A Tall Tale About Bagpipes... and Tree Rain

When Tammy reluctantly goes out for a walks with Mum late one rainy night, they spot an amazing sight.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

Hello, and welcome to bedtime stories with me. RA Spratt today's story is a tall tale about bagpipes and tree rain. Here we go. It was late at night, but the dog needed a walk. Well, it wasn't really the dog that needed a walk. It was mum, but the dog was always her alibi. When she wanted to get out of the house, Tammy didn't like let him out of his sight. So even though it was cold and wet and miserable, a mum would no doubt trigger into going for a ridiculously long walk. Tammy tagged along the dog loved it. But mainly because the dog didn't realize what it was getting into yet, it's raining said, Tammy is they struggle on the dark quiet street. No said, mom, that's not rain. Then what's the wet stuff on my face asked Tammy that's just tree rain said, mum, you know when the wind knocks water off the trees, that's been there from some earlier rain. It's not tree rain. It's rain rains at Tammy. Oh, it's definitely Trey. Ryan said, mom, we're not underneath the tree said, Tammy, I suppose so said mum, looking up and getting more wet on her glasses. It could be tree Ryan. That's blown here from a long way away. It's rain said, Tammy, I prefer to think of it. As thick mist said, mum said, Tammy in disgust, I can't believe you're making me walk in this. It's good for the soul said, mum, just think how much you'll appreciate being warm and dry when it's all over. If we don't get lost and die said, Tammy, we're not going to get lost and die said, mom, we're on a street with houses. What's that noise? Ask Tammy what noise asked mom. It was hard for her to hear because she was wearing a ridiculous trap has had with thick foes, sheepskin flaps that came down over her ears. She lifted one of the flaps that weird drone in noise said, Tammy, it sounds like a siren. Mum listened carefully. It was a little hard to hear over the heavy mist. That's not a siren said, mom, that's bagpipes. Where's it coming from a bagpiper said, Tammy, do you think we're about to be attacked by an 18th century? Scottish infantry division said, mum, they wouldn't be out in this rain said, Tammy, I don't know. I said mom, Scottish people are used to rain and thick mist. Tammy and mum looked about who was a very ordinary back street in their country. Town, just normal family houses. On either side, there were no cars or people to be seen. They kept walking there explained Tammy. There is a bagpiper mom and Tammy was standing out in the middle of the dark street so they could see clearly into the well lit living rooms. And in this one, well lit living room. There was a man in a black jacket, standing with his back to the window and he was playing the bagpipes. What's he doing? Ask Tammy practicing. I suppose said mum, that's ridiculous at Tammy. Why would anyone practice bagpipes to get better? I suppose said, mum said, Tammy, how can you get better at bagpipes? It's a point said, mum, perhaps he's not trying to get better. Perhaps he's trying to get revenge on. Who asked Tammy? His neighbors suggested mum, he's playing bagpipes to punish them for some terrible misdeed. What sort of misdeeds at Tammy? It would have to be something really dreadful said, mom to warrant such a brutal punishment. Perhaps they borrowed his lawn mower and forgot to return it. Tommy nodded or perhaps they've got annoying. Kids who make too much noise in the day when he's trying to work. Mum nodded, you're thinking of daddy aren't you? It's the type of thing he would do said to me, no said, mum, daddy wouldn't play the bagpipes. He would throw the bagpipes over the fence at the kids' heads. Maybe this guy's practicing bagpipes because he's fallen in love with a lady bagpiper and he wants to impress us at Tammy. I'm pretty sure that learning to play the bagpipes would be the single worst way to try and impress a girl ever said mum, although that's probably not fair to play the bagpipes. You'd have to have very good breath control and that's got to be useful. How ask Tammy? Well, if you accidentally drop a diamond ring in a Lake and you need someone to swim to the bottom and find it said mum, and that happens a lot to you. Does it ask Tammy? Well, not to me admitted mum, but it is the type of thing. The princesses in stories do all the time. And the thing about throwing a diamond ring into a Lake is while it's fabulously dramatic at the time, you'd soon come to regret it because diamond rings cost a fortune. And in stories they always have mystical powers at Tammy that's right? Said mum, perhaps the power of invisibility or the power of super strength or the power of finding a spot in a crowded car park. You'd want that ring back said Tammy? Yes. I would said mum. So you'd need someone with good lungs to retrieve it for you. How would that work as Tammy Willie? They didn't have the internet back then considered mum, but in stories, princes and princesses always just let it be known throughout all the land. I'm not sure exactly what that involves, but probably a town crier going in yelling about it on every street corner. So this cry would tell everyone that the princess needs a man or a woman said Tammy, yes or a woman said, mum, gender doesn't really matter. It's swimming ability and breath control. That's crucial. The princess needs a person to retrieve the Royal magical diamond ring. Then what happens at Temi? Well, three people would come forward, said, mum, why three asked Tammy? It's always three in stories said, mom, if you had any more, the story would go forever. So the three people would be a Prince because you've always got to have a Royal Prince, a brilliant scientist and a brave soldier. That's a nice mix. And how would this play outs at Tammy? Well, the Royal Prince would be very glamorous at month. He would kiss the princess, his hand pay her outrageous compliments and gallantly assure her that she would soon be reunited with her ring, Tammy nodded. Then he would dive into the Lake, said mum, which is when things would go horribly wrong because he's a Prince. And he would forget to take his