#123. Storytelling- Gunniwolf

Literature, level: Elementary
Posted by Sherri (belle@ptd.net).
Allentown, PA

This is one of my favorite stories to tell and I wanted to share it!! Get the children involved!!!

The Gunniwolf
retold by Wilhelmina Harper

There was once a little girl who lived with her mother very close to a dense jungle. Each
day the mother would caution Little Girl to be most careful and never enter the jungle, because- if she did- the Gunniwolf might get her! Little Girl always promised that she would never, NEVER even go NEAR the jungle.

One day the mother had to go away for a while. Her last words were to caution Little Girl that whatever else she did she must keep far away from the jungle! And Little Girl was very sure she would not go anywhere NEAR it.

The mother was hardly out of sight, however, when Little Girl noticed some beautiful white flowers growing at the very edge of the jungle. "Oh," she thought, "wouldn't I love to have some of those- I'll pick just a few."

Then, forgetting all about the warning, she began to gather the white flowers, all the while singing happily to herself:

Kum-Kwa, Khi-wa

Kum-kwa, Khi wa

All of a sudden she noticed, a little further in the jungle, some beautiful PINK flowers growing. "Oh," she thought, "I must surely gather some of those too!" On she tripped, farther into the jungle, and began picking the pink flowers, all the while singing happily:

Kum-Kwa, Khi-wa

Kum-Kwa, Khi-wa

When she had her arms full of white and pink flowers, she peeped a little further, and way in the middle of the jungle she saw some beautiful ORANGE flowers growing. "Oh," she thought, "I'll take just a few of those, and what a pretty bouquet I'll have to show my mother!"

So she gathered the orange flowers too, singing to herself all the while: (song)

When SUDDENLY- up rose the GUNNIWOLF!!!!!

He said, "Little Girl, why for you move?"

Tremblingly she answered, "I no move."

The Gunniwolf said, "Then you sing that guten sweeten song again!"

So she sang: (song)
and then- the old Gunniwolf nodded his head and fell fast asleep.

Away ran Little Girl as fast as ever she could:
Pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat

Then the Gunniwolf woke up! Away he ran:
Hunker-cha hunker-cha hunker-cha----

Until he caught up to her.
And he said, "Little Girl, why for you move?"
"I no move," she answered.
"Then you sing that guten, sweeten song again!"
Timidly she sang: (song)

Then the old Gunniwolf nodded, nodded, and went sound asleep.

Away ran Little Girl just as fast as ever she could:
pit-pat pit-pat

And again the Gunniwolf woke up! Away he ran:
hunker-cha hunker-cha

pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat
hunker-cha hunker-cha

until he caught up to her and said,
"Little Girl, why for you move?"
"I no move."
"then you sing that guten, sweeten song again!"

So she sang:(song)
Until the old Gunniwolf again nodded, nodded, and fell asleep.

Then AWAY ran Little Girl:
pit-pat...
until she came almost to the edge of the jungle!

pit-pat...
until she got away OUT of the jungle!

pit-pat pitty-pat
until she reached her very own door!

From that day to this, Little Girl has never,
NEVER gone into the jungle again.

The end!