"WhenthisEarth was just beginnin', there was much fussin' and fightin' and sinnin'" "Onedayacloudappeared up in the sky  and a great heavenly voice spoke from on high." " Oh, good man, Noah." "  Said the voice..." "The things I see leave me no choice." "I must send rain and flood one day to wash the wickedness away." "But what few things are good and true, those will be spared to start anew." "Now, Noah, you must build an ark and these dimensions you will mark." "Three hundred cubits for the length." "To cut such logs will take some strength." "Thirty cubits high and 50 wide." "The entrance to be on one side." "One window and a single door, basement, mezzanine and main floor." "It must be built of gopher wood." "Is that point clearly understood?" "Use pitch to fill each crack or leak." "I'll begin the rains in a week." "You have seven days to do it, so don't just stand there." "Go, man, go." "# When Noah got the message The message from the sky" "# That there would be a rain and the waters would be high" "# He called his sons together And this is what he said" "# Now, Shem and Ham and Japheth No more sleeping' late in bed" "# You see, I got some special orders" " # You gotta help me build an ark - # What's an ark?" " # Some kind of boat, I reckon - # Build, build, build, build an ark" " # How do you build one?" " # Build, build, build, build an ark" " # What's it for, Pap?" " # Night and day, no time to play" " # We've got to build an ark - # How soon?" " # Seven days to make it - # We've got to shake it" " # You've got to help me build an ark - # Let's get movin'" "# The boys went in the forest to cut some gopher wood" "# A mess of trees were chopped in that busy neighborhood" "# The skies were growin' darker and time began to fly" "# Before they had their lumber piled three days and nights went by" " # Noah called out to his children - # We've got to rush and build that ark" "# Looks like rain We're gonna need some shelter" " # Rush, rush, rush, build that ark - # 50 cubits wide" " # Rush, rush, rush, build that ark - # Length, 300" "# Night and day, no time to play" "# We've got to rush that ark" " # I need a vacation - # Four more days to do it" "# Let's hop right to it" "# You've got to hurry with that ark" " Ow!" " Boys, we made the deadline." "Now we've got to name this ark." "Let's see." "How about Shem's Ark?" "Ham's Ark?" "Japheth's Ark?" "Boys, I think I've got it." "Why don't we call it Noah's Ark?" "Oh, yeah!" "# I guess we'll call it Noah's Ark" "That's good!" " That's very good." " That's nice." "Exhaustedfrom theirjob well-done, it truly was a handsome one." "The boys lay down to take a snooze," " when Noah cried..." " No time to lose!" "We've one more duty to perform this final day before the storm." "Into the ark we have to bring just two of every living thing." "Go north, go south, go west and east." "Find two of every bird and beast." "Invite each pair to be our guest." "Accomplish this and then we'll rest." "Theboyswentout upon these words among the animals and birds and promised them admission free, the first boat ride in history." "Soona crowdbegantopour  across the gangplank through the door." "This was the season's big affair and all the finest folks were there." "# Well, the aardvark came and the antelope came" "# The beavers, bears and the buffalo came" "# To the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# The tigers came and the elephants too" "# The ducks and geese and the pelicans flew" "# To the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# The penguins dressed in formal style" "# Flamingos wore their pink" "# The camels came in camel pile" "# The minks in natural mink" "# Then the whooping cranes gave a holler and a whoop" "# So pleased that they were part of the group" "# On the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "Noahcarefullychecked each guest on his list to make sure not a single one would be missed." "Well, some of those guests were odd-lookin' critters." "The way they were built would give you the jitters." "There were duck-billed platypus half and half's, silly hyenas with sillier laughs, earth-bound emus, hopscotching kangaroos, and the great galloping gnus came in twos." "# Well, the chimps and monks and gorillas walked in" "# To say hello and how've you been" "# On the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# The ostrich pair, they were strutting' so proud" "# And how their feathers tickled the crowd" "# On the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# The saved cats were seated near" "# The horrified giraffes" "# The porcupines made their point clear" "# They'd stick around for the laughs" "# Then the lightning flashed and the folks were all thrilled" "# They knew the ocean soon would be filled" "# For the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "Yaksandzebras were last to board the ark and just in time, for the sky was getting dark." "Then Ham, Sham and Japheth looked terribly hurt." "They hung their heads and kicked their toes in the dirt." "But they were all smiles and really delighted to learn they and their wives too were invited." "And Mrs. Noah, whose task it was to pack a picnic basket, had prepared some simple vittles to fill up their empty middles." "The old gal had potato salad, macaroni, bologna, pastrami, salami, baked ham, berry jam, marmalade, lemonade, peach pie, oh my." "My, my, this was no ordinary cloudburst." "Of all known storms, this was the worst." "Oh, it rained every day, it rained every night." "But the old gopher wood ark was weathertight." "How it did rock and roll once it left the land." "Inside, Noah had a problem on his hands." "Everyone was sick, sick, sick." "Sick of the rain." "And bored with the food, they