Dialect of Northern Hampshire, England

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Translation and Narration: Joanne Belsey

Location: Basingstoke, North Downs, Northern Hampshire (southwest of London), England, United Kingdom

Facilitation: Gary Taylor

Language information: [Click]

The Wren

Once there was some wrens who nested in a car shed. The elder wrens knew they must find some food to feed their young, so off they went leaving the young on their own.

Father Wren returned after a short while only to find the young terrified.

“What has happened here, who has harmed my children?” he asked.

The young explained to their father that none other than the big bogeyman came by, looking fierce and horrible. They described to their father how he stared into their nest with his big eyes, scaring them all.

“Right”, said Father Wren, “where did he go?” The children pointed in the direction the bogeyman left. Father Wren flew off to find the bogeyman, reassuring the young he would catch the bogeyman and they would not have anything to fear.

After flying a short distance, Father Wren came across the lion walking along.

Fearless as ever, the Father Wren flew onto his back and shouted to him, “What right do you have coming into my home and scaring my young?”

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But the lion ignored Father Wren’s anger and simply kept on walking.

This angered Father Wren even more.

“You have no business to enter my home, and if you ever enter there again I will make you regret it,” he shouted at the lion.

As a final warning Father Wren lifted one of his legs and shouted to the lion, “I could break your back in a matter of a second!”

Off Father Wren flew, back to his nest, where his young were waiting: “No need to worry my children,” Father Wren explained, I have taught the bogeyman a lesson he will never forget. He will never scare you again.”