What is he doing?
Me: he’s killing him
Who is here?
Me: Triceratops
Triceratops, what is he doing?
Me: the t-rex is trying to eat the triceratops
Uhhh, uhhhh… the t-rex RAN AWAY FAST!
Me: shhh! don’t shout
They ran away fast!
Who is this?
Me: it’s a tooth
Whose tooth?
Me: deinonychus tooth

Pachy, Brachi, Iguanodon and T-Rex, 2007-06-05*

She told this story straight to me, from her car seat, without any book prop. As you can see, it has a proper beginning and end. :-)

Let me tell a story about them
Pachy, brachi, iguanodon, and t-rex
Let me tell a story about them...

One day there a little hook, at the bench, by the side
And they see something
By eating the leaves, and brachiosaurus finished
And pachy came and pushed t-rex with his head
T-rex say “OUCHIE! THAT WAS PAINFUL!”
Brachiosaurus say “That not painful!”
IGUANODON came…
They haven’t got it, they haven’t got their leaves yet, they still eating!
And t-rex EAT pachy, and pachy PUSHED and he say
“THAT PAINFUL! They come and eat me”
Asked brachi, I eat the top leaves
And pachy finished his, his, his lunch and said
What is that? I’m full!
Iguanodon came in and said no no no no no, , let’s still eat!
And brachiosaurus came and said WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I’m still eating, asked brachiosaurus, why you not eating pachy?
I’m sick…
No no no no no no, you cannot!
Dinosaurs! And the other herbivores came and said
“You are not doing!”
The other herbivores, parasaurolophus, parasaurolophus said
“NO ONE CAME! Let’s be quiet. Some carnivores might come if we make a noise!”
Some other carnivores came with t-rex also, and carnatour
They each tried to eat pachy!
He DOOOSH!
That carnivores say “THAT PAINFUL!”
And pachy… they eaten him!
And pachy COME OUT already from their mouth
DOOOSH! DOOOSH! DOOOSH!
And he BONKED! BONKED!...carnatour (whispers) and t-rex, tyrannosaurus
THEY BE KILLED!
The herbivores ALL safe!
And took so many carnivores until there!
Corythosaurus eating already at that tall tree, sitting there
He didn’t finish eating yet
T-rex eat one dinosaur already…. (whispers) parasaurolophus
Pachy BONKED him, and he RAN AWAY!
And carnatour STILL THERE!
BONK! BONK!
They’re all killed just now!
Some carnivores came also…
DOOOSH! Pachy, they are killed, see?
All the pachys GOT BONKED! See, they BONKED the carnivores
All the carnivores died out
They all died… and they killed now…(sounds sad)
And some carnivores still there…(sounds scared)
Giganotosaurus, and tyrannosaurus… THEY STILL THERE!
And they with the other carnivores!
Then they all DIED OUT!
The meteorites….
And pachy sleeping
And brachi opened one eye and said “WHAT IS THAT? That a meteorite!”
And pachy opened two eyes and said ‘WHAT IS THAT??? THAT A LEAF!!! LET’S EAT IT!!!!!!”
And the meteorite, it fell down in another water
Iguanodon drink it and said "it’s tasty, let’s drink it!"
And they drink it, and said “WHAT IS THAT?”
And he opened one eye, that is brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus waked up and open with two eyes
“IS THAT METEORITE? NO?!?!”
“Meteorite…” said pachy
They dying, and the meteorite fell down in the sea
So they cannot drink anymore…. (sounds sad)
And they all died out, because of the meteorite (very sadly)

Tuesday 5 June 2007

More with the little hook, 2007-06-04

I don't know what it is with the little hook... it's appeared in several stories now! Still using Charlotte's Web as her book prop here.

