Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

Dopsy dragon flew with the wizard of the wild-lands.

They sang as they skimmed the tree tops.

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

They sang as they skipped through the daisy dew, and down the primrose bank to the lake.

Dopsy dragon splashed in the wild waters while the wizard twirled his wand in the air. If anything went wrong in the wild-lands – and sometimes things did go wrong – he was always there – with his hat full of magic and his wand full of pooph!

Once, not long ago, the grouchy goblins became extra quarrelsome and extra scrapsome. So the mischievous wizard took magic from his hat and blew it over them. He grinned as they turned into goggle-eyed, star-jumping frogs! “Oh, that’ll tire them out!” he laughed. “Soon they’ll be sorry!” Or so he thought! But those goblins were always looking for trouble, and secretly they whispered, “We’ll get our own back on the wizard and his Dopsy dragon! See if we don’t!” And they hopped away towards their squelchy hollow.

Now, the wizard smiled as he saw Dopsy dragon fast asleep, drying herself in the sun. He thought he would play a trick on her. He cast a spell. He always made his spells sound especially jumbly fumbly so no one who heard them knew exactly what he was saying. “Hufty pufty fiddly foo; a-whiz-a-wheeze-a-sneeze – achoo!” And a magic mist swirled and flew! And he turned himself into an old oak tree.

When Dopsy dragon awoke she couldn’t see the wizard anywhere. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned, ”That’s strange!” Then she looked around and wondered, “Where did that tree come from? Oh dear! Where can the wizard of the wild-lands be? Without his special magic there’s bound to be trouble.” She didn’t hear him softly chuckling to himself.

Dopsy flew off in search of the wizard.

 

 

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

And came to the wild meadow where the fairies were dancing in bright rings. She called to them, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?”

They stopped their dancing and shook their heads. But then the goblins leapt out from their squelchy hollow and yelled, “We don’t need the wizard! We can make better magic! It’s easy – just watch!” And they conjured a spell – and just like the wizard, no one who heard it knew exactly what they were chanting. But they knew it had to be bad! “Higgledy piggledy, mish and mash; a popsy poo and hopsy hash!” There was a great bang and pooph and the dancing fairies became prickly, stingy nettles. “He he! He he!” giggled the goblins.

“Oh dear!” groaned Dopsy. “And look at my tail! It’s prickly just like the fairy nettles!”

The wizard of the wild-lands brushed a leaf from his ear and murmured, “I wonder what’s happening. I hope there’s no trouble.”

Dopsy flew across the lake.

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

And she saw the beasties that lived in the wild waters. She called, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?” They stopped their swimming and shook their heads. Then the goblins rolled pell-mell down the bank and yelled, “We don’t need the wizard! We can make better magic! It’s easy – just watch!” And they conjured a spell, “Higgledy piggledy, mish and mash; a popsy poo and hopsy hash!” There was a great bang and pooph and all the beasties of the wild waters became slimy stones and rocks. “He he! He he!” giggled the goblins.

“Oh dear!” groaned Dopsy. “And look at my tummy! It’s stiff and slimy just like the beasty rocks!”

The wizard of the wild-lands scratched his nose with a twig and muttered, “I wonder what’s happening. I hope there’s no trouble. Dopsy’s been gone a long time!”

Dopsy flew towards the bushes.

 

 

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

And she saw the creatures that flew in the wild air. She called, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?” They stopped their flying and shook their heads. Then the goblins came scrambling through the tangled bushes and yelled, “We don’t need the wizard! We can make better magic! It’s easy – just watch!” And they conjured a spell, “Higgledy piggledy, mish and mash; a popsy poo and hopsy hash!” There was a great bang and pooph and all the creatures of the wild air became crumpled and rumpled old leaves. “He he! He he!” giggled the goblins.

“Oh dear!” groaned Dopsy.”And look at my head! It’s crumpled just like the creature leaves!”

The wizard of the wild-lands stretched his branches a little and mumbled, “I wonder what’s happening. I hope there’s no trouble. Dopsy’s been gone a very long time!”

Dopsy flew towards the trees.

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

And she called to the great green ash, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?” The ash tree shook its branches and said, “No. Go and ask the birch tree.” So Dopsy flew to the silver birch tree and called, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?” But the birch tree shook its branches and said, “No. Go and ask the old oak tree.”

So Dopsy dragon flew to the old oak tree and, with a puff and a pant, called, “Have you seen the wizard of the wild-lands?” The old, gnarled oak tree giggled. Then it laughed out loud and shook its branches. Slowly, Dopsy saw the wizard’s hat. Slowly, his sparkling eyes and smiling face. Then his wand and cloak. And finally – all of him appeared from out of the tree. “I was playing a trick on you, my dear friend! It was a jolly good trick, don’t you think?”

Then he looked at Dopsy and exclaimed, “What’s happened to you, my dragon? You look – well, rather odd!”

“Oh, dear!” sighed Dopsy. “It certainly was a very good trick, but there’s lots of trouble in the wild-lands.”

“Lots of trouble? What do you mean?” The wizard was puzzled. So Dopsy told him the whole story. “Oh, dear!” he groaned. “What a mess those goblins have made. This will never do! I had better make things well again!”

 

 

 

He cast a great spell, “Hufty pufty fiddly foo; a-whiz-a-wheeze-a-sneeze – achoo!” And a magic mist swirled and flew!  And all the prickly nettles became fairies once more, skipping and dancing in a ring. All the stones and rocks became the beasties of the wild waters – swimming and squirming. And all the crumpled leaves became the creatures of the wild air once more – flying and whirring round the bushes and trees.

“And look!” squealed Dopsy. “My tail isn’t prickly! My tummy isn’t slimy! And my head isn’t like some rumpled old leaves!”

“So all is well and everyone is happy now!” smiled the wizard.

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

“Oh, no!” cried Dopsy.

“What is it?” asked the wizard.

“Look! The sun has gone away! It’s all murky and dismal.”

Everyone looked up and saw a big black cloud hanging over the wild woods. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed.

“Hmm,” frowned the wizard. “It looks like those grouchy goblins haven’t given up! They’ve brought their stormy cloud to the wild-lands. They want to make even more trouble!”

Dopsy dragon roared and growled, “I’ll go and fight them and chase them away!” But the wizard stopped her.

“No! I will cast a special spell. But first, I need everyone to suck the goblin cloud into my hat.” So, everyone sucked as hard as they could – the fairies of the wild meadow, the beasties of the wild waters, the creatures of the wild air – everything in the wild-lands! And the great murky-dismal cloud was sucked into the wizard’s great hat. He held it tightly closed and shook it hard. Inside, the goblins yelled and screeched as the wizard cast his spell – a very special spell, “Hufty pufty fiddly foo; a-whiz-a-wheeze-a-sneeze – achoo!” And a magic mist swirled and flew!  And as he flung his hat up in the air, there was an enormous howl and wild-wind-whoosh as the goblins’ cloud shot away over the wild woods.

Now everyone cheered, “Hooray!” And everyone sang –

 

 

 

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy doo, (clap clap)

Dopsy daisy dopsy doo,

Dopsy daisy doo. (clap clap)

 

“All’s well!” smiled the wizard.

“All’s well!” smiled Dopsy dragon. “No more tricks?” She asked.

“No more tricks.” The wizard slipped her a sly look. “At least, not for a while anyway!”

And they both settled down to doze in the sunny wild-lands.

 

© Charlie Wilson 2014