dos naryshe mayzele - דאָס נאַרישע מײַזעלע
ס. מאַרשאַק
דאָס נאַרישע מײַזעלע
Samuil Marshak, The Foolish Little Mouse
(Самуил Маршак, Сказка о глупом мышонке)
translated (Yiddish and English) Asya Vaisman Schulman
Art and animation: Shura Vaisman
Settings, brushstrokes and textures: Alexander Vaisman
Music:
Beregovsky’s Sher
and
"Viglid fun a zeydn" by Asya Vaisman Schulman
Voice Cast:
Tzina Schulman - Little Mouse
Asya Vaisman Schulman - Mama Mouse, Narrator
Sebastian Schulman - Duck, Frog, Horse, Chicken, Pig, Pike, Cat
Piano: Binyomin Ginzberg
Mama Mouse sings in the burrow:
“Sleep, my mousie, hush now, dear,
I will give you a small candle,
And a crust of bread, right here.
But the mousie just replies,
“I won’t listen to your cries!
Instead of squeaking like a door,
Find me a nanny who won’t bore.”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Ducky’s house.
“Auntie Ducky, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Auntie Duck sings, “Rock a bye!
Quack, quack, close your little eye!
Later we’ll go to the yard,
Catching worms is not so hard!”
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
Much too noisy is your song!”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Froggy’s house.
“Auntie Froggy, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Gravely croaks now Auntie Froggy:
“Ribbit, child, you’re getting groggy.
Sleep, you silly, and don’t cry.
I will catch for you a fly.”
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
Much too boring is your song!”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Horsie’s house.
“Auntie Horsie, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
“Sleep, my mousie,” neighs the horse.
It sings and shakes its beard, of course.
“On your right side you will lay,
I will bring you a stack of hay…”
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
Much too scary is your song!”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Piggy’s house.
“Auntie Piggy, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Auntie Piggy’s grunts are raspy,
Rocking the defiant mousie,
“Rock a bye, oink, don’t be blue,
Carrots I will bring for you!”
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
Much too grating is your song!”
Mama Mouse knows: time is nigh.
Auntie Chicky lives nearby…
“Auntie Chicky, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Auntie Chicky starts to coo,
“Don’t be scared, you silly, you!
‘Neath my wing, it’s warm and quiet,
Like a cradle—you should try it!”
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
I can’t sleep to such a song!”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Fishy’s house.
“Auntie Fishy, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Auntie Fishy starts to sing,
But you can’t hear anything…
Though her mouth is open wide,
You can’t tell: she sang or cried?
But the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“No, your voice is just all wrong.
Much too quiet is your song!”
And so that’s why Mama Mouse
Went to Auntie Kitty’s house.
“Auntie Kitty, please come by,
Rock my son so he won’t cry…”
Auntie Kitty croons this ditty:
“Meow, meow, sleep my pretty,
Lay your head upon your pillow,
I will rock you like the willow…”
And the little mouse, the silly,
Answers her so drowsily:
“Oh, your voice is sweet as pie!
You sing so nicely, I could die!”
Mama Mouse comes running back.
She looks—and sees only a bed.
She looks and looks for little mouse…
Empty is the little house…