The Elephant’s Lullaby

xxxBook of Wonders - The Elephant’s Lullaby

                                                                               _______________________________________________                                 

The "Elephant’s Lullaby" is a popular Danish children’s lullaby and these last two pages are inspired by the song´s first two verses:

A star and a moon are hidden in the pocket and can

be pulled back and forth across the sky.

The mouse that mustn’t get into Jumbo’s trunk is in the pocket too.

The monkey is rocking on the bananas

Elephant’s Lullaby

(rough translation)


The stars are going on in the darkening sky,

The crescent moon is lifting its sabre,

I’ll make sure no mice creep into your trunk.

Sleep tight, little Jumbo, sweet lullaby,

The woods are growing dark now,

Now Auntie, the ostrich, has fallen asleep,

And Rhinoceros too, your uncle.


Now the old gnu calls out in his sleep

In the thicket of woody vines,

And monkeys sing themselves to sleep

In their cradle of green bananas.

Sleep tight, little Jumbo, my little love,

Nothing, my dear, will you lack,

Tomorrow I’ll give you a coconut,

And it will serve as your rattle.

  And so is the coconut that’s become Jumbo’s rattle.

And Jumbo lacks for neither friends nor bananas.

That’s the end of the story.


Goodnight and sleep tight little Jumbo and little Lucia.


NB Quilt  • Dragør • Denmark

   contact: nina.bjornson@gmail.com