crown off and gold weighs a lot. And his Royal roads would soak up all the water. And he'd soon be pulled to the bottom. That's terrible said Tammy? Yes, because the princess would then have to hitch up a skirt and dive into fetch him, said mum, then the next one to try, it would be the brilliant scientist. He would step forward to assist the princess. Of course he wouldn't make eye contact with her or speak to her at all because he'd find her beauty too terrifying. But he would make an ingenious robot, diamond rings seeking device cools at Tammy. Yeah. And he would throw the device into the Lake and switch it on, said mum. But then it would explode in sparks because he would have forgotten to make it waterproof. What a Nong said, Tammy exactly said, mom, finally, the brave soldier would step forward. He wouldn't make any speeches or use any tricky inventions. He would just bravely dive into the water. Cool said Tammy, once in the water said mum, he would remember that he couldn't swim and the princess would have to again, hitch up a skirt and dive in to save him as well. She's not having a good day. Is she? No said mum. At that point she would give up all hope of ever finding her beloved magical Royal diamond ring. And she would sit on a rock and weep really asked Tammy that's pretty lame. Well, princess has always do that in store. He said, mom, they've got to hit rock bottom. It gives the story more pathos. So she'd be sitting there weeping when a peasant boy walks past. And when I say boy, I actually mean handsome young man. Obviously the way they always are in stories, he wouldn't realize that she was a Royal princess because you sit in there with tears streaming down her face, not coming out of a nose and she's wearing a gown. That's been drenched twice in muddy Lake water. So she's not looking at best. So he'd say something like, hello, love, are you all right? Can I help you? And she'd say, well, yes, actually, could you please swim to the bottom of this very deep Lake and find my diamond ring please? And this man would say, alright, sure. The princess would feel kind of bad about this. She'd say you got to understand the Lake is very, very deep. A Royal Prince, a brilliant scientist and a brave soldier have all tried and failed to fetch the ring for me. Ah, but none of them have my special, extraordinary skill set. The man, what skill? So the princess, I can play the bagpipe set. The man, the princess would of course at this point, recoil in horror, but she'd be too polite to actually say anything mean she would summon all her Royal training and say something polite. Oh well that's very nice, but I don't see how it's going, helping this situation. Just you watch would say the bagpiper he'd Wade out into the water until he was waist deep. Then he stood there and took one enormous gigantic breath. Now, if you are, I want to draw in a huge breath. It probably take one or two seconds, but the bagpipe, his lung capacity was so it took him two whole minutes to drawing every last particle of oxygen. He filled up every tiny pocket of his lungs to maximum capacity. And just when the princess was beginning to grow concerned that his chest might actually explode. He plunged head first into the cold gray water. And that was it. Nothing happened. The princess waited and waited, but nothing. She checked a watch. A long time had passed. She seriously considered going home and having a cup of tea at the palace and then popping back in half an hour to see if he had emerged by then. But the whole time the bagpiper was swimming down and down to the bottom of the Lake, his amazing lung capacity. It allowed him to do it. But when he got to the bottom, there was so much mud in the water. So BRACA, she couldn't see the diamond ring, but he was a bagpiper. So his fingers were nimble and depth because they were used to finding the holes on the bagpipe. So used his clever fingertips to feel the bottom of the Lake. And as he felt about the tip of his pinky brushed on something and that fingertip knew it was not a pebble or a piece of weed or a fish, it was a diamond ring. He scooped it up and he swam back to the surface. When you broke through the water gasping for air, the princess had nodded off on the bank, but when she woke up, she was the one. I liked it to see him. She had been getting seriously worried how she would explain a dead man floating in the Lake when she got back to the palace and she was overjoyed when he presented her with a ring, as he held it out to her, the man fell to one knee. Oh, gross said, Tammy's not going to propose Izzy. No, he just got up cramping his leg from all the swimming. Explain mum. He said to her, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever been the scene. Would you do me the honor? He is going to propose exclaim, Tammy of allowing me to play the bagpipes for you. The princess was so grateful to this man for a treat in her ring, but she was not that grateful said, mum, she slipped on the ring with its magical power of invisibility and runaway before he could start playing. And from that day to this men around the world, but mainly in Scotland have practiced playing the bagpipes just in case they one day need to help a damsel in distress. That's the most ridiculous story I have ever heard, said, Tammy, maybe admitted mum, but can you think of a less ridiculous reason for playing the bagpipes? Tammy thought long and hard as she stared in through the window at the lone man practicing his loud wailing June. No she conceded. Then it must be true. Said mum, this man must be a great romantic, hoping to meet a princess. One day you're an idiot said, Tammy, and by idiot you mean genius said, mum. I mean, idiot said, Tammy, she'd started walking up the street again. Sure said, mum, I'm clever enough to know what you really mean. The Listening to support this podcast just by a book by me, RA SPRAT. There's plenty to choose from. From across the nanny begins Friday barns and pesky kids series. You can order them through your local bookstore or go to my website, RA spratt.com and click on the book. Depository banner. They've got all my titles and free international shipping. Check it out. That's it for now. Goodbye.