Daddy Longlegs and the Fly E:149
A fun nonsense poem about a Daddy Long-Legs and a fly who each bemoan the length of their legs for different reasons. (duration-6 minutes) An episode from Journey with Story, a storytelling podcast for kids ages 4-10.
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Delight in this Nonsense Poem about a Daddy Longlegs and a Fly
The Daddy Long-legs and the Fly
Episode 149
By Edward Lear
Have you ever seen a daddy long-legs? Looks a little bit like a spider with its long spindly legs, but it is not a spider, it is an arachnid – that just means it has four pairs of legs. All spiders are arachnids, but not all arachnids are spiders.
Hello everyone, I ‘m Kathleen Pelley. Welcome to Journey with Story. Today’s episode is a nonsense poem about a daddy long-legs and a fly. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but it is fun – and sometimes fun is more important than making sense, wouldn’t you agree?
Thanks to all of you who keep sending us your drawings and finished coloring sheets – we love to see those and share them on IG. Do keep sending!
Let’s take a journey with….Daddy Long-Legs and the Fly by Edward Lear
| Once Mr. Daddy Long-legs, Dressed in brown and gray, Walked about upon the sands Upon a summer’s day; And there among the pebbles, When the wind was rather cold, He met with Mr. Floppy Fly, All dressed in blue and gold. And as it was too soon to dine, They drank some Periwinkle-wine, And played an hour or two, or more, At battlecock and shuttledore. |
| Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs To Mr. Floppy Fly, ‘Why do you never come to court? I wish you’d tell me why. All gold and shine, in dress so fine, You’d quite delight the court. Why do you never go at all? I really think you ought! And if you went, you’d see such sights! Such rugs! Such jugs! and candle-lights! And more than all, the King and Queen, One in red, and one in green!’ |
| ‘O Mr. Daddy Long-legs,’ Said Mr. Floppy Fly, ‘It’s true I never go to court, And I will tell you why. If I had six long legs like yours, At once I’d go to court! But oh! I can’t, because my legs Are so extremely short. And I’m afraid the King and Queen (One in red, and one in green) Would say aloud, “You are not fit, You Fly, to come to court a bit!”‘ |
| ‘O Mr. Daddy Long-legs,’ Said Mr. Floppy Fly, ‘I wish you’d sing one little song! One mumbian melody! You used to sing so awful well In former days gone by, But now you never sing at all; I wish you’d tell me why: For if you would, the silvery sound Would please the shrimps and cockles round, And all the crabs would gladly come To hear you sing, “Ah, hum di Hum”!’ |
| Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs, ‘I can never sing again! And if you wish, I’ll tell you why, Although it gives me pain. For years I cannot hum a bit, Or sing the smallest song; And this the dreadful reason is, My legs are grown too long! My six long legs, all here and there, Oppress my bosom with despair; And if I stand, or lie, or sit, I cannot sing one little bit!’ |
| So Mr. Daddy Long-legs And Mr. Floppy Fly Sat down in silence by the sea, And gazed upon the sky. They said, ‘This is a dreadful thing! The world has all gone wrong, Since one has legs too short by half, The other much too long! One never more can go to court, Because his legs have grown too short; The other cannot sing a song, Because his legs have grown too long!’ So, that was pretty silly, right? But fun to say aloud-you might want to try memorizing a verse or too to amuse your friends and family.
Cheerio then, join me next time for Journey with Story. |
