A soothing bedtime story to help you drift off tonight: Rudyard Kipling's rhythmic, chant-like Just So Story The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo, read slowly and gently for sleep and insomnia relief. Kipling wrote the Just So Stories specifically as bedtime tales, to be told "just so," word for word, until his own daughter drifted off to sleep — which makes this one of the most naturally hypnotic stories in the whole Books at Bedtime strand, also known as Coffee Break for the Soul, from the Calming Anxiety podcast.
Narrated softly by Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic, this reading follows an ordinary, four-legged grey kangaroo whose wish to be "wonderfully run after" is granted by the little god Nikaar, in the form of Yellow Dog Dingo chasing him right across the middle of Australia until his legs and hop become the kangaroo's forever. Repetitive, sing-song, and almost lulling by design, it's an easy, unhurried listen for falling asleep, insomnia, or quieting an anxious mind at the end of the day.
First published in 1902 in the collection Just So Stories for Little Children, Rudyard Kipling's The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo is in the public domain worldwide (Kipling died in 1936); this reading is Calming Anxiety's own narration of the classic public-domain text.
The story
Transcribed from the audio, so the odd word may be off. Tap any line while it plays to keep the words in step with Martin's voice.
Books at bed time by calming anxiety, the sing song of old man Kangaroo by Rudyard Kipling.
Not always was the Kangaroo as now we do beholden, but a different animal with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate. He danced on an outcrop in the middle of Australia, and he went to the little god Nikaar. He went to Nikaar at six before breakfast saying, "Make me different from all the other animals by five this afternoon."
Up jumped Nikaar from his seat on the sand flat and shouted, "Go away!" He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate. He danced on a rock ledge in the middle of Australia, and he went to the middle god Nikaar.
He went to Nikaar at eight after breakfast saying, "Make me different from all other animals. Make me also wonderfully popular by five this afternoon." Up jumped Nikaar from his burrow in the spinning effects and shouted, "Go away!"
He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate. He danced on a sand bank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the big god Nikaar. He went to Nikaar at ten before dinner time saying, "Make me different from all other animals. Make me popular and wonderfully run after by five this afternoon." Up jumped Nikaar from his bath in the salt pan and shouted, "Yes, I will!"
Nikaar called Nikaar, "Yellow dog, Nikaar, always hungry, dusty in the sunshine and showed him kangaroo." Nikaar said, "Dingo, wake up, Dingo!" Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ash pit? He wants to be popular and very truly run after.
Dingo, "Make him so." Up jumped Nikaar, "Yellow dog, Nikaar," and said, "What? That cat rabbit?" Off randingo, yellow dog, "Dingo, always hungry, grinning like a cold scuttle, ran after kangaroo." Off went the proud kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny. This, O beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tail.
He ran through the desert. He ran through the mountain. He ran through the salt pans, and he ran through the red beds. He ran through the blue gums. He ran through the spin-effects. He ran to his front legs ache. He had to. Still randingo, yellow dog, Dingo, always hungry, grinning like a rat trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther. Ran after kangaroo. He had to. Still ran kangaroo, old man kangaroo.
He ran through the titheries. He ran through the mulger. He ran through the long grass. He ran through the short grass. He ran through the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. He ran to this hind legs ache. He had to. Still randingo, yellow dog, Dingo, hungrier and hungrier, grinning like a horse collar, never getting nearer, never getting farther. And they came to the whirlgong river.
Now there wasn't any bridge, and there wasn't any ferryboat. And kangaroo didn't know how to get over. So he stood on his legs and hopped. He had to. He hopped through the flinders. He hopped through the cinders. He hopped through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like a kangaroo. First he hopped one yard. Then he hopped through yards. Then he hopped five yards. His legs growing stronger. His legs growing longer. He hadn't any time for rest or refreshment, and he wanted them very much. Still randingo, yellow dog, Dingo, very much bewildered, very much hungry and wondering what in the world or out of it made old man kangaroo hopped.
For he hopped like a cricket, like a peen of saucepan, or a new rubber ball on a nursery floor. He had to. He tucked up his front legs. He hopped on his hind legs. He stuck out his tail for a balance weight behind him, and he hopped through the darling downs. He had to.
Still randingo, tired dog, Dingo, hungrier and hungrier, very much bewildered and wondering when in the world or out of it would old man kangaroo stop. Then came Nikon from his bath in the salt pans and said it's five o'clock. Down sat Dingo, poor dog Dingo, always hungry, dusky in the sunshine, hung out his tongue and howl. Down sat kangaroo, old man kangaroo, stuck out his tail like a milking stall behind him and said thank goodness that's finished. Then said Nikon, who is always the gentleman. Why aren't you grateful to yellow dog Dingo?
Why don't you thank him for all that he has done for you? Then said kangaroo, tired old kangaroo.
He chased me out of the homes of my childhood. He chased me out of my regular meal times. He altered my shape so I'll never get it back and he's played old scratch with my legs. Then said Nikon, perhaps I'm mistaken but didn't you ask me to make you different from all the other animals and as well as make you very truly sought after and now it is five o'clock. Yes said kangaroo, I wish that I hadn't. I thought that you would do it by charms and incantations but this is a practical joke. "Jog," said Nikon, from his bath in the blue gums, say that again and I'll whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off. "No," said the kangaroo, "I must apologize." "Legs are legs and you didn't alter them so far as I'm concerned.
I only meant to explain to your lordliness that I've had nothing to eat since this morning and I'm very empty indeed." "Yes," said Dingo, "yellow dog Dingo. I am just in the same position." I've made him different from all the other animals but what may I have for my tea? Then said Nikon from his bath in the salt pan.
Come and ask me about it tomorrow because I'm going to wash so they were left in the middle of Australia. Old man kangaroo and yellow dog Dingo and each said, "That's your font."