And they running away from it (runs around the room panting loudly)
And they running away from it!
And they caught in the night, right?
It is good, it help them to spin
We live here
We next they caught in the night in that DREADFUL place!
Got me in the night, and “HELP!!!!!” Asked baby
“I’M IN THE SEA! THERE ARE SHARKS HERE!”
And my friends they got baby out fast
And baby “thank you! I have awful night!
In that DREADFUL place!
I was caught in the night in that DREADFUL place,
Dragged me in the sea
How wonderful, how wonderful am I?
I DRAGGED in the sea and the sea pulled me down
And you come saved me, come saved me
My whole life!"
"You.. that wasn’t painful.. and with ALL my might
I was guarding the night and go near"
"Every water… that dreadful place, dreadful place!
Got me out of the spiders"
The spiders are up there they cannot reach him
They cannot reach him, they cannot reach him
Everything there
"You haven’t, I’m tied up!
You haven’t, I’m tied up!"
So did the goose help them to spin
And the goose, the goose helped them to spin
"That may be so, but you don’t come in"
Baby saw a little hook by an edge from the crack
And sing the action (singing) "Hey, hey, it’s Jojo’s circus (x2)"
In afternoon, baby and mommy got the hook and took it all away
And baby be very very sad
She want her hook again
Leaning at the wall
Aaaand she be grateful by the edge from the edges in the crack from the back
In the action (singing)
And he in the action
And baby saw a little hook in the bin
And baby saw a golden, a golden, a golden….iPod
(moved away from the recorder so too soft to hear)

(moves back in range)
Baby by the bench
"You don’t grow up, SOOOO big"
She just like mommy and daddy
Even she so tall… she so tall now
Even mommy cannot reach her! She so tall!
And she grow up just like them
And they so small, and she so fat, and she looking, and talking

Wizza Wuzza, 2007-06-04

Ok, this one is a bit confused, but obviously she's continuing with some of the themes from her own recent stories. I still like the last section though, with it's humourous tone :-)

And they went deeper in the woods
And suddenly baby hide everything
And baby heard a noise and said
“WHAT IS THAT???? THAT A FROG!!!!!”
Asked, asked, asked… asked, asked, asked…. T-REX!
And t-rex was fell asleep, and he talking
And t-rex was a (indecipherable)
And brachiosaurus was taking a walk in the woods by himself!
And brachiosaurus was very sad (in a whiny voice), there’s some carnivores in there
The carnivores were eating
Something small and deep
And they
(Cuts off) “AAAARRGGGGGHHHH!!” (pants loudly)
“He running away, running away from me!”
And they was asleep
And they they they didn’t talk in such a hurry
They didn’t talk in such a hurry
And there was a little hook made of rubber
And baby love it and says
“This was a good place, this was a good place”
And mommy says “don’t! don’t don’t don’t don’t!”
“I make you in another country”
And baby picked it up and said, “this is our adventure”
Brachiosaurus, t-rex, the speckled hen, walking in the night
They see nothing scary
And the baby do magic
Maybe was do, maybe was something
Like mommy testing in the forest
Mommy’s testing in the forest
The speckled hen
Illustrations by Baby Bump
Mommy and baby and him, and t-rex and brachiosaurus and the speckled hen
And they lived in a forest called Maybe
And maybe they saw a little hook
And maybe
Maybe….
And
Maybe
Maybe saw a little hook that was made of rubber
And they take it and baby
And I rowed to another country
That made of rubber also
And she picked it up
And she go another country
Have have she found
And baby haven’t got it yet
And baby checking the excavation
Have mommy found
And somewhere deeper in the woods
And baby laughing in such a hurry
And baby in such a hurry and she going away
And baby run
And baby was too slow so mommy carried her through the woods
Mommy carried her because “wah wah wah wah wah”
And baby saw a little hook with a bench
Have mommy brought her somewhere else
Aaaand
Baby saw a little hook made of rubber
And mommy saw a little hook made of rubber
And mommy scared
And baby scared
And baby heard a noise
“WHAT????!!!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” (VERY frantic tone!)
“I’M RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS NOISE!”
“THE WHOLE DINOSAURS EAT THEIR WHOLE SELF!”
And then the herbivores came and said “YOU ARE NOT AN OMNIVORE!”
“Am ashamed!... YEAH! ASHAMED!”
“AH!” They’re running away from the noise
Baby heard a noise just now
And “AH!!!!!” They running away from the noise!
“AH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH!”
But the herbivores came and said “don’t be scared carnivores, it’s just a owl…”
And the carnivores came and EAT the herbivores!
Then there was an omnivore coming and trying to eat them
“I just cannot eat you”
The omnivore came and said, “no no no no no!”
And one omnivore came and said “YO! wuzza wuzza wuzza wizza wizza wuzza!”
And another one came and said “wizza wuzza wizza wuzza!”
The end!
And they, they lived sleeping…
And, and, and.. iguanodon came!
And iguanodon wake up and say “THAT WATER! I heard a noise! What is that?”
And they saw a owl
The others told iguanodon “IT’S A OWL!”
They used a little hook
And they lived in another country
The hook in another country
The hook for another country
Before THEY FELL!
THEY LIVED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY BY THEMSELVES!!
And the dinosaurs because of the little hook BY THEMSELVES!!

