Et animaux petits

Branle du rat

Citrouille

Coccinelle

La ronde des oursons

Petit escargot

Un ouistiti

Y’a un rat

Last updated: 3/1/2016 2:15 PM

The songs below are part of ‘Hop-là!’ The French collection

compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

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Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.

Branle du rat O

‘Dance of the rat’ This peasant dance was performed by young bridegrooms to drive out the rats from under the floorboards of the house. Played all over France especially the Massif Central region and danced in Germany as ‘Rattenbranle’.

Find a dance at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evz0acn_WnI .

Begin with two lines of dancers facing each other, stand with hands on hips.

}x2 Rat, rat, rat, T’as la queue bien longue, Chat, chat, chat, }x2 Te la coupera, Rat, rat, rat, With your tail so long, Cat, cat, cat, }x2 Comes and cuts it shorter. (Comes and cuts it short.) Y t’la coupe, coupe, coupe, }x2 Y t’la coupe coupera. Snippy, snap, come here little ratty, Snippy, snappy I’ll cut it off.

Dance a sideways polka, left right left / right left right. Repeat four times. Step and bend to the left then to the right. Change places with partner in two left right steps, turning to the right to pass do-si-do (back to back). Repeat four times returning to original position. Do-si-do

Citrouille O

Sing fast, sing slow.

‘Inside a pumpkin’ Frog has a toothache; this song provides an opportunity to discuss oral hygiene – if butterfly loves frog how might he prevent her suffering?

You will note genders are reversed in the English translation in order to provide a suitable rhyme.

Listen at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgtykp_la-citrouille_people

Children make three or four pumpkin circles, inside each stand a frog and a butterfly.

The game begins slowly and speeds up for the second part.

À l’intèrieur d’une citrouille Y’avait un papillon gèant, Fort amoureux d’une grenouille Qui se plaignant du mal de dents. Inside a pumpkin big and yellow, There lived a great big butterfly, So much in love with a froggie fellow , Whose dreadful toothache made him cry. Oh là là! Que j’ai mal au dents, Oh la coquine, la coquine, la coquine! Oh là là! Que j’ai mal au dents, Oh la coquine, la coquine dedans! Ooh la la! My toothache is bad, Ooh it is hurting, it is hurting, it is hurting! Ooh la la! My toothache is bad, Ooh how it hurts, it is hurting so!

The circle turns slowly around a sad looking frog who soothes his toothache by holding his hands to his cheek. Butterfly dances round the frog and blows a kiss. Frog jumps up, holds hands with the butterfly and they skip around together. The outer circle skips briskly round to the left stopping for each child to shake a finger at the two in the centre. The circle then skips to the right shaking a finger of the other hand.

Coccinelle O

A gentle song for quiet or calming times.

‘Coccinus’ is Latin for scarlet. Use a search engine to find one of the many colourful pictures of the ladybird or ladybug in the USA. It is known in France as the creature of God as it is believed to bring happiness. If a ladybird alights on your hand blow on it and make a wish. If it flies away your wish will come true.

Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuHpZnF0KMY&feature=related

Coccinelle demoiselle, Bête à bon dieu, Coccinelle demoiselle, Vole vers les cieux. Petit point rouge, Elle bouge, Petit point blanc, Elle attends, Petit point noir, Coccinelle au revoir. Ladybird its true I’ve heard, You’re a creature divine, Ladybird when will you stir, And off to heaven fly? With red spots fair, She prepares. With white spots eight, She awaits, When black spots fly, Ladybird will say goodbye.

Children hold hands in a circle facing left. They move round swinging hands alternately. On ‘Elle bouge’ they stand still with hand outstretched watching the ladybird. On the last line they gently blow the ladybird away. They then wave as they watch the ladybird disappear into the distance.

La ronde des oursons O

‘The dance of the little bears’ Here come the bear cubs! Be ready to have fun.

Watch young children dance at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjiwr0_danse-des-ours-maternelle-tsa_people

Make a circle holding hands. Each child stands next to a designated partner.

