English

Hello, this is Jana, and I’m here with a love story from ancient times. We’re in a romantic mood, because we are recording this just before St Valentine’s day. First we must set the scene. The Dardanelles is a stretch of seawater that separates the continents of Europe and Asia. In ancient times, this thin, winding sea, that looks something like a broad river, was called the Hellespont. It’s very deep and about three quarters of a mile wide at its narrowest point. Do you think it would be safe to attempt to swim across it?

This story is called The Crocodile and the Monkey, a traditional story from India, retold by W.H.D. Rouse. This is a LibraryCall recording. Once upon a time, there was an enormous river that was both deep and wide. In this river there lived a crocodile. I don’t know whether you have ever seen a crocodile, but you should know that they’re very long, twice as long as your bed. They’re covered with hard green and yellow scales. They have flat, wide snouts, and huge jaws with hundreds of sharp teeth.

Johnny Crow’s Party By L. Leslie Brooke Johnny Crow Plied Rake and Row And improved his little Garden. And the Eagle Looked quite regal In Johnny Crow's Garden And the Cockatoo Said "Comment vous portez vous?" But the Gander Didn't understand her; Yet the Flamingo Spoke the same lingo In Johnny Crow's Garden. Mr.