friendly_giant_big_red_barn 

-Once upon a time, not long ago and not far away, there was a farm. And on the farm, there was a barn. That's not the barn, that's the house. Find the barn. That's not the barn, that's the corn crib. Find the barn. That's the barn, a big red barn. Now, find the boot. And now, look up. That's the big red barn. Are all barns big and red, do you think? We could ask Rusty or we could ask Jerome. Let's go to the castle. I'll hurry over first and go in the back door so that I can let the drawbridge down and open the big front doors for you. Are you ready? Here is my castle. 
[orchestral music]

Here we are inside. And here's one little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two more to curl left in. And for someone who likes to rock a rocking chair. Now, look up. I'll call Rusty. We'll ask him about barns. Rusty. Hi.

-Hi, Friendly.

-How are you?

-Oh, fine. How are you?

-Fine.

-Where have you been?

-On the farm?

-Oh, how's the farm?

-Fine. We were looking at the barn.

-That's a big barn, isn't it?

-Yes, and you know what color it is?

-I think it's red, isn't it?

-Same color as your night dress.

-Does it have polka dots?

-No, no. Barns don't have polka dots, do they?

-Oh, I suppose not.

-Are all barns red?

-Well... Well, I don't know, Friendly.

-Shall we ask Jerome?

-Maybe Jerome would know.

-He's seen a lot of barns.

-More barns than I have, I think--

-Because he hikes on his long legs.

-Goes all over. [Friendly whistling]

-Giant giraffes can do that. [Jerome whistling] Hi, Jerome.

-Hi, Friendly. Hi, Rusty.

-Hi.

-Well, Jerome, we were talking about barns.

-Barns?

-How big they are and what color they are.

-Well, they're big, and well...

-Are they all red?

-Not all of them.

-What color--

-No.

-...are some barns you've seen?

-Well, I've seen white barns.

-Yes, there are white barns.

-And I've seen a few yellow barns.

-Yellow barns, really?

-Yellow barns?

-Mm-hmm. And I saw one light green barn once.

-A green barn?

-Mm-hmm.

-Blue barns? 

-Well, there may be, I don't remember any blue barns, but there may be.

-But-

-Oh, all those colors?

-Yeah.

-Most barns are...

-Most barns are red, I think

-I think they are. I think that's why there's a book about a red barn.

-Once I saw a red and white barn, too, but most of them are red.

-I wanna talk about the book about the red barn.

-There's a book about a red barn.

-There is?

-Yes.

-Oh, and a red barn.

-"Big Red Barn," that's the name of it.

-Rusty: Right down here. It isn't called a big yellow barn or a big white barn?

-And is it big blue barn?

-No, I don't think it is.

-It's... Oop. It's a big book. There.

-Rusty: Big book and quite boring apparently.

-A "Big Red Barn." "Big Red Barn."

-Rusty: Mm-hmm.

-See?

-Well, I suppose they named it that because most barns are red. 

-Let me put the book up where everyone can see it drawing.

-You really saw some yellow barns though?

-Yes. Yellow barns looked very nice.

-Oh, can you see the barn when the grass is all yellow or is it kind of hidden?

-Oh no. No, it's too big, dude.

-Friendly: Jerome,

-To hide behind the grass.

-Friendly: Can you see the book?

-Oh yes.

-Friendly: There, that's a big red barn. And that's a "Big Red Barn" by Margaret Wise Brown, and the pictures are by Rosella Hartman. And it's a Young Scott Book from the William R. Scott Company. And look at this 

-Rusty: Oh. 

-Friendly: A flying horse on a weather vain.

-Jerome: Mm-hmm, I like to watch them. 

-Friendly: By the big red barn, in the great green field, there was a pink pig who was learning to squeal. There was a great big horse and a very little horse. And on every barn, there is a weather vain. Of course, a golden flying horse to show which way the wind is blowing. 

-Jerome: It's a nice horse.

-Friendly: There was a big pile of hay, and a little pile of hay. And that is where the children would play. But in this story, the children are away.

-Jerome: Oh, they are.

-Friendly: And only the animals are here today.

-Rusty: Oh, mmh-hmm. 

-Friendly: The sheep, and the donkey, and the geese, and the goats were making funny noises out of their throats.

-Jerome: Oh. 

-Friendly: An old scarecrow was leaning on his hoe, and a field mouse was born in a field of corn.

-Rusty: I can't see any field mouse,

-Friendly: Too small to see.

-Rusty: Oh, too small. Mm-hmm.