Deeper in the woods, 2007-06-04*

OK, this one is hilarious! I didn't realize how much so until I transcribed it from the recording. Definitely influenced by Dr Seuss, LOL (although she wasn't pretending to read from a Dr Seuss book at the time, but some other book). Enjoy!

“Right”, said baby, “something smells good”
And they went in and nobody was there
It someone else, it someone’s house
It is their house
“It MY house” said baby
“We got to MY house”
“Where is your STUFF?”
“And this my stuff, EVERYTHING!”
And they deeper in the woods again
Suddenly baby listened
(Singing softly) “da di da di” (snoring)
And she heard a noise
And this river, saw with two crows passing by
And I “someone.. I see them, there two of them”
And one cannot and said
“I am (indecipherable)
All that beak
And from all that beak
I will be not eaten up from the beak
You can’t catch me”
And they at last saw
Found a little hook
They found a little hook, right?
They were deep in the woods
Suddenly baby heard a noise
So they got up fast, as they can go
They go out… right?
And heard noise, right?
Deeper in the jungle
Oh! They again found a little hook by
They deeper in the woods
Suddenly they spied something
“Mommy, mommy, mommy, must be (indecipherable)
Where did we stop? Where did we stop?
AH! We haven’t met this before!”
SO…they got up fast
They couldn’t go
I stopped
Deeper in the woods
Suddenly she spied something already
And they deeper in the woods
Suddenly they spied, oh!
Against leaning on the rock
“That was my uncle…Uncle David!”
“Ahhh! Look she reading?” Ask mommy…
Aannd baby saw a little spider leaning at the rock
And she said “you are leaning at the rock
Leaning at our side
And we, we, we passing by our house”
“Uhm…deeper in the woods right?”
They caught up fast
I wasn‘t scared
I deeper in the woods
Suddenly I spied them
A pair of green pants with nobody inside them!
And I deeper in the woods
Suddenly I spied them
A pair of green PANTS with nobody inside them!
And I deeper in the woods again
Suddenly I spied another, so many in my whole life!
And a pair of green PANTS!
I wasn’t scared, I deeper in the woods again
Suddenly I spied them again
Aaand, there! Something!
Oh the king of all that I see, of pale green pants
Of nobody inside them
And, I deeper in the woods again
Suddenly I spied everything
And I wasn’t scared
I down, down, down, down, gravity (singing)
Hooray, hooray, hooray, my fair downy (still singing)
Take a busy back in (singing)
(Cuts off) So they got up from the noise
Probably, they got out from the jungle, right?
The piggy cannot escape…
Oh, the pig past by (whispers)
So! Gravity, pulled them down
Gravity
Gravity pulled them down
Yes, they pulled down
They ALL right
They all have a lot of party
They have a party
It’s baby’s party
“It’s MY party” said baby
And they all having my party, and they eat it all up
“Ahhhh… I want my party again
Again, again
And we will get it, maybe we finish our walk”
And got in
Who wasn’t there? Stuck in the woods
Deeper in the woods, suddenly I spied it
Pale green pants! What we can do?

Of piggies and dinos, 2007-06-03

Ok, this one has large gaps because I left the recorder on beside her while I went for a shower, and she moved away from it at some points. In fact, she's been getting increasingly physically involved in her stories, yesterday she was telling one where a character twirled around, and she got up and twirled around, without a break in her storytelling!

The storyline sounds like its influenced by a mish mash of Charlotte's Web, dinosaurs and Alice in Wonderland.

