00:00This is the story of Little Grey Rabbit's May Day.
00:04May Day, May Day, May Day.
00:34You're late. And you were late in last night.
00:51It's May Day tomorrow.
00:52So it is.
00:53There's a maypole on the green with ribbons for the children to dance round.
00:57How do you know? And you can't dance round the maypole?
01:00Well, as a matter of fact, you're wrong, Squirrel.
01:03I did dance round it last night. So there.
01:06Yeah. So that's why you were late.
01:09Couldn't we have a maypole grey rabbit?
01:11I'm afraid to go to the village.
01:13And have a procession as well.
01:15They do in the village. The tabby cat told me about it.
01:18Hmm. Let me think.
01:20Let me think. Hmm.
01:24I'll think too.
01:27Oh, I can think without all this fuss.
01:29We'll dance round the may tree.
01:33That's better than a maypole.
01:35And we must gather lots of flowers early on May morning.
01:38And I'll take a jug to catch the may dew.
01:41It's magical, you know.
01:42Then we must make crowns and garlands for May.
01:45Who is May, grey rabbit?
01:47May is the spirit of spring.
01:52I think I must ask Wise Owl about all this.
01:55Oh.
01:56Oh.
01:58Hmm.
01:59How to keep May Day?
02:01Oh, you ought to know.
02:03May is the queen of the flowers.
02:06You must make a crown and scepter for her.
02:08But where will we find her?
02:10Oh, you won't.
02:12She's invisible.
02:13Oh, wait.
02:15He's gone to fetch his book of wisdom.
02:18Hmm.
02:19Hmm.
02:19Yeah.
02:20Hmm.
02:21On May Day, make a crown of flowers and a scepter and cowslip balls.
02:27Fuzzy Peg can make them.
02:28Hmm.
02:29Take them to a may tree.
02:31What kind of flowers, Wise Owl?
02:34Hmm.
02:36Here we are.
02:37Cowslips and all spring flowers.
02:39But the top of the crown must be a crown imperial.
02:44I've never heard of a crown imperial.
02:46What is it?
02:47Does it grow in the woods?
02:48Is it wild or tame?
02:50I once saw a crown imperial up at the big house.
02:53What was it like?
02:54Oh, it was like a ring of golden lilies with a green top knot of bells.
02:59I've seen it.
03:00I've seen it.
03:01Oh, noisy crowd.
03:03Always hodgy-bodging.
03:05It grows in Queen Anne's border.
03:07I saw it when Miss Susan taught me to make lace.
03:10I'll get it.
03:10I'll get it.
03:11So on May morning, a company of small animals went to the fields and hedgebacks to gather
03:17flowers with dew still on their petals.
03:20Little grey rabbit carried a tiny jug for the dew and Squirrel had a basket for the flowers.
03:25Down by the stream, Mole was cutting withies from a willow with his little axe.
03:31A happy May day!
03:33Why are you cutting withies, Moldy-Warp?
03:35Why?
03:37Because you must have a framework for the crowns and garlands.
03:41Look, like this.
03:42Oh, yes.
03:45I see.
03:46I'm off to the village to get the crown imperials from Queen Anne's garden.
03:49You can't just take them without asking.
03:52We must send presents.
03:56Can we have one for Miss Susan, Fuzzy Peg?
03:59Oh, yes.
04:00I like her.
04:02She's kind to little animals.
04:05Whoa!
04:05And I've got a hanky ice bun from Cobweb Thread.
04:10And I've got a walnut shell.
04:13There's nothing in it.
04:15Fill it with flowers.
04:17And it'll make a scent box.
04:18Oh, yes.
04:21I believe I've got something at home for the old lady.
04:25In me cupboard where I keep all me bits and bobs of findings.
04:27No time to waste.
04:36I must get to the village before they all wake up.
04:38Well, I can't hurry any faster.
04:49Oh, that'll do.
04:51Oh, I thought you were going to be all day.
05:00What's that?
05:01A dirty little green bottle?
05:04Oh, and a pin with me on the top.
05:07Ha!
05:07Fancy that.
05:08Me?
05:09Never mind.
05:11Me on the top.
05:12Me on the top.
05:13Me on the top.
05:21Here's a Roman bottle they kept their tears in.
05:24And we're going to put some of Grey Rabbit's dew into it.
05:26Oh, yes.
05:27It's magical.
05:30If Miss Susan puts a drop of this on her eyes,
05:33she'll see clearly again and need no spectacles.
05:37Oh!
05:38And a drop on her cheeks will make the wrinkles vanish.
05:42Oh!
05:45And here's a Roman pin to fasten a dress.
05:48Thank you very much, Mouldy Warp.
05:52Now off you go, Hare,
05:53and take all these presents and the cowslip ball.
05:56My cowslip ball.
06:15I hope they've left one or two for me.
06:18Miss Susan, please, Queen Anne.
06:31Miss Susan!
06:35A happy May Day!
06:37Oh, same to you.
06:41Who's there?
06:42It's only me.
06:43Hare.
06:44I want some lilies.
06:45Look, look, it's a hare.
06:46There, there.
06:47Catch him!
06:48Where?
06:50They went in there.
06:51I saw him.
06:52After him.
06:53The hare.
06:54He's taken Miss Susan's lilies.
06:57Get him!
06:58Catch him.
06:59And have him for us dinner.
07:00Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
07:03Ha, ha, ha!
07:03Ha, ha, ha!
07:05Ha, ha, ha!
07:07Ha, ha, ha, ha!
07:08Ha, ha, ha, ha!
07:10Ha, ha, ha, ha!
07:12Ha, ha, ha, ha!
07:14Oh, I didn't see.
07:40Of course, the hair.
07:43I once taught him to make lace.
07:46Anything can happen on May Day.
07:53Hmm. There was a doll in the crowns I saw.
07:57Hmm. Yes. Yes, there ought to be a doll by rights.
08:00Who's got a doll?
08:01I haven't. Nor me.
08:03Nor me?
08:04I can make a doll for you.
08:06I made one for our baby out of a bit of bone.
08:08I can carve a doll, all right.
08:11How clever you are, Rat.
08:13Hmm. Too clever by half.
08:14Who found the crown Imperials?
08:16Then can we have the procession and the dancing?
08:19So Rat made the little doll,
08:21and Grey Rabbit dressed it in a skirt of leaves
08:24and a bodice of cowslips.
08:26On its head she put a crown of May Blossom
08:28and in its hand a bluebell wand.
08:32Little Grey Rabbit and Squirrel slung the crown on a hazel stick
08:35and carried it between them.
08:36Hare came next with the crown Imperial Scepter,
08:40then Mole with the Scepter of Crab Apple Blossom
08:43and the little hedgehogs followed on behind.
08:46They hung the crowns and scepters on the May Tree
09:02and danced around.
09:06The May rustled her branches
09:08and sent waves of perfume up to the blue sky
09:11while all the birds came flying to the tree
09:14to join in the song of welcome to May.
09:18That night, when everyone was fast asleep,
09:21Wise Owl flew over the May Tree.
09:23It shone like silver.
09:25To whoo, to whoo.
09:30Happy May to you.
09:33Then he listened,
09:35for he could hear a silvery answer
09:37which seemed to come from the tree itself.
09:40May day.
09:41Listen.
09:42May day.
09:43Can you hear it?
09:45May day.
09:47To whoo, to whoo.
09:50To whoo, to whoo, to whoo.
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