“The Story Of The Lamb On Wheels” Pt2 - Classic Tales For Kids

We have part 2 of a lovely cheerful story here. Have you ever wondered what happens when the toy shop closes, and all the people go away? Here’s what happens. All the toys come alive! This series of stories is about the adventures of a toy Lamb on Wheels. She’s now going to be on her way from the toy shop to her new home. But luckily it isn’t where she thought it would be!

Transcript

Hi,

This is Stefania.

In our last episode of the Lamb on Wheels,

All the customers had left the toy shop,

And the toys were talking and playing and having fun.

Then,

The bold tin soldier heard someone coming.

Hark!

I hear a noise!

Someone is coming!

Cried the bold tin soldier,

And all the toys became as quiet as mice.

Now,

We begin the second part.

It's called the Jolly Sailor.

The noise which the toys had heard and had made them all stop talking,

Causing them to become as quiet as mice.

This noise seemed to be coming nearer and nearer.

It was a rolling,

Rumbling sort of noise.

Can that be the watchman?

Whispered the calico clown to the bold tin soldier.

I hardly think so,

Was the answer.

He tramps along differently,

His feet making a noise like the beat of a drum.

This is quite another sound,

But we had better keep still until we see what it is.

So all of the toys kept quiet,

And the noise came nearer and nearer and nearer,

And then all of a sudden there rolled along the floor a toy elephant on roller skates.

Hello there!

Hello,

My toy friends!

Cried the elephant through his trunk.

How are you all?

And where is the white rocking horse?

I'll have a race with him.

I tried to the other night,

But one of my roller skates jiggled off,

And then the watchman came,

And the race could not be run.

Where is the rocking horse?

Why,

Didn't you hear?

Asked the clown as he sat up,

For the toys knew it would be all right to move about and talk as they had been doing before.

Didn't I hear what?

Asked the elephant,

Sliding around on his roller skates.

I hear a lot of things,

He went on,

But these skates make so much noise I can't hear very well when I have them on.

They don't really belong to me,

He said,

Looking at the candy rabbit.

I just borrowed them from the sporting section,

As I did before,

To race with the white rocking horse.

Well,

You might have saved yourself the trouble,

Said the monkey on a stick.

The white rocking horse isn't here any more.

He was sold.

Dear me,

Exclaimed the elephant,

That's too bad,

Then I can't have a race.

Unless you want to race with the lamb on wheels,

Said the bold ten soldier.

She has wheels on her feet,

Almost like your roller skates.

Will you race with her?

Thank you.

I don't believe I care to race,

Put in the lamb.

I am not used to it,

And I might break a leg,

And then that nice little girl who was petting me today would not want to buy me.

I had better not race.

Well,

If we're not going to have a race,

What shall we do?

Asked the calico clown.

Suppose you tell us another riddle,

Said the bold ten soldier.

Set the bouncing monkey on a stick.

The jumping jack in the box and the candy rabbit have a jumping race,

Proposed the lamb.

They are all good jumpers.

Oh,

Yes,

Cried all the other toys,

A jumping race would be fine.

I'm ready,

Said the jack in the box,

Waving to and fro on the end of his long slender spring.

So am I,

Said the monkey,

As he climbed to the top of his stick.

Well,

I suppose I shall have to do my best,

Said the candy rabbit.

Clear a place on the counter,

And we'll try some jumps.

The bold ten soldier and his men soon cleared a place on the toy counter,

So that the jack,

The monkey,

And the rabbit would have plenty of room.

The building blocks,

The checkers and the domino toys were moved out of the way,

And then the calico clown took his place,

Ready to count.

One,

Two,

Three,

So the three toys would know when it was time to jump.

I'm allowed to come out of my box,

Am I not?

Asked the jack.

Of course,

Said the lamb on wheels,

It would not be fair to have you jump and carry your box around with you.

You may come out.

So the jack jumped out of his box and took his place next to the monkey,

Who also came down off his stick.

I wish you could have seen how fast they were,

But really it is not allowed.

The minute you looked at any of the toys,

They stopped moving at once.

Are you all ready?

Asked the calico clown,

Banging his cymbals together.

If so,

Go!

Away jumped the candy rabbit,

Away jumped the monkey,

Away leaped the jack who lived in the box.

At the end of the toy counter,

The bold ten soldier and his men had placed some sofa cushions from the upholstery department.

That was in case either of the three might stumble and fall.

Look at jack jump!

Exclaimed the calico clown.

And see the monkey sail through the air,

Replied the lamb on wheels.

But the candy rabbit is doing best of all,

Said the bold ten soldier.

And really the rabbit was the best jumper of the three.

In fact,

He jumped so far that he sailed over the edge of the counter.

The candy rabbit wins!

The candy rabbit wins the jumping race!

Cried the calico clown,

Banging together his cymbals.