-Friendly: Cock-a-doodle-dooooo! In the barn there was a rooster, and a pigeon too, and a big white hen standing on one leg, and under the hen was a quiet egg. There was a bantam rooster and a little bantam hen with a big clutch of eggs, if you can count to 10. Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!

-Rusty: Those are book roosters.

-Friendly: Yes. Mooooooooo! Moo! A big brown cow, and a little brown calf. Both ate their dinner of hay from the mow. There was an old black cat. Meow! Meow! And a tiger tom cat. Yeow! And an old red dog. Bow! Wow! With some little puppy dogs all around and warm.

-Jerome: Puppies are fun to play with. 

-Friendly: And they all lived together in the big red barn, and they played all day in the grass, and in the hay.

-Rusty: I wonder what the farmer's name is.

-Friendly: I don't know. Until the sun went down in the great green field. There goes the sun.

-Jerome: The big sun. 

-Friendly: The big cow lowed, the little pig squealed, the horses stomped in the sweet, warm hay, and the little donkey gave one last bray. Here goes the sun. The little black bats flew away out of the barn at the end of the day. The hens were sleeping on their nests. Even the roosters took a rest. And the geese and the goats, made no more noises with their throats.

-Rusty: Everything's quiet [indistinct]

-Friendly: And there they were all night long, sound asleep in the big red barn, and only the mice were left to play, rustling and squeaking in the hay.

-Oh, I see 'em all there.

-There they are. The moon sailed high in the dark night sky. Beyond the house, where the children slept, the tiger cat crept home to his kittens in the big red barn.

-Jerome: Oh.

-Friendly: But out in the field, the old scarecrow still leaned on his hoe. There he is.

-Scarecrows can be lonely.

-Friendly: There he is. And there beneath the moon is the big red barn There.

-Wow. The "Big Red Barn."

-By Margaret Wise Brown.

-Actually, I think I know whose farm that was. I think I know what the man's name was.

-You know whose farm it was?

-I think so.

-Whose farm?

-Paul McDonald.

-Oh.

-It might be because it had all the animals that are in the song.

-That's right, it did.

-The "Old McDonald" song.

-It had all those animals. Let's sing that song, Friendly.

-Should we?

-Should we?

-We could sing about

-Would you like to?

-One or two of the animals.

-One or two.

-All three of us?

-That would be a good idea.

-You sing the first part-

-And I'll be the animal.

-You'll be the animal.

-All right.

-And I'll sing the E-I-E-I-O.

-Oh, all right. Ready?

-Ready? § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § § And on this farm he had a chicken § § E-I-E-I-O § § With a quack-quack here § § And a quack-quack there § § Here a quack, there a quack § § Everywhere quack-quack § § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § § And on this farm he had a lamb § § E-I-E-I-O § § With a baa-baa here § § And a baa-baa there § § Here a baa, there a baa § § Everywhere baa-baa § § Quack-quack here § § And a quack-quack there § § Here a quack, there a quack § § Everywhere quack-quack § § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § That was good, that was fun.

-I know another one we can do.

-What?

-A rabbit.

-A rabbit?

-A rabbit? Oh, I know what you're gonna do. All right. I will.

-You don't know.

-Wanna try it?

-Try it.

-All right. § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § § And on this farm he had a rabbit § § E-I-E-I-O § § With a here, § § And a there § § Here a § § There a § § Everywhere §

-I see. [Jerome chuckles]

-I used to prank my cousin all-

-Finish the song. § Old McDonald had a farm § § E-I-E-I-O § You didn't make a sound like a rabbit, did you Rusty?

-No, he didn't because they're rabbits. Do rabbits make any sound at all?

-I don't think so.

-I don't think so. No.

-But they wiggle their noses.

-They wiggle their noses.

-Just the way you wiggle your nose.

-They wiggle their ears too but my ears are too small to see when I wiggle them.

-Mm-hmm.

-Mm-hmm. 

-You're ready?

-Oh, I'm ready. [Friendly playing flute] Hi, rabbit. [Rusty laughing] [Jerome yawning] [soothing music]

-Friendly: Good night, wiggly nose. 

-Good night, Friendly.

-Friendly: Good night, Jerome.

-Good night, Friendly.

-Friendly: It is late. This little chair will be waiting for one of you, and the rocking chair for another, who likes to rock, and the big arm chair for two more to curl up in when you come again to our castle. Now, I'll close the big front doors and pull up the drawbridge after you're gone. Good night. Good night. [orchestral music]