began to complain." "Some even said, we've been in some boring places, but here day after day, the same old tired faces." "What with all the terrible snarling, growling, pushing and shoving, and hissing and howling, poor old Noah's mood was one of complete despair." "He chewed off his nails and almost tore out his... hair?" "Noah, Sham, Ham and Japheth faced a difficult job." "How in the world would they ever pacify this mob?" "How could they make them forget all this congestion?" "To try to reason with them was out of the question." "Then Mrs. Noah calmly said" "Music has charms to soothe the savage beast." "Noah thought and scratched his head." "Well, why not?" "It's worth a try, to say the least." "Quickly Sham, Ham and Japheth dug down in a trunk and came up with what looked like a lot of old junk." "Uh-oh." "Then a negative thought popped into Noah's head." "Suppose the music irritated them instead?" "Suppose that wild, crazy bunch were stampeded?" "Holy cow, that would be all that he needed." "But then, when he heard how those sons of his played, his doubts disappeared." "He knew they had it made." "Each bird and beast, with a smile on his face, turned to his mate and with the utmost of grace, offered her his arm." "I should say "paw"." "Er... wing." "Noah was so happy, he began to sing." "# Come on and love one another Gotta love one another" "# 'Cause we need one another" "# As we journey on our way Start thinkin' of one another" "# Cheerin' for one another" "# Standin' by one another every day" "# When there's a storm to weather surely you'll note" "# That we are all together in the very same boat" "# So, come on and sing while it's rainin'" "# And laughin' Dance while it's rainin'" "# Give up all our complainin' And we'll chase the clouds of gray" "# It's fun to love one another" "# Really love one another" "# Truly love one another all the way" "Inonecornerofthis happy room sat Mrs. Hippo, filled with gloom." "Though Harry Hippo was having the time of his life, not so, his wife." "She was having a jealous fit while old Harry danced and made a hit with all the females in the place." "What a disgrace." "So, she was caught completely off-guard when Noah said..." "Harry's such a card." "He must be fun around the house." "You're lucky to have such a spouse." "Please." "That will suffice." "Mr. Noah, let me give you some advice." "Now, looky here." "# Don't speak of stew to an oyster" "# Don't talk of chowder" "# To a clam" "# I'm sure you realize" "# That it ain't polite or wise" "# To bring up leg of mutton" "# To a lamb" "# Don't ever say" "# Thermador to a lobster" "# If his lifelong friend you wanna be" "# And you'd be my friend too" "# Yes, I'd be obliged to you" "# If you don't mention" "# His name to me" "# Don't speak of traps" "# To a gopher" "# Don't you holler camphor" "# To a mole" "# And when standing near a horse" "# To, uh, mention glue, of course" "# Would put that poor old critter" "# In a fright" "# And let me tell you straight" "# I would sure appreciate" "# If you don't mention" "# His name to me" "# To me" "# Don't mention Don't mention" "# Don't mention" "# You know who to me #" "Now, my dear." "That's no way to act." "Everyone knows for an absolute fact when he's dancing with someone else in his arms, he's only dwelling on your charms." "So round, so firm." "So graceful." "Who, me?" "When you see him whisper in someone else's ear, he's raving about you, my dear." "How beautiful, how ravishing." "Who, me?" "And when he smiles at someone new, he's thinkin' no one can compare to you." "It was love at first sight." "Who, me?" "Yes, your Harry is true to you." "Yes, I've no cause to be blue." "Where have you been hiding all my life?" "Oh, Harry!" "You say the cutest things." "Who, me?" "# It's fun to love one another" "# To really love one another" "# To really love one another all the way #" "Itrained and rained and rained." "And it rained some more." "Then it really began to pour, I mean pour." "Forty days and forty nights in all." "There never was such a squall." "The wind whistled and howled and blew and the tempest grew and grew and grew." "From wave to wave the ark was tossed and hurled, this tiny boat with the entire population of the world." "Then, just as quickly as the storm had started, the downpour stopped." "The big black clouds departed." "Old Noah sent forth a dove into the air." "Returnedwitholivebranch, forecast, weather fair." "Noah ran quickly downstairs with what he'd heard." "This was gospel truth." "He got it from the bird." "The rains had stopped, the skies were bright and clear." "Their trip was over, they were here!" "But where was here?" "No one seemed to know or even seemed to care." "The important thing was, that they were there." "Thentheyfinallysaw  just where they were at." "Beached high and dry on good old Mount Ararat." "Then everyone hugged and kissed and hugged their wives." "This was a trip they'd remember all their lives." "# Now, they waved goodbye and began to descend" "# Yes, all ashore 'cause this was the end" "# Of the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# They headed home with their little ones now" "# The families all grew larger somehow" "# On the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "# They all went off in little bands" "# To Asia or Peru" "# To Africa and other lands" "# Where life was startin' anew" "# Now, they all could brag every place that they'd go" "# Our family came over, you know" "# On the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark" "Soendsthetale of the world's first boat." "And of the history it wrote." "And of the man who proved his worth back in the earliest times of Earth." "# It was the maiden cruise of the good ship Noah's Ark #"