Yes,

He is the best jumper,

Agreed the monkey and the jack,

Who had jumped only to the end of the toy counter.

Oh,

I'm sure you two could do as well if you only had more practice,

Said the candy rabbit,

Who was a nice,

Modest sort of chap.

Shall we try it again?

Asked the jack,

Who really thought he was a fine jumper.

There will not be time,

Said the bold ten soldier.

I can see the sun coming up.

Soon the store will begin to fill with clerks and shoppers,

And we must lie as still and quiet as if we had never moved or talked.

Tomorrow night we shall have more fun.

A little later the girls and young ladies who worked at the toy counters and shelves came in to get ready for customers.

Soon the people began coming in to look at the toys.

The lamb on wheels stood on the floor just under the counter.

She was a rather large lamb,

Over a foot high.

That is,

She was large for a toy lamb,

Though of course real ones are larger than that when they grow up.

I wonder if I shall see the nice little girl again today,

Thought the lamb as she heard the hum and buzz of shoppers.

I really hope so.

She stood up straight and stiff on her legs,

Did the lamb.

Her feet were fastened to a wooden platform,

And under that were the wheels,

So the lamb could be rolled along from place to place.

At night,

When no one was looking at her,

The lamb can move along the wheels by herself,

But now she was very still and quiet,

Staring straight ahead as the dolls stared.

I wonder what will happen to me today,

Thought the lamb on wheels again.

Through the toy department came striding a jolly-looking man who,

When he walked,

Seemed to swing from side to side.

What,

Ho!

Cried the jolly man as he stopped at the toy counter.

I want to buy something.

He said,

I'm a sailor,

Just back from a long sea voyage,

And I have plenty of money.

I want to buy a toy.

What kind of toy?

Asked the girl behind the counter.

We have many kinds here.

And she smiled at the sailor.

He was so jolly,

No one could help smiling at him.

We have bald tin soldiers,

Went on the girl.

We have calico clowns,

Candy rabbits,

A monkey on a stick,

And a lamb on wheels,

And lots of things.

Those are all very nice toys,

Said the jolly sailor.

But I think I'd like to look at the lamb on wheels.

There she is,

Right in front of you,

On the floor,

Said the girl.

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

Ho!

So this is the lamb on wheels,

Cried the jolly sailor as he picked her up.

Well,

This seems just the toy I want.

I'll take her.

I'll buy this lamb on wheels.

Oh,

Dear me,

Thought the lamb,

For she knew what was going on,

Even though she dared not move by herself or speak,

If the sailor buys me,

He'll take me on an ocean trip and I'll be seasick.

Oh dear,

This is going to be dreadful!

The jolly sailor held in his hands the lamb on wheels.

He looked her over carefully and rubbed her warm,

Woolly sides.

Though his hand was not as soft as that of the little girl who had stroked the lamb the day before,

Yet the sailor was gentle in his touch.

Does she squeak?

Asked the sailor of the clerk as he held the lamb in his hands.

Oh no,

She isn't that kind of lamb!

Answered the clerk with a laugh.

She is just a lamb on wheels,

And she has real wool on her back and sides and legs.

She does not squeak or go baa,

And if you want her to move you have to pull her along.

Well I was going to get a lamb that squeaked,

Went on the sailor,

But phew,

I suppose this one will do just as well.

We have a cow called Clown who bangs his cymbals together when you press on his stomach or chest,

Said the girl.

See this toy,

Maybe you would like this.

She picked up the calico clown in his gaily-colored suit,

And pressing him in the middle she made him bang his cymbals together.

Hmm,

That is a jolly toy,

Said the sailor.

Let me see it.

He took up the calico clown and did as the girl clerk had done.

Bang,

Bing,

Bong went the cymbals.

Oh,

I hope he buys me,

Thought the clown.

I should love to go to sea on a ship.

But the sailor appeared to like the lamb on wheels best.

He took her up again,

And the lamb,

Who had begun to hope that she might not have to go to sea,

Felt sad again.

I'll take this lamb on wheels,

Said the sailor.

How much is it?

And he pulled out his pocket-book as he tucked the lamb under his arm.

Oh,

I must wrap it up for you,

Said the girl.

You are not supposed to take things from the store unless they are wrapped.

I'll get a large piece of paper for the lamb.

And while the clerk was gone,

The sailor walked about,

Looking at some bicycles at the far end of the toy department.

Thus the lamb and her friends were left by themselves for a moment or two,

With no one to look at them.

This was just the chance the lamb wanted.

She could talk now.

Oh,

Just think of where I am going to be taken,

She said to the calico clown.

Off to sea!

Real jolly,

I call it,

Said the clown.

I wish she had picked me for the trip.

And I wish she had taken me,

Put in the bow-tin soldier.

I have always longed for a sea trip.

Well,

I wish either of you had gone in my place,

Said the lamb on wheels a bit sadly.

