The traditional story of Hare and Tortoise is told by Nihal Arthanayake accompanied by members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
The video
Narrator: Come to a magical placeof fairy tales and adventure.Let the music take you far awayto Musical Storyland.
Nihal: Welcome to Musical Storyland with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.My name is Nihal and these are my friends and their instruments.
Elliot: Hello. My name is Elliot and I play the clarinet.
Angharad: My name's Angharad and I play the bassoon.
Nathan: My name is Nathan and I play the double bass.
Nihal:Together, we're going to tell the musical story of the hare and the tortoise.Once upon a time, there lived a very proud and very boastful hare.All day long hare would run and race, and race and run and she always, always finished first.When she won hare would sing a boastful song.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
Who will race me today? Asked Hare.I'm too busy, replied the pig.I've got a sore hoof said the goat.Hare was so proud and so boastful that the other animals didn't want to race.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
With no one to race her, Hare felt bored. If anyone can beat me, she said, I promise never to boast again.Suddenly a slow and steady voice said, I will race you.Hare turned round to see that it was a tortoise.It takes me a little while to get ready, though, she said, so I will race you tomorrow.Hare ran home singing her boastful song.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
I'm fast. I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
That night Hare celebrated her victory before the race had even begun. She ate her dinner of cake and ice cream,then she went out to a disco. Tortoise went home, ate a healthy dinner and went to bed early.Morning came and it was time for the race.Tortoise was at the start line early, slowly doing her stretches.
Stretch.
A sleepy looking hare arrived with just a minute to spare.Ready, steady, go!
Hare was off in a shot, but soon, all you could see in the distance was a faint sparkle from her disco shorts.Tortoise smiled and set off very, very slowly.After getting up late.Hare had missed breakfast and was feeling hungry. I've got plenty of time, she said, as she stopped racing and sat down to eat.Hare was feeling sleepy from her disco dancing.I've got plenty of time, she yawned, as she lay down and fell asleep.Back down the course, Tortoise plodded along at a slow and steady pace.She'd had plenty to eat,and lots of sleep.She could keep going,all day. Eventually, Hare woke up with a great big yawn.
Yawn!
Hare had been asleep for so long that she had forgotten about the race.In the distance, she saw tortoise far ahead, about to cross the finish line.Hare ran faster than she'd ever run before.Hare and Tortoise reached the finish at the same time, but at the very last moment Tortoisestretched out her long neckto cross the finish line first.Tortoise was the winner.Hare saw how happy tortoise was and how pleasedthe other animals were for her.Good race Tortoise, said Hare.I promise I won't boast again.After that, Hare still raced every day.Sometimes she won and sometime she didn't.But she kept her promiseand neverboasted again.Well, almost never.
I'm fast, I'm quick,
I win every race,
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place,
I'm fast and quick,
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
I'm fast, I'm quick
I win every race.
I'm speedy, I'm swift
I'm taking first place.
I'm fast, I'm quick,
I win every race,
I'm speedy, I'm swift,
I'm taking first place.
Hare and Tortoise
Presenter: Nihal Arthanayake
Composer: Daniel Whibley
Instruments: Clarinet / Bassoon / Double Bass
Synopsis
Hare is proud and boastful, and spends all day running and racing and finishing first.
With no one else to race her, Hare feels bored and so promises never to boast again if anyone can beat her. To Hare's surprise, Tortoise agrees to race.
Hare is so confident that she can beat Tortoise that she goes to a disco the night before the race, and doesn't get enough sleep. Tortoise on the other hand, eats a healthy meal and goes to bed early.
On the day of the race Tortoise is at the start line early, slowly doing her warm-up stretches. While a sleepy looking Hare arrives with just a minute to spare… still in her disco shorts from the night before.
The race starts and Hare is off like a shot, while Tortoise smiles and sets off at her own pace.
After getting up late and missing breakfast, Hare is feeling hungry so stops for something to eat. She's tired from her night of disco-dancing and falls asleep by a tree.
By the time Hare wakes up, she sees Tortoise far off in the distance about to cross the finish line. Hare runs faster than she'd ever run before and reaches the finish at the same time as Tortoise. At the very last moment Tortoise stretches out her long neck to cross the finish line first. Tortoise is the winner!
Hare sees how happy Tortoise is, and how pleased the other animals are for her. After that, Hare still raced every day, but she kept her promise and never boasted again.
Curriculum links
Music
The film and the accompanying Teacher Notes can be used to fulfil the following objectives of the Key Stage 1 music curriculum, which states that pupils should be taught to:
- use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
- play tuned and untuned instruments musically
- listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
- experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
English
The film and the accompanying Teacher Notes can also be used to target objectives from the Key Stage 1 English curriculum, particularly relating to Spoken language, Reading and Writing.
Resources
Teacher Notes. document
Download / print the Teacher Notes for this episode
The instruments. image
Click to display image full size
Vocabulary. image
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