to be irritated by people's inability to sing a decent version of sleeping bunnies?

[ajamore]

This is standard fare at the toddler groups I have been going to for some years now. It seems to me that the success of this song is the gentle "ssshhhh! shushes while the little ones are lying on the floor, followed by (and I believe this is an absolute ESSENTIAL element) the suspenseful "ohhhhh" (getting louder and louder) that then erupts into an enthusiastic clambering upright of the children and a jolly "hop little bunnies, hop hop hop etc.."

So,

"See the sleeping bunnies sleeping till it's nearly noon, come and let us wake them gently with our merry tune"

Oh how still: Ssshhhhh, Shhhhhh (finger to lips action by all mothers/fathers/nannies/childminders etc.)

Are they ill? (always find that bit a bit disturbing to be honest): Shhhh Shhhhh

Wake up soon, Wake up soon

BIT OF A PAUSE then a very slowly building Ohhhhhhhhh and then,

Hop little bunnies hop hop hop; Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop; Hop little bunnies hop hop hop; Hop then stop.

I am fed up of being at groups where it is all rushed and there are no shushes after the "oh how still, are they ill" bits but then there are a few uncoordinated shushes after the "wake up soon, wake up soon" bit if you're lucky. There are awkward glances from all the mothers/fathers/nannies/childminders etc. with this misappropriation of the shushing part because everbody is looking to someone else to come in with the "Hop little bunnies, hop hop hop" and the children are confused too. The shushes have their place in this song but NOT in this bit!!

I would like to know what the Mumsnet consensus is on this VERY important issue.

Thank you.

[BellaBear]

nasty rabbit disease that killed loads of rabbits

[Merrylegs]

Mary had a little lamb, she thought it very silly
She threw it up in the air and caught it by its
Willy was a watch dog sitting in the grass,
Along came a bumble bee and stung it in the
Ask no questions, tell no lies -
Have you ever seen a policeman doing up his
Flies are a nuisance, bees are worse.
This is the end of my silly little verse.

[bratley]

Right, just wanted to add...

See the little bunnies sleeping, til its nearly noon,
Oh shall we wake them with a merry tune?
Oh how still.... are they ill?
Shhh.................
Wake up now!
Hop little bunnies
hop hop hop, hop hop hop, hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop and stop!

I like the other verses, I've never heard them before, will give them a try tomorrow!

[FlamingoDuBeke]

I remember that, Merrylegs Thanks for reminding me!

[Horton]

Hate those sodding bunnies. Why can't we do songs without jumping? We get enough jumping approx 18 hours a day the rest of the week. I like the one where the doctor tells the monkeys not to jump on the bed.

[grumpy]

[hanaboo]

thank you merrylegs i was trying to remember that a few mnths ago, i used to say that one ALL the time an do my mums head in lol

[hanaboo]

wasn't there more tho? something about a doctor lying on a nurse?

[StableButDeluded]

For horton:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mother called the doctor and the doctor said
'No more monkeys jumping on the bed'

[StableButDeluded]

I've never heard of sleeping bunnies either. But I do know and love 'mm-mm went the little green frog one day' and he definitely goes la-di-da-di-da and NOT sho-bi-do, or whatever it was. that's just wrong, and I don't like it either

[Horton]

Aw, thanks Stable. That's the one. I like that one. And the doctor is quite right.

[elkiedee]

One of our local baby groups seems to follow sleeping bunnies with sleeping frogs.

This thread has made me laugh, though, I'd like to show it to our group worker.

[hanaboo]

i always thought frogs went fa-la-la-la-laaaa

[StableButDeluded]

When the 'Singing Hands' ladies are on Something Special (Cbeebies) they ALWAYS make the little green frog go la-di-da-di-daaa.
So ner ner ner ner ner!

[stealthsquiggle]

Horton the doctor may be right, but the flipping monkeys (except the one(s) with concussion) don't take any notice, do they?

[Flamesparrow]

We changed playgroup and the bunnies are sleeping on a hill rather than being ill.

I still think it is bloody rude to wake em anyway. let sleeping bunnies lie.

[TALLULAHBELLEOFTHEBALLROOM]

I like the monkeys too but sometimes it goes

5 cheeky monkeys swinging through the trees 1 fell off & hurt her kness
When mother came along she wsn't very pleased
'Be more careful swinging through the trees.'

or

5 cheeky monkeys swinging through the trees
Teasing Mr Crocodile,'You can't catch me'
Along came Mr Crocodile as quiet as can be
Then...
SNAP went Mr Crocodile
Oh dear me.

All good versions but you never know what one the other mums are going to sing. V confusing.

[Horton]

It's true they don't take any notice, stealthsquiggle, but at least it's got the right idea about no jumping!

[stealthsquiggle]

Since DD regularly sings it whilst jumping on the bed (as did DS before her) I don't think the message quite got through to my monkeys either...

[chandellina]

i'm so confused now. i thought i was finally going to learn the words to sleeping bunnies.
Now i've learned of my absolute ignorance of ten fat sausages, five leaping frogs and five cheeky monkeys.
and my mind is boggling at 10 little ducks. Even 5 is a duck or two too far. I don't believe any of them came back either.

[StableButDeluded]

My DS comes home from state nursery singing a 'new' verse of Baa Baa Black Sheep which I've never heard before. I think it might have been added for political correctness so the Black Sheep does not feel that it is only black sheep who are questioned over their wool-producing abilities

Baa Baa White Sheep, when the sun is hot,
you don't need a woolly coat, surely not.
But in the winter when the snow is here,
you will grow another one, don't you fear.

[stealthsquiggle]

at baa baa white sheep. DD serenades the one and only black sheep in the field next door with the correct traditional version, and I'm sure she appreciates it .

[phlossie]

There's only one correct way:

See the little bunnies sleeping til it's nearly noon
Shall we try and wake them with a merry tune
Oh so still
Are they REAL?
Shhhhhhh!

WAKE UP LITTLE BUNNIES!
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop little bunnies hop hop hop
Hop hop hop.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

have never shushed on the are they still/ill part

but def shout wake up now

and hope that they hop

[aarghhelp]

I have really never got this. I'm sure that we didn't do it when I was little. Is it a middle class Southern thing?

[Nettee]

Sleeping little bunnies
Sleeping all day long
shall we try and wake them with a little song
Oh so still
are the ill

wake up now (sung not shouted and no clapping)

hop little bunnies
hop little bunnies
hop little bunnies, hop hop hop
hop little bunnies hop little bunnies
hop and stop

no shushing down my way