Now I shall never see the sawdust doll toy or the white rocking-horse toy again.

You must make the best of it,

Said the monkey on a stick.

I know what sailors are.

I have heard of them.

They like to have monkeys and parrots for pets.

That is real ones,

Not toys,

Such as we are.

But sailors are kind,

I have heard.

But the woolly lamb only sighed.

She felt certain she would be seasick,

And no one can have a good time thinking of that.

Well,

If you go on an ocean trip,

We may never see you again,

Said the monkey on a stick.

Ocean travel is very dangerous.

Nonsense!

It isn't anything of the sort,

Cried the calico clown,

And he tried to wink at the monkey from behind a pile of building blocks.

The ocean is as safe as the shore.

Why,

Look at the English and French dolls,

He said,

Waving his cymbals in the direction of the imported toys in the next aisle.

They came over the ocean in a ship,

And they did not even have a headache.

And look at the Japanese dolls,

They came much farther,

Over another ocean,

Too,

And their hair was not even must.

That's so,

Said the lamb,

And she felt a little better at hearing this.

Then the sailor came back,

And the girl clerk brought a large sheet of paper.

In this the lamb was wrapped.

She had a last look at her friends' of the toy-shelves and counters,

And then she felt herself being lifted up by the sailor.

Out to the store the sailor carried the lamb on wheels.

She wished she had time to say good-bye to her friends,

But she had not,

And she must make the best of it.

At any rate,

I am going to have adventures,

Even though they may be on a ship,

And even though I may be seasick,

Thought the lamb,

And perhaps I may not be so very ill.

On and on walked the sailor,

Down this street,

Up another,

Until after a while he stopped in front of a house.

This must be the place,

He said to himself.

I wonder if Mirabelle is at home.

I'll go in and see.

Up the steps he went and rang the bell.

There was a hole in the paper wrapped about the lamb,

And through this hole she could look out.

She saw that she was on a porch of a fine,

Large house.

There was another house next door,

And at that window stood a little girl with a dowel in her arms.

Where is Mirabelle?

Asked the sailor of the maid who opened the door.

She is up in the playroom.

She has been ill,

But she is better now.

So I heard,

Said the jolly sailor,

I have brought her something to look at.

That will help her get well.

Up to the playroom he went,

And no sooner had he opened the door than Mirabelle,

Which was the name of the little girl,

Ran toward him.

Oh,

Uncle Tim!

Cried Mirabelle as soon as she saw the jolly sailor.

How glad I am to see you!

And I am glad to see you,

Mirabelle!

He laughed.

Look,

I have brought you something.

Is it a monkey,

Uncle Tim?

She asked.

No,

Mirabelle,

It isn't a monkey.

It is a woolly lamb on wheels.

I saw it in its toy store and brought it for you.

For,

For me?

To keep?

Uncle Tim?

Asked Mirabelle as the sailor took the wrapping paper off.

Yes,

For you to keep,

Was the sailor's answer.

Did you think I would be buying a lamb from myself to take to the sea with me?

I should say not,

He chuckled.

Oh,

How glad I am!

And how I shall love this lamb,

Said the little girl.

As for the lamb on wheels,

She was glad and happy too when she heard as she did what the sailor said.

Oh,

I am to have a home on shore,

Thought the lamb.

I am not going to be taken on an ocean voyage at all and be made seasick.

I am to have a home on shore,

A home on land.

And that is just what the toy lamb had.

The jolly sailor,

Who was Mirabelle's uncle,

Had bought the toy for the little girl.

Do you like the lamb?

Asked Uncle Tim.

Oh,

Do I?

Well,

I just guess I do,

Cried Mirabelle as she hugged the lamb in her arms and rolled her across the floor on her wheels.

Do you know,

Uncle Tim?

Went on Mirabelle,

This is the very same lamb I saw in the store and wanted so much.

Now,

Is she?

Asked the sailor in surprise.

The very same one,

Declared Mirabelle.

I was in the store once with Dorothy,

The little girl who lives next door.

She has a sawdust doll that came from the same store.

And we were there the other day before I was taken ill and I saw a woolly lamb,

This very same one,

I'm sure.

And I wanted it so much.

But Mother said,

I must wait.

And I'm glad I did.

For now you gave it to me.

Yes,

I'm giving you the lamb for yourself.

To keep forever,

Said the sailor.

I wouldn't dream of taking her on a sea voyage with me.

So you see,

The lamb need not have been uneasy after all.

But of course,

She did not know that when the sailor bought her.

Do you know the sound that a lamb makes?

Is something like this.

But of course,

Our toy lamb didn't make any sound around the humans.

But when she was with her friends,

They had fun speaking to each other and playing together.

Now,

The lamb on wheels is in a new home and she's about to have some wonderful and strange adventures.

We'll be back soon with the next episode of the Lamb on Wheels.

Thanks for watching.