And baby, baby shouted, “MOMMY!”
And mommy said “you have to, you have to, you have to attempt to be tame, you might be not”
And (background too noisy to hear several words) and tame, and others
“And where something is eating you”
Then baby go inside
She see, she see bugs,
She see some bugs, and catch in, in, in such a hurry
“Don’t forget! The carnivores somewhere in the jungle
You might see them in the jungle”
And baby saw a river in such, in such a hurry
She might go in it
And baby saw…
Time for lunch
And baby go for lunch because daddy said it time for lunch
And daddy cooked, and said “IT’S LUNCHTIME!”
And baby ate…helpfully…
It a little cottage… and mommy and daddy
And daddy have knees and toes and…daddy
“STOP IT DADDY, STOP IT!”
And baby go, go go go go!
Baby in the river
And baby saw the baby, other baby in such a hurry
And baby and the river
Baby saw the river, she might go inside it
And mommy said “Don’t! Go in it!”
And baby saw (indecipherable) to have it
Baby and the river
And next, baby saw, it was a river
Baby might go in it, and baby go in it
And said “this is a wonderful place”
And, and saw go down to the tea cosy
And baby saw tea cosy
Settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
And baby SAW far… and baby saw
She saw mommy. Mommy said
(moved away from the recorder so couldn’t hear until I moved it into place again)

“You will go to the beach, little piggy will go inside, go inside the hay”
And, and Fern went to get some seashells
So baby and Fern got a bottle full, and she saw piggy
She saw piggy he got a little bottle himself, and that bottle
Settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
Aaaand the speckled tea cosy got a little bottle for him!
Aaaand the BOTTLE, the piggy got a little bottle for himself
Aaaand he TOOK a little bottle from the kitchen
Aaaand he settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
Aaaand the speckled tea cosy got a little bell and some rubber
Aaaand the little speckled tea cosy got a little speckle on himself!
Aaaand…
And baby got a little bottle for himself aaaand
Aaaand..baby got a little bottle for himself and he took it from baby
And got down in the hay, like a speckled tea cosy
Aaaand, the lamb passed on and he said “I, I, I, I saw you”
And he walked away like a speckled tea cosy
And the speckled tea cosy he flew away
And baby “WAH WAH WAH WAH”
“What are you doing? I, I, I come to ask you, I come ask you because
To check on you! Because, I was in the little cottage
Looking for food, inside the cottage
Find the food, so I can eat”
“Why can’t eat? Because we weren’t stopping you!”
Baby was looking for food just now in the cupboard
And baby said “there’s some food there”
So she can eat
She look for some dinosaur food
So, she a dinosaur, look for food in a cottage!
And she GOT NO PIGGY!
And someone look at when we cook
Now she looking properly
What’s going away, so…
Soon no mommy, and daddy
But, some little piggy
And a spider GOT something
And wrapped it up
Aaaand the piggy wrapped it up and “boohoo boohoo, I want my friends back”
And the spider look for friends
And he can, can see it
And he, he GOT for the piggy because he your friend
And piggy got a little bottle for himself
And he TOOK a hook out from a caterpillar
“See? Caterpillar GOT it from me, for himself
For himself, for himself
(Wandered away from the recorder again)

Monday 4 June 2007

Inspired by Charlotte's Web, 2007-06-03

She's been obsessively pretending to read Charlotte's Web ever since she first saw the book yesterday morning. This recording was the first time she did this, after I'd read 2 chapters to her - she grabbed the book and said "I read it myself", and continued in unbroken pretend-reading for half an hour, interrupted only by her cousin entering the room, otherwise who knows how long she might have gone on!

