There was once a girl who had tiger slippers
And a ceiling with stars on it
And a butterfly hairslide
Which she kept losing
And two goldfish
And a nice mother who helped
Her to make some paper dolls
They were Ticky and Tacky
And Jackie the Backie
And Jim with two noses
And Jo with the bow
And they danced and they jumped and they sang
And they met a dinosaur
Who clawed and roared
And said “I’m going to get you !”
But the paper dolls sang
“You can’t get us. O no no no !
We’re holding hands and we won’t let go
We’re Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie
And Jim with two noses and Jo with the bow”
And they jumped
Onto a bus
And rode to a farmyard and danced with the pigs
Then they lay on a rooftop and stared at the stars
Till a tiger slunk out of his den
And he crouched and he snarled
And said “I’ll leap up and catch you !”
But the paper dolls sang
“You can’t catch us, O no no no !
We’re holding hands and we won’t let go
We’re Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie
And Jim with two noses and Jo with the bow !”
And they floated down the stairs
And they danced around the honey pot
And kicked crumbs and explored an island
Till a fierce crocodile grinned his grin
And gnashed his teeth
And said “I’m coming to crunch you !”
But the paper dolls laughed and sang
“You can’t crunch us. O no no no !
We’re holding hands and we won”t let gp
We’re Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie
And Jim with two noses and Jo with the bow”
And they hopped into the garden
And they sniffed the flowers and chatted to a ladybird
And lay down in a forest of grass
But along came a boy with a pair of scissors
And he said “I’ll snip you !”
And he did
He snipped them into tiny little pieces
And he said “You’re gone for ever”
But the paper dolls sang
“We’re not gone. O no no no !
We’re holding hands and we won”t let go
We’re Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie
And Jim with two noses and Jo with the bow !”
And the pieces joined together and the paper dolls flew
Into the little girl’s memory
Where they found white mice and fireworks
And a starfish soap
and a kind granny
And the butterfly hairslide
And more and more lovely things each day
And each year
And the girl grew into a mother
Who helped her own little girl make some paper dolls
They were Poppy and Pinkie and Binky and Blinkie
And Fred with one eyebrow
And Flo with the bow
And they jumped and they danced and they sang
(Written by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb)
Tickley Under Six 