Traditional Storytelling: The Gunniwolf

Transcript:

My name is Mercede Walker and I’m a Children’s staff member at North County Regional library and today I am going to share with you the story of The Gunniwolf by Wilhelmina Harper.

Once upon a time there was a Little Girl who lived in a house near a jungle. And every day the Little Girl’s mother would say “now listen child, listen to me good. Whatever you do, don’t ever go into that jungle.” And the Little Girl would say “no, no Mama no, no, no. I will never, never, never go into the jungle.”

So one day, the mother had to go, to the store. And she told the Little Girl again, she said “now listen child, listen to me good – Don’t you ever, no, no times never go into that jungle.” And the Little Girl said, “…Not me, mmmh, mmmh, not me – I’m a good listener, Um-hum.” So when the mother went on to the store, the Little Girl, she was determined to do what her mother said. So, she sat on the porch and she swang her feet back and forth, back and forth, but she was bored. So then the Little Girl thought: oh my gaaah! I am so bored! And she swung her feet back and forth, and then she noticed beside the porch, in the yard, was a little bush of flowers. They were orange flowers on that bush. Oh my goodness! Hahhh! Such pretty flowers. I’m gonna pick some for my Mama. So the Little Girl jumped down off the porch, ran to the bush and began to pick the flowers. And she was so happy as she picked those flowers, she sang a song, “Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-wa.” And she ran back to the porch and sat down with her flowers. Oh my goodness this is so beautiful. I love orange flowers.

But as she was sitting on the porch, she noticed at the edge of the jungle, not in the jungle, but at the edge, was a bush of white flowers. Huh! White flowers! Oh my goodness the white flowers – so beautiful with the orange flowers! So the Little Girl jumped off the porch, ran to the bush and began to pick the white flowers. And she was so happy with herself that she began to sing her song again, “Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-wa.”

Cause she ran back to the porch, and sat down with her flowers, and she was so happy cause she had orange flowers and white flowers, and her Mom would love her flowers. But then she notice, in the jungle, there was a bush of pink flowers. “Huh! Pink!” Now she remembered what her mother said, that she should not go into the jungle. So she had to make a good decision. She had to decide what she needs to do. So she had to think long and hard about this decision. So she went into the jungle. And she began to pick the pink flowers off the bush. And she was so delighted that she sang from the bottom of her heart as she picked these flowers “Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-wa.” And she wasn’t paying any attention to anybody around her, because she was so happy.

And up behind her was coming, the Gunniwolf. He was so sly. And she’s singing cause she’s not noticing him,”Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-wa.” (Growls) “Huh!” The Little Girl saw the Gunniwolf, and she was frightened. “Little Girl why for you move?” “I,.. I, I no move.” “Well how about you sing me some more of that Mmmh guten, sweeten song again.” So the Little Girl, she dropped her flowers, and she began to sing “Kum-kwa, khi-wa, kum-kwa, khi-wa.” And that Gunniwolf, he nodded his head, and he nodded his head, and he fell asleep. The Little Girl took off running. PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat. That Gunniwolf woke up and started chasing her – hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA. And he caught up to the Little Girl he said “Little Girl, why for you move?” “I no move.” “So how about you sing me some more of that guten, sweeten song again?” So the Little Girl sang this song and this time she sang the song like she never sang the song before. (Deep breath) “Kuuuuum-Kwa-Khi-Waaaaa, Kuuuuum-Kwa-ah-ah-ah-Khi-WaWaWaWaaaa.” And that Gunniwolf nodded his head, and went to sleep. The Little Girl took off running. PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat. That Gunniwolf chased her – hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA. She ran past the pink flowers. PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat. The Gunniwolf chased her – hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA, hunker-CHA. She ran past the white flowers. PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat. She ran past those orange flowers – PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat, PIT-pat – into her house, and slammed the door, and locked it. And that Little Girl, never, no, no times ever, went back into the jungle again! The End.