Mommy have to do it and baby don’t have to!
And daddy got a piggy
Gone to help him…and do it
Any day, when, when, when, when, when the animals lived
And they lived, somewhere
Inside the piggy
And they haven’t GOT it, the piggy... and they GOT the piggy
And do with the piggy something… they have to do something
"You haven’t got it", said daddy
In such a hurry and this is GOT mommy
In, in, in a place
Where, where this have in this garden!
"Close your eyes!" and said mommy, "get your dog, go get your dog", asked mommy
"I will but later", said baby, "I will GET the dog"
"Hurry up!" To mommy and said, "you haven’t got it",
"I’m a big girl" and said
"I will go to mommy" and said, "What are you DOING mommy?"
"And you GOT it!" BABY lost...
Asked when baby going
Ask daddy
And DADDY TRIED TO PUT baby in a small (indecipherable)
And mommy talked, "baby"
And daddy GOT baby at last
And daddy go
Raaaaan to mommy and said, "what are you doing?"
And said "got! And BABY GOT IT!"
And said "this is a mommy, I will do this with mommy"
"You haven’t", and baby got it
And mommy says "don’t I.. I cannot, I’m doing it"
And baby says "I can’t…"
"Because what?" said mommy
"What are you doing?"
"I’m standing near the wall because.."
And mommy standing near the wall and because
Baby shoot up and say
"What are you doing?"
"Standing on the wall becaaaause… I want to go somewhere else"
"Why you doing that? In such a hurry? Because what?"
And the piggy got up and said "What are you doing?"
And the piggy going inside the ball
And said "what what what are you doing?"
"I’m inside!" Asked the piggy, "And what are you doing?"
"I’m the piggy! got this piggy! Got this piggy at last!" The baby got it
And said (calling out) "Water! It’s water time!"
And the piggy settled down
And the baby laughed! and said "I want some some some water!"
And the piggy sat down in the hay, in the hay
And baby settled down in, in the hay also
And baby GOT from mommy, and baby GOT! settled
And the DOG and (indecipherable)
And said "What are you doing and this pig?"
And they settled down in the hay
Until they found a bus and they climbed on it
And…
At last they settled down on, on, on the table
And on it GOT baby at last
And baby GOT up and said "What are you doing?"
And baby GOT help from mommy at last
"Hey, mommy GOT baby and daddy got it, got it already
Got mommy already, and you haven’t"
And baby heard a noise
"WHAT THAT?"
"That the goose", said baby
And mommy looked up! and shoot up and said
"I’m standing behind the wall"
"Can you there do that?" asked the goose
"I CAN’T!" said baby
"I shoot here, shoot up!"
And baby shoot up and said "What is this?"
"I got it" said baby
"What is it? That I got in your hand?..."
"And the aircon" said baby "AND THE AIRCON!"
"I don’t want any noise to come"
And baby shoot up and said "Goose? What are you doing?"
"I want, I want something"
And baby shoot up and said
And baby shoot up and said, "What do you want?"
And the goose shoot up and said, "I want something, please get me something"
And baby shoot up and said "I want to shoot up"
And baby shoot up and said, "I want something!"
And mommy said, "What are you doing?"
And the piggy said, "I want something"
The piggy GOT hope from mommy!
And said "I want the mommy, please send me the mommy"
And baby shoot up and said "The goose want you"
And mommy shoot up and said "He don’t want me"
And mommy shoot down and said "I want something.. maybe I’m something"
And mommy SHOOT UP again and said "I want something"
"He want something"
"I want something, please get me something"
And mommy said "No I can’t because I’m hungry"
And mommy shoot up and said "I want this… lunch"
"Have a lunch you haven’t got it"
"I WANT IT! Ask mommy"
"WHY, WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY" said baby
And baby GOT the book from daddy and said
"What are you doing" by daddy
And mommy got this and like laughed and mommy said "You haven't" and she heard a noise
(singing softly) "Dumpy dumpy I want cornflakes I want I want I want to say.."
From the piggy
And they saw a lamb just now, in such a hurry!
They warned the piggy because...
They SAW the piggy and ran after him and said
"I want you!" asked the lamb
"You haven’t got it"
"Number 5 I’m number 5 because I’m at number 5, right?"
"I’m at number 5 also!"
AND baby laughed
GOT that mommy at last and the goose didn’t!
And the goose RAN towards him and said
"It’s aaaallllll the piggy, have they found him and heard him"
And the piggy laughed
The piggy thought "I am a king"
And the piggy he find the hay
In such a hurry, in such a hurry, in such a hurry
And the spider came
"And they GOT ME at last
And baby not there anymore
And they sent me in the hay
From the hay and...
They warned me because I be so sad
I want to see my friends back
And they don’t let me to my friends
Because my friends all there
So, they haven’t got me
And the spider got me because at last.."
The piggy, we haven’t got it
"I, I might stay back and, and… settle down in the hay, comfortable
And say something else
Maybe tell you one eye"
And there is little spider
And the spider want him and said "I want you!" say the spider
And him don’t want
There have a doorway
So, he peeked out from his window and..
GOT the spider at last
And he want, he want the spider
So, he settled down in the hay with, with the spider
And they heard a noise
(Singing softly) "Dumpy dumpy dumpy dump"
And they looked out the window, because, they heard
"LOOK! THAT IS LAMB!"
And they heard a noise
(singing softly) "Dumpy dumpy dumpy"
(whispering too softly to hear, for quite a while)
"That is a shooting star… I saw it!"
(more whispers)
BABY SAW a.. a piggy, running by! (pants loudly)
Asked, asked baby
And he didn’t stop or wait
And he running fast from the piggy
"Haahh.. the pig!" (whispers more)
And they saw a shooting star…
They haven’t, they GOT the piggy at last and the piggy cried
"Wah wah wah wah!"
(Cries) asked the piggy
"I want, I want my friends back!"
And he settled down in the hay and he…
"Wah wah wah wah wah"
He didn’t fight!
And he very happy
"Boo hoo boo hoo boo hoo"
And he cried "Wah wah wah wah"
He settled down in the hay at last
They haven’t got him
They haven’t got him and laughed..
Baby very happy
"Boo hoo boo hoo boo hoo" said the spider
"I want the piggy, I want the piggy back!"
"No", asked the friends, "don’t be, don’t be cry"
"Don’t cry!"
Because they want his friends back
When you got them
"But I want him!" And he wiped a tear from his eye!
From his, from his friend at last
(Sings) And the A says AH, the A says AH, every letter makes a sound, the A says AH (Leap Frog song)
The friends ask the piggy
Mommy and the web, mommy and the web
And baby got this, the baby at last, baby GOT this
Mommy at last, mommy and GOT the baby!
Mommy got the web
Baby can’t got it, can’t
Mommy GOT daddy
One day baby sleeping and mommy sleeping also
And daddy awake and said "I HEARD A NOISE! WHAT IS THAT!"
And mommy wake up and said "It’s a frog"
And daddy was asleep again and mommy also
And mommy heard a noise, "WHAT IS THAT?"
"That’s a owl" said daddy, "that was a owl"
"I just want to wake up the, the, the omnivores" said baby
And wiping his tears on mommy shirt and mommy heard a noise
"WHAT IS THAT? I HEARD A NOISE!"
And mommy heard a noise, and said "What is that?"
"That a owl" said daddy
At last hoping baby was asleep
When baby heard a noise and she sleeping
"WHAT THAT?" Said baby
And mommy said "That a piggy bank"
And baby and took the hook from daddy’s nose
And said "This is…" and baby said "this for eating"
"And you eat, see? I’m eating this hook from, from your mouth!"
"I HAVE IT!" Declared mommy
"I WANT IT! I haven’t eaten it yet" asked baby
ANNNND baby settled down in the hay!
See what you can see
And baby says "You can’t run in such a hurry"
"In such a hurry you haven’t, haven’t..."
And baby settled down in the hay
And they settled down in the hay
And baby says, "please! I want the hook back, ask mommy"
"I haven’t eaten it yet, I haven’t" asked baby
And mommy settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
And baby heard a noise
"WHAT IS THAT?" Asked daddy
"That a frog" asked mommy
And daddy asleep again
And mommy heard a noise
"WHAT IS THAT?" Asked mommy
"I heard a noise" said daddy
And mommy settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
And daddy heard a noise and was asleep again
Mommy cried "WAH WAH WAH WAH"
And mommy heard a noise
"WHAT IS THAT? THAT GOT A OWL IN IT?"
And mommy heard a noise
and said, and said "that a crying, a crying from another kind"
and heard a noise
"WHAT THAT?" Asked mommy
and the, and the… the
"WHAT IS THAT?"
And mommy shoot up
And that a robin
And mommy heard a noise and said
"THAT IS A SPIDER!"
Asked baby against the rock
"That was a… that was a…
Spider" (very softly)
And mommy was asleep again
And…
And the spider turned around, turn around, turn around,
Like a, like a jellyfish
"And you haven’t, baby got it
You haven’t got it"
And mommy write it down, it was funny
And baby get daddy at last and said to them,
"And don’t be scared daddy and mommy"
And settled down in the hay like a speckled tea cosy
And baby got (indecipherable)
And baby haven’t
"That was funny…babyyyyyy
I like your home…
Please come home with me…"
Mommy got baby and mommy sat down
Like a speckled tea cosy
Like a speckled tea cosy, mom!
Mommy settled down like a speckled tea cosy
When she saw something, in a book, this book!
Baby in it, aaand baby GOT mommy and said
"He pushed her with the shirt, and…"
The mommy at last, and baby got mommy at last
When she got it, baby said, "you haven’t got it"
And daddy got baby at last
And mommy and daddy got at last
"Mommy and daddy you haven’t…"
(Coughs) Daddy was coughing, and daddy EVER take them
And daddy got an eye in you
And mommy settled down like a tea cosy
And mommy heard a noise, when she sleeping
In, in the hay…she heard a noise
(Sings) And the A says AH, the A says AH, every letter makes a sound, the A says AH (Leap Frog song)
The A says OOOOH! (chants repeatedly and frantically for half a minute or so)
(laughs)
The A A A E A
(interrupted by cousin entering the room)

