Storytelling Week 6:

Author's Note: This is Disney's Be A Man from Mulan rewritten to tell the story of The Envious Neighbor by Andrew Lang. I really loved this story when I read it and thought it would make a fun song. The original story is about a neighbor that is jealous because the couple next door has a very loyal dog that finds them gold in their yard. The man borrows the dog for a night and the dog only finds him stinking bones. He kills the dog in his rage and tells the couple the dog just passed away. The dog later comes to the couple in a dream and tells them to turn their tree into a rice mortar. They do and when they put rice in it the rice turns into gold. The jealous neighbor borrows the mortar but it only gives him gross berries so he burns it in a rage. The couple then has a dream that they should take the ashes and sprinkle them from the trees when the Daimio walked by. They do so and the trees burst into bloom for which the Daimio greatly rewards them. The envious neighbor attempts to do the same and the ashes get in the Daimio's eyes and he punishes the neighbor by throwing him in jail to rot. I turned the story into a song, and if you want to sing along with the tune an instrumental video is provided below. I hope you enjoy!

Let's get down to business
To get some funds.
Did they get a doggie
When they asked for sons?

They're the saddest bunch I ever met
And you can bet before I'm through
Neighbor, I'll have more gold
Than you.

Worthy as a ruler
With a fire within
I have found my center
So I'm sure to win.

You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot
But your dog is quite a sleuth
Somehow I'll get that dog
From you.

Husband: I'm never gonna let you go
Say goodbye to your old owners
Boy, these guys are fools ingrained to giving in
Dog: This guys got a stinking greed
Wife: Hope he doesn't miss a feeding
Husband: Now I really wish that I knew how to deny

GET THE DOG
I must be sly like a little red fox
GET THE DOG
With all the force of a great typhoon
USE THE DOG
With all the patience of a crouching tiger
I'm gonna kill him for getting me those bones

Time is racing toward me
Till the husband arrives.
I will have to tell him
The dog didn't survive

Now they've built themselves a great mortar
Gives them gold instead of rice
How can I get the gold
From those two?

GET THE MORTAR
I must be sly as a little red fox
GOT THE MORTAR
With all the rice I can put in it
STUPID MORTAR
With all the fury of a raging fire
I burnt the mortar and they took the ashes

GET ASHES
I must spread them before the Daimio
SPREAD THE ASHES
With more grace than my stupid neighbors
OHH DEAR
I did not think they would land in his eyes
He's throwing me in the darkest dungeon
OH-NO!

Bibliography: The Envious Neighbor is from Andrew Lang's The Violet Fairy Book (1901).