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The Great Gray Ghost Elephant

 
In deepest darkest Africa there is a legend concerning the Great Gray
Ghost Elephant. Every year after the rains the great gray ghost elephant
arose from the mists and wandered throughout the land at dawn. When he
came to a village he would stop and sniff the air, then he would either
go around the village or through it. If he went around the village, the
village would have a prosperous year, if he went through it there would
be hunger and drought. 

The village of Wat-cha had been visited three years in a row by the
elephant and things were very bad indeed, and the village leader Ging-ganga,
was very worried, as was the village medicine man Hay-la-shay. Together
they decided to do something about the problem. 

Now Ging-ganga and his warriors were huge men with big shields and Spears
and they decided to stand in the path of the elephant and shake their shields
and spears at it to frighten it off. 

Hay-la-shay and his followers were going to cast magic spells to deter
the elephant by shaking their medicine bags as the elephant approached,
which made the sound shalawally shallawlly shallawally. 

Very early in the morning of the day the Great Gray Elephant came the
villagers gathered at the edge of the village. On one side were Ging-gana
and his warriors (indicate right side of camp fire circle) on the other
was Hay-la-shay and his followers (indicate left side of camp fire) 

As they waited the warriors sang softly about their leader; 

Ging Gang Gooli, Gooli, Gooli, Gooli Watcha 

Ging Gang Goo Ging Gang Goo 

Ging Gang Gooli, Gooli, Gooli, Gooli Watcha 

Ging Gang Goo Ging Gang Goo 

As they waited the medicine men sang of their leader; 

Hayla, Hayla Shayla Heyla Shayla Halya Ho-o-o! 

Hayla, Hayla Shayla Heyla Shayla Halya Ho-o-o! 

And shook their medicine bags, 

shallawally shallawlly shallawally shallawally. 

And from the river came the mighty great gray elephant's reply 

(Have all the adults do this) 

Oompha Oompah Ompah Oompah! 

The elephant was coming closer so the warriors beat their 

shields and sang louder, 

(signal warriors to stand and beat thighs in time) 

Ging Gang Gooli, Gooli, Gooli, Gooli Watcha 

Ging Gang Goo Ging Gang Goo 

Ging Gang Gooli, Gooli, Gooli, Gooli Watcha 

Ging Gang Goo Ging Gang Goo. 

Then the medicine men rose and sang loudly 

Hayla, Hayla Shayla Heyla Shayla Halya Ho-o-o! 

Hayla, Hayla Shayla Heyla Shayla Halya Ho-o-o! 

And shook their medicine bags 

shallawally shallawlly shallawally shallawally. 

And the mighty great gray elephant turned aside and went around the
village saying, 

Oompha Oompah Ompah Oompah! 

There was great rejoicing in the village and all the villagers joined
together to sing, 

Ging Gang Gooli........