Trip Trap Tap

Please welcome guest blogger Jasper Jules Jackson Jones, 

who presents the following work of fiction for your enjoyment:

Trip Trap Tap

text by Jasper Jules

puppets by Theatre of Widdershins

We're billy goats, yes, but we're not so gruff.

My brothers and I have had enough

of these trollish tales of hoof and horn!

It's time you learn what did go on.

There was a bridge, I'll admit that,

And yes it's true we tripped and trapped.

You see, my baby brother Joe

Had someplace that he had to go.

Joe loves to dance – he trips and traps!

He boogies, woogies, tips and taps.

His hooves go slippity, fast slap, slow

and that is what you need to know.

Now Johnny, he's the middle one,

and I, we thought it might be fun

to learn those moves and dance along

with little Joe's tip-tapping song.

One day there was a casting call

A talent show – “come one, come all!”

We knew we had the moves, you see.

We practiced with a one-two-three,

We danced and danced. We tripped and trapped!

We boogey-woogied, tipped and tapped.

Our hooves went slippity, fast slap, slow

and soon we three were ready to go.

We could see the stage from our mountain side

Just over the rippling river wide.

We knew that in one brief, jolly jaunt

we'd be ready to show off our trippity trot.

We set out, Joe and John and I,

heading for the riverside.

By lunch we'd reached a long, strong bridge

And I said, “boys, let's give her a spin.”

The bridge was fine for a trip trip trap.

It sang with the boogie, the woogie, the tap.

A marvelous sound when we slapped fast, slow,

our hooves were slappy slip, tip tap toes.

Now that's about when the trouble began.

Our boogie stomp woke the boogie man!

We were spinning and stamping when that critter woke up.

We heard him shout, “Stop that dancing at ONCE!”

Now Johnny stopped, just polite as can be,

and said, “Mr. Troll, my apologies.

We didn't mean to interrupt

your afternoon nap with this trip trap stuff.”

I stopped as well, with a worried whoa,

But not that groovin' goat little Joe.

That buck could dance to beat the band

and his trip trap tap was out of hand.

His eyes shut tight, he tripped and trapped.

He boogied and woogied, his trotters tapped.

Trippity, slippity, fast slap, slow,

so danced our rip rap, trip trap Joe.

“Little goat,” cried the troll, “I'll eat you up!

This dancing's gone on quite enough!”

Now you hold still! You cease! Desist!”

But my brother Joe just trip trap tripped.

“It's me you want,” cried Johnny boy,

and he danced and he spun like a wind up toy.

“I'm a bigger bite, I've a jiggling haunch,

I'm the goat that would make you a tasty lunch!”

Johnny danced with a spin and a trip and trap.

His boogie-woogie dance was off the map.

His hooves went slippity, heel to toe,

and tippity, tappity, go go go.

That troll, he lumbered, reached and grabbed.

That capricous caprine just danced and laughed.

Johnny could spin like a smooth white blur

and that troll couldn't grab a single tuft of fur.

Troll cried, “Young goat, don't toy with me!

You goats have ruined my beauty sleep.

I'll gobble you up, you see if I don't!” 

And he leapt and he reached and he grunted and groaned.

Little Joe and John looked a bit worn down

so I stepped out quickly, toes tapping around.

I sang, “Oh troll, lookie here old chap!

I'm the one that you want for your midday snack!”

I shook my beard with a swirling snap.

I boogied, I woogied, I trip trap tapped.

My hooves went slip slap fast and slow,

I danced my best for that lumbering troll.

Now my brothers call me Jasper Jules

And I am one big, bearded fool.

More size than sense, you understand,

so I danced right towards those reaching hands.

My little bros needed time to split,

they were getting tired from the looks of it.

Figured Troll and I could tango and tussle

buying time for my brothers' run-away hustle.

I tripped and I trapped and the troll man grabbed

And we spun with a slippity poke and jab

I trod on his toes and he grabbed at my nose

And before I know, whoopsie me, where's that troll?!

Over the railing of that great broad bridge

old troll, in his wrestle-dance, up and slipped

Head over hairy trollish toes

he slipped and he splashed in the water below.

Now a goat can dance but he can't much swim.

And our dancing had worn the three of us thin.

We threw him a branch and we caught our breath

And, waving good-bye, the three of us left.

We danced into town with a trip and trap.

That troll hadn't dampened our boogity tap.

We slid onto that smooth stage right on time

And our slippity slappity stomp was fine

The judges loved our trippity slap.

Our boogie woogie dancing made them move and clap.

Joe danced a solo that was greater than great

With a skinnamarink, slap slip two, four, eight.

Now we hope that troll made it safely to shore.

We're sure he's fine, if a little sore.

As for us, we have something that we'd like you to do

 – a favor for Joe, John and Jasper Jules.

If you're ever on Broadway and you hear a tap,

If you hear a little tippity tip trip trap,

Step on in and see the show

You'll love the way our tapping trotters go!