The pear-shaped toad
Ohhhhh, sing, sweet nightingale
Sing, sweet nightingale
Hi-i-igh above me
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale
Sing, sweet nightingale
High above...
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale
Sing, sweet nightingale, hi-i-igh
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale
Sing, sweet nightingale
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale
Sing, sweet...
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale, sing
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale
Oh, sing sweet
Oh, sing...
Oh, sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale
High-igh-igh-igh-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!
As tempting as it was to draw something for "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" or "So This is Love," I settled for one of the lesser-known songs from Cinderella that I like a lot.
Not a long or very complex song, but something about it relaxes me so...and the way it ends never fails to get a laugh out of me!
Cinderella is a movie I liked well enough as a kid, even if my sister gushed more over it than I did, but now my appreciation for it has grown with me. When you think about it, it's a very beautiful and surprisingly profound story, and Cinderella herself is a much deeper, stronger character than modern audiences give her credit for.
In a way, Cinderella is like the nightingale. Even in her state of drudgery and abuse, she can still sing a sweet song and be just as sweet herself.
In another way, her kindness is her form of payback. She's showing her stepfamily they can't break her, even if they temporarily succeed a few times.
Ironically enough, that's exactly why her stepmother hates her so much. Every time Lady Tremaine tries to land a blow, Cinderella (metaphorically speaking) hits back or deflects the blow like a tennis ball.
Granted, Cinderella is still human like everybody else and can only turn the other cheek so many times. But whenever she's inclined to stay on the ground, she finds some way (sometimes with a little help) to dust herself off and rise to her feet once again.
That's what I love about her. We need more role models like her, more than ever.
Another thing about this movie that further warms my heart is what it did for Ilene Woods, Cinderella's voice actress.
(All images property of their respective owners.)
When she was old, sick, and dying in a nursing home, something about "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" brought a smile to her face. She could no longer remember where the song came from, let alone the fact that she was listening to her younger voice. But it sounded so nice and made her feel so good that her medical aides played it for her over and over. It brought her wonderful comfort in her final hours.
That's as lovely as it gets. Sad, but lovely.
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