Once Upon a Time (Mia Fora kai Enan Kero)...

The following is the written version of the first ever bedtime (or otherwise) story that Laurence had to come up with for Irini's entertainment. In it's oral version it is said in Greek with a few words of English scattered about, and with lyrics from English childrens songs. A true bilingual affair. Previous attempts never made it to the end, but this time Irini listened, participated, requested songs to support the story line and lyrics to be sung...

Once upon a time there was a young girl named Irini. She lived in the woods with her family and spend much of her time with her pet animals. Her favoritest of pets was a five-humped camel named Alice.

[insert lyrics to "Alice the Camel has Five Humps"

introduced to Irini by her Tia who was visiting for the summer]

Alice and Irini loved playing together and soon Alice was having a birthday. Irini couldn't wait to give her a great birthday party. But as they were playing one day someone came to the forest and took Alice away. He put Alice in a big truck that said "Zoo" on the side of it. Irini was very upset and wanted to find her friend. She walked down the road to her friend Jonny's (insert any name here - Jonny is Irini's friend who lives downstairs) to see if he had any ideas. Jonny told Irini that perhaps they could go to the zoo and get Alice to come back. Irini thought it was a great idea and ran back home to ask her mother. Her mother was delighted that Irini wanted to go to the Zoo, and so Irini called Jonny up and said that her mother was going to take her to the Zoo tomorrow and he could come too!

[insert song "Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo"
by Raffi given to us by our friends Scott & Rebecca]

The next day Irini's mom took Irini and Jonny to the Zoo to look for Alice. It was their first time in the Zoo and, though they were looking for Alice, they were also very impressed with the number of animals there. As they were walking by they noticed water flying in the air. They excitedly walked closer to see some huge elephants on the other side of the enclosure. The elephants were using their trunks to collect water and drink and splash each other in the river. They were having so much fun that Irini and Jonny had to stop and watch them.

[insert modified stanza from "Going to the Zoo":
"Look at all the elephants splashing in the river, splashing in the river, splashing in the river".
The song is accompanied by motions with the arms pretending
they are trunks and showering water or drinking water from the river, of course]

Irini and Jonny were having so much fun that, for a moment, they forgot that they were looking for their friend Alice. They sat there and talked to the elephants because, even though they were scared of them, they also really found them exciting to watch. But as they were talking and splashing and playing, suddenly, from behind the enclosure there was a loud sound: Boom, boom, boom!

The elephants all stopped and looked around in surprise. Irini and Jonny looked at each other and, in unison, yelled "Alice!". The elephants asked them how they new what that sound was, and Irini explained to them what had happened the day before and how she had come to the Zoo to take her friend back home and celebrate her birthday. The elephants immediately said they would help Irini and Jonny out. But Irini was confused. The elephants were in the enclosure and the door was locked. She wondered how they would get out, but the biggest of the elephants came over and spoke to her softly so as not to scare her. He explained that they were there because of the free food and that, really, they could leave whenever they wanted. In the distance they heard 'boom, boom, boom' again, and the elephant turned and went to the door, and put his head to the door, pushed it open until the entire door came off its hinges. The other elephants looked on in delight, chatting amongst themselves that they were going for an adventure. Irini was worried, but the big elephant walked over and picked her up with his trunk and placed her on his neck. Two other elephants walked up and did the same with Jonny and Irini's mother.

As the elephants walked out into the zoo's grounds people were alarmed and ran away. Soon the zoo was empty and the elephants followed the boom sounds around the bend and down the path. Finally, they turned a corner and, behind two large trees there was Alice the Camel, with all her five humps, looking at them happily... boom, boom boom!

[Insert "Alice the Camel" song again]

Irini was happy as can be to see her friend! The big elephant walked up to the gate of her enclosure and pushed the door down, letting Alice come outside and meet Irini and Jonny once again. They were happy as can be! They were so happy that the elephants decided to take them all home, and as they zoo was now empty they walked happily down the pathways. Along the way they were joined by some monkeys who wanted to continue the celebration at Irini's house the next day.

By the next day they had all reached Irini's house and the monkeys, five of them, began to find things to do in the house. Naturally they began to jump on the fluffy bed in Irini's room.

[insert song "Five little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"
introduced to Irini by our friends Joe, Trina and their daughter Sarah]

Despite the monkeys bumping their heads, preparations were all made for the big event. Not only was Alice back home again, but it was her birthday! So Irini, Jonny, their families, their neighbors in the woods and all their new-found friends the elephants and monkeys stood around Alice and sang to her.

[insert the "Happy Birthday" song]

Alice, of course, was happy as can be. Boom, boom, boom