Saturday 2 June 2007

A Pooh and Piglet adventure, 2007-06-02

Pretending to read a Pooh Bear book. The story is closely related to the pictures in the book.

Pooh bear get a fish!

One day, and Pooh bear wake up and say
"PIGLET! HERE AM I!"
And knock on his door, and say
"HERE AM I! I AM HERE!
I'm getting the, the big X stamps
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" asked Pooh
"In a minute... pop in
I'm come to here, what do you say?" asked Piglet
"I haven't got it", said Pooh
"He, he haven't", asked Piglet nicely
They looked, they looked for fishing, when they got it
And Piglet went got in trouble
When he, when he GOT it
They sat on a riverbank
Wheeeere have they been before?
But here Piglet GOT run away!
"Oh fear! Pooh Bear didn't!" he said
"You haven't!"
"This is your garden
You, you got something inside
A FISH!
WHY?"
His shorts bursting inside! It's trouble!
"What???"
He began to cry...
Theeee end!

She then turned the book back to the very beginning and started all over again...

Ah! This one, authorized edition!

You haven't got it on, on, on the, the riverbank
What does that mean?
And Piglet knocked at the door
"PIGLET!!!!! POOH BEAR!!!! THAT YOU?
WAKE UP!"
"I CANNOT WAKE UP!" said Pooh shouting
"AND WHAT ABOUT WE CAN GO and see us"
"And, it's a good idea", said Pooh
And they start off for their journey!
When they, that tree, that tree over there
Have, have they seen before
They, they do, they sat in Piglet's house
And...they, they, they haven't got it
"Piglet! Can you (indecipherable) too?"
And he went in trouble
When he, when he, when he got it, when he got it
When he GOT it... a fish!
Asked Piglet, "we haven't got it"
"We got a fish"
And he haven't got it
He got a fish inside his shirt!
How???
"Owww!" said Piglet
"There a fish inside, inside everything!"

HER FIRST POEM! 2007-06-02*

I didn't realize she was spouting her first bit of made-up poetry when she was pretending to read "Magic Wish", or I'd have made sure nobody talked during this recording! As it is, the latter part of the recording is very noisy, but you can clearly hear her singsong tone during the first part - this continued throughout this entire "story". I'm posting the non-noisy first part here - you can only get the feel of why I think this sounds like poetry if you listen to it. The poem she made up below is based on the pictures in the book, but not the actual words.

CLICK HERE to listen to her speaking while you read her poem
(Alternative link in case the one above doesn't work: CLICK HERE)

I made the sunshine and dried the (indecipherable - if anyone can catch this word, please let me know!)
I feel some piece ice-cream melt
I haven't got over your dress,
I feel ice cream there!
Ice cream there!....
Ice cream there!.... Whyeee...?
Ice cream there melt on her pink sweet dress!
He haven't got it yet, yet, yet!
You haven't got it by your rocket ship!
AHHH.... rocket ship!
She left her on the moon and moony
hate... hate it
I hate it!
The friend that shine is beautiful!
(whispers) You so beautiful dear
Still belonging, still belonging, still belonging,
Still belonging, still belonging, still belonging, still belong!...
What you can do when sun shine then did rain?
The sun didn't shine, and it did rain!
They found the ground, the ground wet
The ground is wet! The ground is wet!
You haven't got that beautiful yet!
You haven't, haven't, Ice! Ice!
Ice-cream! Ice-cream! Ice! Ice!
Ice-cream! Ice-cream!
Ice-cream! Ice!
Ice-cream! Ice!
What are him doing? What are him doing?
And her beautiful dress!
You have... haven't!
Haaave... haven't! haven't gone to (indecipherable)
Hooow she going to and fro?
Making (indecipherable)
She, she, she wouldn't
She wouldn't mind at all
She wouldn't mind them
Theeee end

