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 27 April 2008

Hootch the Dragon, 2008-04-21

This is the first story she's asked me to really record in ages. She's still been telling loads of stories, just not allowing me to record them. Anyway, I've transcribed this only part way and will put up the rest of the transcription when I have the time, soon. (plus the audio file).


At first Hootch didn’t know of new evidence of all the monks, that go and awakened the beast, the beast of the all. Hootch said quietly, as Hootch got his evidence and blazed it into the sunlit moonlight.

Hootch hummed as he singed,
Hmm hmm go away...
faded into song.

Humming song,
Away the moon, no more...
(To me: do you want to hear the song?)

But without the cause of the moon,
The wild beast of more, this beast
He came and saw the place
(To me: that’s what the song is all about)

But his moon couldn’t help, because he was going and couldn’t come. And couldn’t come back.

Hootch never wanted him to help it. But outside the moon, the ent moot, it was really nothing but this little moon. The ent moot cried, “No, we have to leave him. Leave him. We need evidence.” So they ran and fatted Hootch up.

Hootch had laboured in the chamber. Hootch had chambered. Hootch had killed Hoos, maybe out of Hootch to protect him from all.

“Oh,” Hootch cried. But outside, inside this little moon, the ent moot fattened them up, and ate them. “This is real people,” Hootch said. Hootch thought to himself, “and I’m a story maker.”

“No,” Hootch cried. (Whispers) Some riddles. (Normal voice). Going to say some riddles. Hootch said some riddles. “Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ and then they stamp and then they stand still.” (Lifted from The Hobbit). “What is that?” Hootch cried. “Teeth,” Hoos muttered, to himself.

But Hootch wanted Hoosh to mutter some riddles that we already know. In Hootch roasted halls we listened, as the Hop shouted, “WIND WAT WOAT WHAT WHITTLE!”

Hootch started singing a loud, hot sound.
BLACK EBONY, COME BACK TO SWEES
COME AND UP DOWN, INSIDE MOON
THE ENT MOOT GOOD HAD KNEW

Flop, pop, hot
In a pot
Fifteen birds, they went up a tree
And more to help a bigger more

We come, up down
Inside the ground
He put them inside the leaf

In the east Hootch looked, and... the mermaids looked across the moon. “Come and wait!” she said. Hootch cried and couldn’t help it. “What?” Hoot said, “the cobwebs?”

Hootch had rolled down the barrels. “Where?”

Back where Hootch was, Hoot was sitting sunrise. Hoot ordered Hoos to go home, back where, their hall. Hootch set fire, but Hoos didn’t listen, instead he... Hootch said, “I’m looking, but, you knew what?”

“What?”

Hootch failed again. The sharp sword of Glitherath where the (mumbles, indecipherable).

(To me: Mummy! Hootch is a dragon! See? Mummy, see...)

Hootch said, “I do look for Hoot.”

“What?” Hoot said.

Hoos saw Hootch floating in the air. “What are you doing?”

“You are just a human. I’m (whispers menacingly) dragon.”

“Oh,” Hootch cried. “I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.” And hopped and (indecipherable).

“Ghost!” Hootch said, “Come and prepare for fight, ghost!” Hootch looked for Hoos, and... you know what?

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

No comments: