Ballads[]
The merry song about the fat king who couldn't get up his throne. One after another, his courtiers tried to pull or pry him him out, to no avail. Eventually, the chief cook came up with a solution--grease the king down with butter. The courtiers did and out popped the king.[1] The song has multiple verses.
The sad tune about a princess trapped in a burning forest. The trees and animals tried to help her, but to no avail. The princess finally climbed the highest tree and threw herself down from that height just before the fire reached her.[2] It was a tragic song.
The sad tune about a young boy who ran away from home after being beaten by his father. One day the boy found an injured faery. In return for his aid the faery granted him one wish. The boy wished to be without trouble. The faery turned him into a swan and he flew away, without memory of his human life, but without the pain and sorrow he had had, either.[3]
The cheery song about a ball where a young prince and princess met and fell in love. The song was long and beautiful.[4]
The hilarious song about a king whose court seer prophesied that he must have a feast, a feast so large the king and his court couldn't eat it all. Until this happened, the king would never be wed. Nor could he ever be wed until all the food was gone. The king called in his cooks and told them about the prophecy.
The cooks prepared the feast. The king and his court ate and ate, but couldn't eat all the food. The king called in his people, and they couldn't eat it all. The king brought in the horses and the dogs from the stable, and they couldn't eat it all, either. Finally, a young girl from a neighboring kingdom came looking for work in the kitchen. The cook sent her out to the feast. She finished the feast and married the king.[5] Each part is sung in different voices for each person. Falsetto for the maid-turned-queen.
Ballad of King Graham[]
In Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, the narrator breaks out into telling the Ballad of King Graham.
- That ain't one of my better stories, anyhoo. Say, did I ever tell ya the story about ol' King Graham? It seems there wuz this evil wizard, and he got Graham into just a peck o' trouble...
Behind the scenes[]
The boy being turned into a swan so he would not have memory of his human life is similar to events and ending of Loom. But also could be similar to elements of the The Six Swans fairy tale. See also Loom from Lucasarts.