Short stories, 2007-06-01

More stories from yesterday's car rides... I recorded them onto my MP3 recorder - the background is noisy, which is why I'm not posting the audio files themselves.

"Reading" a small board book about a lion (not the actual story!)
Only male lions have manes
But only male lions have manes
I think male lions have manes inside
I think, said baby, I think they're inside the body
I think NOT... I think inside daddy's body!
I think! I think they're inside also, I think they're inside
I think not! said baby
I think they inside the lion's tummy
I think the lion eat it already
I think... go and check!
Have the lion eat it?
Noooo... the lion haven't eat it here!
And whaaat... what is here?
Is he pointing here? Or is he there?
Here! Actually, we are pointing here,
He is pointing there!

"Reading" a Thomas board book (this one is pretty close to the actual words of the story)
Go train go train go train!
The green word says
Go train go train go train!
Heeeeere the judge, in her big red hat
She going to see the train show
Take me Thomas, take me fast
Go train go train go train!
The train.. the judge hat.. see it's flying! The judge hat!
When it going so fast, all the people, any people hat
Then it go away just like that! When it go fast!
When it go very fast, the judge lost her hat!
...what does this say? this say?
Me: clickety clack
Clickteyuh clack, clickteyuh clack
The judge lost her hat!
Clickteyuh clack, clickteyuh clack,
Clickteyuh clack, clickteyuh clack
Clickteyuh clack, clickteyuh clack
He going so slow...
Clickteyuh clack, clickteyuh clack (slowing down dramatically)

"Reading" The Cat in the Hat comes Back (also very close to the actual words!)
The Cat in the Hat comes back, by Dr Seuss
There no time for play, there no time for fun
There no time for play, there work to be done
We are cleaning it away
We haven't do it
We haven't time
Sally and me
And there's work to be done
And we working like that
And suddenly we saw the cat
This is not a bad trick
The cat in the hat
I saw him! I saw him...
He running... he do BAD tricks!

Carnivore family and a pigeon, 2007-06-01

We spent loads of time in the car, travelling, today. She occupied herself a lot through storytelling. I recorded some of it of course :-)

"But you have to!" said baby
And daddy says, "yeah, you can... but mommy says no!"
And... and.... baby sleepy....
And baby came and said "what we doing in this place?
I am here! Here am I! What we doing in this place?
We haven't, I haven't, we haven't,
We haven't, we haven't got it yet
What are we doing in this place?"
"We are locked up"
Baby says, "We are locked up! We are carnivores, they are herbivores!"
"We are carnivores, they got to be eaten up", said baby
"Corythosaurus, we haven't! What are we doing in this place?"
"I am reading, reading..."
"Just because we are carnivores...."
"We come here for a holiday"
"What, what, what the herbivores doing?"
"And mommy haven't, haven't got it yet
"What are we doing in this place? Mommy not here!"
"I have... I be here... and, see... we can... get, get.... get a bird to help us!"
"But, baby can fly, and daddy don't have to fly
Daddy, he only can walk, and" baby did say, "I'm pointing here!"
"To avoid that pigeon, the pigeon passing by me
When I, when I on the bird, the pushing of the big doll
And holding of the smaller doll"
"See... you haven't"
"I'm pigeon, I'm a pigeon"
"Where's the pigeon?"
"I'm haven't, I'm haven't, I'm haven't got it"
"I eat plant, I eat plant... do I eat plant? Do I eat plant?"
'I haven't eat plants yet"
"Talk some more! (x5)"
"I'm frog"
"Talk some more frog, talk! some more!"
"We haven't, we haven't, and you haven't got it yet
We haven't got some baby!
We haven't got it yet"
"We're here, where the herbivores is"
"What we can do? Here, here, here..."
Theeeee end!