The Tales of Beatrix Potter

Okay, okay. I know what some of you may be thinking. "Johnny, I've heard Beatrix Potter's stories before. I'm very familiar with the Tale of Peter Rabbit, and the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, and the Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. They are classic, well-known tales. How are they obscure?"

Hear me out. Cassette tapes by Smarty Pants.

There, that got your attention, didn't it?

Smarty Pants was a company that... well, I don't know much about them aside from doing these tapes. But they did these tapes. The thing is, they weren't just the stories; they all had original music, as well. Every single one of them started with the following song whose lyrics I still remember to this day, despite only having one tape at the moment, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin:

(catchy jingle)
Come along and listen to the Tales of Beatrix Potter
They'll charm you with the way they tell of young sons and fine daughters
There's Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher, and others that we love
Oh yes, Jemimah Puddle Duck, she flies the skies above
So come along and sing the songs that tell the happy deeds
Of Benjamin Bunny, Squirrel Nutkin (he lives in a tree)

Others that we tell about are sometimes shy, you see
Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle likes to hide behind my knee
Mr. Johnny Town-Mouse is another friend of ours
He and Timmy Willie visit for some hours
They play and run and eat some cake, go to sleep and then awake

(brief interlude)
So come along and listen to the Tales of Beatrix Potter
They'll charm you with the way they tell of goods sons and fine daughters
(jingle from the beginning)

And for some reason, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin cuts out the bolded part (and maybe some others do, too, but I can't remember).

Now, why am I mentioning these? Well, I've seen maybe one or two tapes on eBay, and they've all been decently priced; it seems to be one of those rarities that nobody knows is a rarity.

None of the ones I've seen online are the one I remember: one that only had the songs. But for some reason, it didn't include any songs from Squirrel Nutkin (although I guess it's because that one had an excess of "riddles" that were sung). I can still remember a few of the songs, although I can remember the melody more so than the lyrics. Since it's impossible to put the melody in words, I may post some of the songs online if I'm brave enough (and obviously, if I get the tape again). I'll keep you posted!

Oh, and about the Magic Touch Book: I may be getting "The Surprise Party Surprise" (the one I had) from Amazon for 48 cents plus shipping. It all depends on what my dad says, though.

-Johnny