Analysis of the elephant in children's songs

An elephant was swinging

Enrique Mochales
JUN 16, 2005

Remember: "An elephant was swinging on a spider's web..." You will not deny that it is a
brilliant note of the chained melody belonging to the popular heritage, an anonymous and
wonderful song, especially the passage of: "And as they saw that they did not fall, they went to
call another elephant", which is priceless ; In short, the song is a golden score in the history of
traditional children's music. Also, what a great metaphor, the elephant swinging on a spider's
web, because who is the elephant?

This is what we should ask ourselves at this point in the melody, which is much more than an
arithmetic progression of extroverted and friendly elephants towards infinity, although, after all,
if there were one, just one of those elephants here, present among these letters, none of them
would give themselves away, none of them would say: "Hello, I'm an elephant", but they would
keep their identity anonymous so that the spider web bargain would not be ruined.

The dark matter of elephants is like a snowball, and every minute a new elephant arrives that
only complicates everything. When they rise to ten they are only a little scary, but when they go
over thirty things are already serious, and you have to start worrying. In fact, seeing thirty-seven
elephants swinging on a spider's web is not normal, and it is understandable that some of them
don't even think about going to find another proboscide to tell him that it's really fucking bad in
the spider's web. Well, more than anything for not sacrificing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
But the others stubbornly insist!

Suddenly, when it seems that things are hopelessly entangled, the amazing thing happens: the
song stops at elephant thirty-eight, which, selfish as few others, has not gone to warn another
elephant. According to their way of seeing things, it's fine, business is going well and there's no
reason to bring in more people: it's better to close the beach bar. At the moment, it looks like it's
the end of swaying elephants.

But animal nature - like human nature - is weak. The sound of the spider web spreads and they
increase in number while the song begins to pierce the ears of the authorities: the media shouts to
the sky, the police take action on the matter and the elephant mafia. an every man for himself
ensues. Their real estate assets, their front companies and their secret accounts are revealed, and
it turns out that there is a reason why those elephants lived like gods, and they did it well,
without anyone completely knowing where they got those convertibles from.

And of the spider, no trace.

*This article appeared in the print edition of Thursday, June 16, 2005

Characteristics of the children's song

Children's songs have simple, rhymed and very repetitive lyrics; they are generally accompanied
by movement, gesture or motor games. They are easy to understand, easy to memorize, and have
funny handwriting. The children's song is a playful activity where the child learns by playing
while participating in the conservation and enjoyment of universal cultural heritage. Juan
Villamarin We must not leave aside the meaning that music gives to a culture and especially to
its customs

Benefits of nursery rhymes on child development

 Develops language: they promote diction, increase their vocabulary and exercise
phonetics.
 They promote the ability to understand, improve concentration and memory.
 They develop a taste for music, it promotes rhythmic sense and hearing.
 Develops your body expression: it allows you to adjust your body movement to different
rhythms, contributing to the rhythmic control of the body, and exercises your
coordination.
 It promotes emotional and social development by allowing integration and interaction
with the group.
 Promotes social interaction, sense of freedom.