I’ve discussed how certain characters are most likely to make the cut when the Kindergartners vote on their three chosen Fairy Tale Opera protagonists/antagonists.  Dragons are extremely popular, being regularly featured, and populating two of the three Fairy Tale Operas last year, both as protagonist and antagonist (not terms, by the way, I use with kindergartners, in case you were wondering).  Princesses are popular too; the third opera this year features a princess, as well as the King, her father.

But for the first time in all the years I have done Fairy Tale Opera with Kindergartners, a fox was chosen to be one of the three characters.  It was a happy surprise for me.  Only much later did it occur to me that the great success of a certain song, especially amongst the Kindergarten set who exercise to the tune as part of their classroom morning meetings, might have had something to do with the Fox’s election success.

Anyway, off to tell the story and play the songs the kids wrote:

THE PRINCESS AND THE SPELL

The Fox

THE FOX IS SNEAKY

THE FOX IS SLY

THE FOX IS A ROBBER

THE FOX LIKES GOLD

——

THE FOX WANTS TO STEAL GOLD FROM THE CASTLE

THE FOX WANTS TO KEEP GOLD IN HIS BURROW

THE FOX HAS AN ORANGE JACKET ON

THE FOX HAS A RED HAT ON HIS HEAD

THE FOX HAS GREEN BOOTS ON HIS PAWS

THE FOX HAS A WHITE TIP ON HIS TAIL

——

THE FOX IS SNEAKY

THE FOX IS SLY

THE FOX IS A ROBBER

THE FOX LIKES GOLD

——

Once upon a time, in a far off land, a king and his daughter the Princess lived in a beautiful castle.  They had a lot of gold and were the richest in the land.

The Fox wants to steal the King’s gold and sneaks into the castle’s gold room one night.  The Princess hears noise coming from the room and catches the Fox inside.  The Fox does some quick thinking and offers the Princess a potion that, once she drinks it, will make it her birthday every day.

The Princess falls for the trick and drinks the potion.  It is a magic potion, but not one that will make it her birthday every day, but one that puts her under the Fox’s spell.  She is now forced to bring the Fox gold from the castle every night until it is all gone.

——

The Princess Under The Spell

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

NO ONE WILL CATCH ME

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

‘TIL THERE IS NONE LEFT

——

I’M BRINGING GOLD TO THE FOX

I’M BRINGING GOLD TO HIS BURROW

I’M GONNA CHECK EVERY NIGHT

IF THERE IS ANY GOLD LEFT

——

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

NO ONE WILL CATCH ME

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

‘TIL THERE IS NONE LEFT

——

WHY AM I FEELING SO WEIRD?

WHY DO I HAVE TO STEAL GOLD?

WHY AM I OUT IN THE WOODS?

WILL I DO THIS FOREVER?

——

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

NO ONE WILL CATCH ME

I WILL STEAL GOLD EVERY NIGHT

‘TIL THERE IS NONE LEFT

——

Eventually the King starts noticing that gold is missing.  And that the Princess is gone a lot.  He also finds the discarded bottle of magic potion labeled “Birthday Every Day”.

When he spots the Princess leaving the castle with an armful of gold, the King follows her all the way to the Fox’s burrow, where he see her hand the Fox all her gold.

When the King confronts his daughter, she is capable of saying only one thing: “I like taking gold!  I will never stop!”  The King realizes she is under a spell.  And that the bottle he is holding is not a birthday potion at all.

The King locks the Princess in her room, then takes his guards to apprehend the Fox.  The Fox is exiled and the gold returned to the King.  While in the burrow the guards find a spell book.  It reveals the antidote to the Princess’ spell, a very special soup:

Special Soup

THIS IS A SPECIAL SOUP

THIS IS A SPECIAL SOUP

TO CURE MY DAUGHTER

THIS SOUP WILL HELP MY CHILD

THIS SOUP WILL HELP MY CHILD

SO SHE WILL NOT STEAL GOLD

I HOPE THIS REALLY WORKS

I HOPE THIS REALLY WORKS

TO STOP THE POTION SPELL

——

I WANT TO CURE MY DAUGHTER

I HAVE TO STOP THIS CURSE

IF IT DOESN’T WORK

I’LL GET REALLY MAD

——

THIS IS A SPECIAL SOUP

THIS IS A SPECIAL SOUP

TO CURE MY DAUGHTER

THIS SOUP WILL HELP MY CHILD

THIS SOUP WILL HELP MY CHILD

SO SHE WILL NOT STEAL GOLD

I HOPE THIS REALLY WORKS

I HOPE THIS REALLY WORKS

TO STOP THE POTION SPELL

The Princess receives her soup rehab, and all is set to rights.  The Princess is OK again, the gold is back in the gold room, and the larcenous, potion pushing Fox is out of the kingdom.