This is a download from the BBC.
Listen all around Listen for the sounds Listen, listen, listen Listen everyone.
Listen and play.
Where are we today?
Tell us where are we?
We're in a forest.
But this forest is a long way away in a country called India.
All our sounds today are different types of musical instruments.
Do you know what this one is?
It's a drum.
Boom dee a boom, boom dee a boom.
It's the sound of a special Indian drum called a tabla.
Listen and play again.
What musical instrument makes this sound?
Listen.
MUSIC PLAYS
It's a flute.
It's the sound of a wooden flute.
Listen again.
Here's another musical instrument.
You may not have heard this one before.
Can you tell what it is?
Listen.
It's a sitar.
Zing, zangle, zing!
It's the sound of an Indian instrument with strings called a sitar.
It makes a lovely sound and it looks a little bit like a small guitar with a long neck.
It's time to sing today.
Our song's all about those instruments and it's called Oh, I Can Play the Tabla Drum.
Join in and sing along with me.
Oh, I can play the tabla drum and this is the way I play it.
Undiaboom goes the tabla drum and that's the way I play it.
Oh I can play the wooden flute and this is the way I play it.
Toot toot toot goes the wooden flute, and that's the way I play.
Oh, I can play the big sitar and this is the way I play it.
Zing, zangle, zing goes the big sitar and that's the way I play.
Listen, listen, listen, it's rhyme time.
Toot tootle toot goes the wooden flute.
Boom dea boom goes the tabla drum.
Zing zangle zing goes the big guitar.
Toot, tootle, toot, goes the wooden flute.
Boom, dee, ya, boom, goes the tabla drum.
Zing, zangle, zing, goes the big sitar.
Listen, listen, listen in Storytime.
Today's story is all about a Raja who rules over India and the secret that he keeps from everyone.
Shh!
Listen, listen.
The story's called The Raja's Secret.
Once upon an Indian time, there lived a great Raja who ruled over all the land.
But the Raja had a huge secret that he kept from everyone.
He had bright green hair.
In fact, he was so unhappy with his hair that he always wore a hat.
And because he was the Raja, everyone in the land copied him and they all wore hats too.
No one had ever seen the Raja's hair.
Eventually, his hair grew so long, it started to poke out.
So he called for the most trustworthy barber in all of India.
His name was Gopal.
When the Raja took off his hat and Gopal the barber saw the Raja's bright green hair, the Raja told him Gopal the barber, don't you dare tell of the Raja's bright green hair, or I'll feed you to a tiger or even a bear.
Gopal promised he would never tell anyone the Raja's secret.
So the Raja let him cut his hair.
All day, Gopal felt like the Raja's secret was bubbling inside him.
Because Gopal the barber didn't dare.
Tell of the Raja's bright green hair.
That evening, Gopal's neighbour said, Gopal, look at my lawn.
Isn't it a wonderful shade of green?
Without thinking, Gopal said, Yes, but not as green as the Rajah's... Whoops!
Not as green as the Rajah's what? asked his neighbour.
His new trousers, said Gopal the barber.
But Gopal the barber didn't dare.
Tell of the Rajah's bright green hair.
When he returned home, his wife said, Did you cut any interesting hair today, Gopal?
Without thinking, he said, Yes, I cut some bright green hair belonging to... Whoops!
Belonging to who? said his wife.
To a... a clown, said Gopal.
But still, Gopal the barber didn't dare.
Tell of the Roger's bright green hair.
The very next day, Gopal felt as if the Raja's secret was exploding inside him.
So he went for a walk in the forest.
Then he had an idea.
He had promised the Raja not to tell any person.
But what if he told a tree?
That wouldn't be breaking his promise, would it?
So he found the tallest tree in the forest and said, Gopal the barber didn't dare.
Tell of the Rajah's bright green hair.
The words soaked into the tree like water into a sponge.
At long last, Gopal felt so much better.
But that afternoon the Raja ordered for the very same tree in the forest to be cut down, in preparation for his party.
And the woodcutter sold the wood to a man who made musical instruments.
He used the wood to make a flute, a tabla drum and a sitar.
And then he sold them to some musicians who had been asked to play at the Raja's birthday party.
Soon the day of the Raja's party came and there were lots of people.
Music, called the Raja, wearing his special silver and gold birthday hat.
And the musicians began to play.
The Raja has bright green hair, beat the tabla drum.
The Raja has bright green hair sang the flute.
The Raja has bright green hair strummed the sitar.
Gopal the Baba didn't dare tell of the Raja's bright green hair.
The wooden instruments were telling the Raja's secret and they played so loudly that everyone at the party heard.
Gopal the Baba yelled the Raja.
Come here at once.
Trembling with fear, Gopal walked towards the Raja.
You broke your promise, said the Raja.
But I didn't tell your secret to anyone, said Gopal.
I only told it to a tree in the forest.
You told it to a tree, said the Raja.
Then the Raja started laughing and ripped off his hat.
I do have bright green hair, he yelled, and I'm not ashamed of it anymore, thanks to Gopal the barber.
And he led everyone in his new song.
Gopal the barber didn't dare.
Tell of the Raja's bright green hair.
So the Raja threw away his hat forever, as did everyone in the land, and he bought Gopal the barber his very own barber shop.
And the Raja became so proud of his bright green hair that he let his hair grow long and it was greatly admired throughout India.
Our last song is all about the Raja and his secret.
Stand up in a space of your own now.
Be ready to make your own dance to the music as I sing.
The Raja had a secret, he had green hair.
So he always wore a hat so that no one would stare.
No one knew his secret in all the land, Except his barber who said it looked grand.
Gopal never told a soul for many a year.
So he went to the forest out of fear.
He told the tallest tree.
You must believe me, The roger wears a hat to hide his bright green hair.
Next day the raja made a decree, for in the forest there grew a great tree.
This tree is too tall.
It makes the forest dark as night.
We'll cut it down and then we'll have light.
So along came the word cutter with his axe chop chop, chop.
He didn't stop until The tree toppled down with a huge, big crash.
Then the Roger had a feast for his birthday.
He invited some musicians to come and play.
Boom dee ah boom sang the tabla drum.
Toot, toot, toot, toot, sang the wooden flute.
Zing, zangle, zing, sang the big sitter.
The roger has a secret, he has green hair.
But Gopal the barber didn't dare tell of the Rajah's bright green hair.
Join me again soon and we can listen and play together.
Bye!
