"One Small Steppe" - the story of the fastest tortoise known to all spacekind.
By Brian Mackenwells and Helen Arney, based on a poem by Brian Mackenwells. Sung by the audience at An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail on Monday 11th March 2024 at the Cockpit Theatre, London.
lyrics
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe - tortoise
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe
All of you who've met a tortoise know
They never set their expectations low, no, no, no
They each believe they have great power
as the fastest one ever went 25,000 miles an hour - whooooo!
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe - tortoise
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe
They strapped her in, back in '68
To the Zond 5 rocket - to navigate
the lunar bridge, to see if it's crossable
And all young tortoises saw anything was possible.
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe - tortoise
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe
She was first round the Moon, shoulda brought her fame
But only other tortoises knew her name
And they passed it down from parent to kid
Remembering what one small Steppe Tortoise did.
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe - tortoise
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe
If you ask a tortoise, no, they won’t tell
Her name stays secret hidden under their shell
But don't be surprised at their extreme pomposity
They know, after all, their potential velocity.
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe - tortoise
One small steppe - tortoise, one small steppe
A tortoise went into space
Six days moving at a rocket’s pace
On a lunar trail
And you know the best part?
She came back down and she lived to tell the tale…
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