Horton Hatches the Egg (1942)

[bunniefuu]

Horton Hatches the Egg.

Now, once in a jungle, or so the tale goes there lived a strange bird that most everyone knows.

Her name? It was Mayzie.

She was mean as could be and never seemed happy while up in her tree.

Sighed Mayzie, this lazy bird hatching her egg:

I'm tired and I'm bored.

And I have kinks in my leg from sitting, just sitting here day after day.

It's work. How I hate it.

I'd much rather play.

If I could find someone, I'd fly away, free.

Then Horton the elephant passed by her tree.

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And a so on, so on, so forth

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And a so on, uh...

I still can't get the words to that song.

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And a so on, so on, so forth

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And a so on, so on

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And a so on, so on, so forth

Hello.

Called the lazy bird, smiling her best.

You've nothing to do and I do need a rest.

Would you like to sit on the egg in my nest?

The elephant laughed.

Why, of all silly things.

I haven't feathers, and I haven't wings.

Me on your egg?

Why, it doesn't make sense.

Your egg is so small, ma'am, and I'm so immense.

I've gotta get off for a rest otherwise I'll never get rid of these bags neath my eyes.

I'll hurry right back.

Why, I'll never be missed.

Very well. Since you insist.

I'll stay and be faithful.

I mean what I say.

Toodle-Loo.

Sang out Mayzie and fluttered away.

Ooh! Ha.

Pardon me.

Then carefully, tenderly, gently he crept up the trunk to the nest where the little egg slept.

Then Horton the elephant smiled.

Now, that's that.

And he sat and he sat and he sat and he sat.

And he sat all that day and he kept the egg warm.

And he sat all that night through a terrible storm.

It poured. It lightninged.

It thundered. It rumbled.

- This isn't much fun.
- The poor elephant grumbled.

I wish she'd come back, because I'm cold and I'm wet.

I hope that that Mayzie bird doesn't forget.

But Mayzie, by this time, was far beyond reach enjoying the sunshine way off in Palm Beach and having such fun, such a wonderful rest.

I think I'll never go back to my nest.

Really, I won't.

And then came the winter, the snow and the sleet.

And icicles hung from his trunk and his feet.

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

An elephant's faithful 100 percent.

Gesundheit.

So poor Horton sat there the whole winter through and then came the springtime, with troubles anew.

His friends gathered round and they shouted with glee:

Look, Horton the elephant's up in a tree.

They taunted, they teased him, they yelled:

How absurd.

Blimey, Horton the elephant thinks he's a bird.

They laughed and they laughed.

Then they all ran away.

And Horton was lonely.

He wanted to play.

But he sat on the egg and continued to say:

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

An elephant's faithful 100 percent.

But while Horton sat there, so faithful, so kind three hunters came sneaking up softly behind.

He heard the mens footsteps.

He turned with a start.

A r*fle was aiming right straight at his heart.

Did he run? No, not Horton.

He stayed on that nest.

He held his head high and he threw out his chest.

And he looked at the hunters and he said, plain as day:

sh**t if you must, but I won't run away.

But the men didn't sh**t, much to Horton's surprise.

They lowered the g*n and they stared with wide eyes.

We'll take him alive.

Why, he's terribly funny.

- We'll sell him back home.
- To a circus, for money.

- You're coming with us...
- To join a big show.

But Horton just answered:

- You can't make me go.
- Oh, yes, we can.

- Oh, no, you can't.
- Oh, yes, we can.

- No, you can't.
- Oh, yes, we can.

- Oh, no, you can't. Oh, no...
- Oh, yes, they can.

Then out of the wagon and on to a ship out over the ocean and, oh, what a trip.

Well, now I've seen everything.

Rolling and tossing and splashed with the spray but Horton said, day after day after day:

I meant what I said and I said what I meant, but, oh, I am seasick, 100 percent.

Sold to a circus, and week after week they showed him to people at 10 cents a peek.

Poor Horton grew sadder as days came and went.

But he said as he sat in that hot, noisy tent:

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

Whew.

An elephant's faithful 100 percent.

But dawdling along, way up high in the sky, who of all people should chance to fly by but that old good-for-nothing bird, runaway Mayzie.

I'm still on vacation.

Yeah, and still just as lazy.

Then, spying the flags and the tents just below, she sang out:

What fun. Why, I'll go to the show.

Really, I will.

And she swooped from the clouds through an open tent door.

Good gracious!

Gasped Mayzie.

I've seen you before.

Poor Horton looked up with his face white as chalk.

He started to speak, but before he could talk there rang out the noisiest earsplitting squeaks from the egg that hed sat on for 51 weeks.

- My egg.
- Horton gasped.

- My egg, why, it's hatching.
- But it's mine!

Screamed the bird when she heard the egg crack.

The work is all done now I want it back. Ha-ha!

- It's my egg!
- She sputtered.

You stole it from me.

Get off of my nest and get out of my tree.

Poor Horton backed down with a sad, heavy heart.

But at that very instant, the egg burst apart.

And Horton the elephant saw something whiz.

It had ears and a tail and a trunk just like his.

My goodness.

My gracious.

Good heavens.

My word.

It's something brand-new.

It's an elephant bird!

Yes, he meant what he said and he said what he meant.

And they sent him home happy 100 percent.

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

And so on, so on, so forth

Hut-Sut Rawlson on the rillerah

- La, la, la, la, la-la-la
- And a so on, so on

- And a so on, so on