Tous ensemble les petits oursons, Dans la ronde, dans la ronde, Tous ensemble les petits oursons, Tous ensemble, danseront. Round together, go the little bears, In a circle, in a circle, Round together, go the little bears, In a circle, dancing round. Deux par deux comme des petits moulins, Dans la ronde, dans la ronde, Deux par deux comme des petits moulins, Deux par deux ils tourneront. Two by two like little windmills turn, In a circle, in a circle, Two by two like little windmills turn, Two by two they turn around. L’un autour de l’autre les petits oursons, Dans la ronde, dans la ronde, L’un autour de l’autre les petits oursons, Dans la ronde, tourneront. Round each other, go the little bears, In a circle, in a circle, Round each other, go the little bears, In a circle, round and round. Comme ils sautent les petits oursons, Dans la ronde, dans la ronde, Comme ils sautent les petits oursons, Dans la ronde, tous en rond. Watch them jumping, all the little bears, In a circle, in a circle, Watch them jumping, all the little bears, In a circle round and round.

Walk round in a circle to a steady beat. Walk in the opposite direction. Drop hands. Hold hands in skating position with a partner, one pair behind the other. Walk round the circle first clockwise then anticlockwise. In place in the circle one child walks round the other. Reverse positions and movements. Make four springy jumps into the centre and then four jumps out.

Petit escargot O

A lovely game for the youngest, encourage a discussion about the sort of weather that would make snail happiest and why this might be so.

Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URdrEaYMpRc&feature=related

Children squat down in a circle to begin.

Petit escargot, porte sur son dos, Sa maisonnette. Aussitôt qu’il pleut, il est tout heureux, Il sort sa tête. Little snail you know, carries as he goes, A house upon him. When the rain begins, See his head draw in. He’s so contented. Refrain Tira tira tira la la lère, Tira tira tira la la la la, Tira tira tira la la lère, Tira tira tira la la la la. Petit escargot, porte sur son dos, Sa maisonnette. Et quand il fait chaud, Et quand il fait beau, Il sort sa tête. Little snail you know, Carries as he goes, A house so splendid. When the weather’s warm, He puts out his horns, He’s so contented. Refrain

Strike closed fists alternately one on top of the other. Interweave fingers and place at the back of the head. Look up and from side to side smiling. Jump up, hold hands and dance round in a circle, moving arms in and out alternately.

Un ouistiti O

An ‘ouistiti pygmé’ is a very tiny marmoset about the size of an adult’s fore finger.

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqaSIxEQO68&feature=related

Mime the actions of this little creature as it moves about the forest and encounters danger.

Dans la forêt, un ouistiti Tout petit, tout petit, Se balançait, de-ci de-là, Hop-là! Hop-là! Hop-là! SSSSSS! Un gros serpent, vient en rampant, PAN! PAN! PAN! PAN! Le ouistiti, il est parti. Tant pis, tant pis! Spoken: Parti? Ton pis! C’est la vie! In the forest, a marmoset, Oh so small, oh so small, Swinging his arms from tree to tree. Like this! Like this! Like this! SSSSSS! A great big snake came slithering by, Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The marmoset bounded away, Too bad, too bad! Spoken: Bounded away? Too bad! That’s life!

Mime trees. Squat down. Indicate size with thumb and fore finger. Balance first on right foot then left arms held high. Three little jumps. Open and close arms to make mouth of the snake. Move arm like a snake. Cover ears with hands. Shrug shoulders with palms towards the ceiling. Look sad. Shrug again. Grimace with raised eyebrows, hands in front.

Y’a un rat O

The older version ‘Y’a un pie’ or ‘There is a magpie’ can be traced back to at least the beginning of the 17^th century. The song recorded here is about a rat and is a scouting favourite. Find the rat in other parts of the house.

Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcIkgyzLSYg&feature=related

Stand in a circle. Begin slowly and sing a little faster each time a verse is sung.

Sing both verses twice.

Y’a un rat, Sous mon toit, J’entends le chat qui miaule, There’s a rat, In my roof, I hear the cat go miaowla, J’entends, boum boum! J’entends, boum boum! J’entends le chat qui miaule! I hear, boom boom! I hear, boom boom! I hear that old cat go miaow! Y’a un rat, Dans le grenier... There’s a rat, In my attic...

Right hand taps the left arm from the wrist up to the shoulder. Make the shape of a roof above the head with arms. Place hands behind ears. Indicate whiskers by stroking cheeks with fingers. Place hands round the mouth. Place hands behind ears. Slap thighs twice. Place hands behind ears. Slap thighs twice. Place hands behind ears. Indicate whiskers by stroking cheeks with fingers. Place hands round the mouth.

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