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The Singing Ringing Tree

The Singing Ringing Tree, made in an East German studio in 1957, has had a weird effect on my psyche for the rest of my life. I still feel it's important all children have the crap scared out of them regularly in a surreal and incomprehensible way, and the East (PS er. more Eastern?) Europeans do it best. Also they had no silly moral qualms about stapling doves to a swing.



The Fast Show spoofed it (this might not mean much if you don't remember the original, though the above clip will help). Go here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XqMF5ou7hE

Comments

Peter said…
"The Singing Ringing Tree ... had a weird effect on my psyche for the rest of my life"

Me too! I saw it as a little kid in the '60s and it set off feelings and anxieties I'd never experienced before. Like adolescence or even adulthood starting too early. Given the impact it often seems to have had, I wonder if those exposed to the SRT at a tender age show subsequent commonalities in the way they develop as people?
January 30, 2010 at 10:24 PM
The Atheist Missionary said…
Love it. Not sure why kids love to have the sh*t scared out of them. At my house, the favorite scary titles are The Gruffalo (by Julia Donaldson), Snarlyhissopus (by Alan MacDonald) and Qallupilluit (by Robert Munsch).
January 31, 2010 at 1:56 AM
Paul P. Mealing said…
Hi Stephen,

I missed this when you posted it. All kids have nightmares, so being scared obviously has evolutionary value. I think it makes us wiser even at a very young age.

Stories are so close to dreams and serve the same purpose in my view.

Last year you challenged the virtue of the novel - well, I think you've answered your own question, at least to some extent.

Regards, Paul.
February 6, 2010 at 1:20 AM
Nick said…
I thought you might be interested to know that a new generation of kids in Cambridge are going to suffer lasting psychological damage courtesy of The Singing Ringing Tree
October 21, 2010 at 9:23 AM
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