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The Hippopotamus Song
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Flanders:
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The very first of the animal songs. Some people think the title of this song is irrelevant. But it's not irrelephant, it's a hippopotamus!
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Both:
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A bold hippopotamus was standing one day,
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On the banks of the cool Shalimar.
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He gazed at the bottom-as it peacefully lay,
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By the light of the evening star.
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Away on a hilltop sat combing her hair,
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His fair hippopotami maid.
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The hippopotamus was no ignoramus,
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And sang her this sweet serenade:
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Mud, mud, glorious mud,
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Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
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So follow me, follow,
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Down to the hollow,
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And there let us wallow in glorious mud.
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The fair hippopotama he aimed to entice,
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From her seat on that hilltop above.
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As she hadn't got-a-ma to give her advice,
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Came tip-toeing down to her love.
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Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound,
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Of the song that they sang as they met.
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His inamorata adjusted her garter,
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And lifted her voice in duet:
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Flanders:
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In Russian!
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Swann:
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(Sings a line of the chorus in Russian)
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(Sings a line of the chorus in Russian)
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(Sings a line of the chorus in Russian)
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Flanders:
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Follow me, follow!
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Swann:
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(Sings a line of the chorus in Russian)
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Flanders:
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Down to the hollow!
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Swann:
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(Sings a line of the chorus in Russian)
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Flanders:
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That will improve our cultural relations!
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Both:
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Now more hippopotami began to convene,
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On the banks of that river so wide.
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I wonder, now, what-am-I to say of the scene,
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That ensued by the Shalimar side?
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They dived all at once with an ear-splitting splosh,
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Then rose to the surface again.
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A regular army of hippopotarmy,
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All singing this haunting refrain:
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Flanders:
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(To audience) That's you!
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Everyone:
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Mud, mud, glorious mud,
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Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
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So follow me, follow,
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Flanders:
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Oh, that's lovely!
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Everyone:
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Down to the hollow,
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Flanders:
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Beautiful!
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Everyone:
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And there let us wallow in glorious mud!
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