TELEPHONE
A film for little ones based on the fairy tale by Korney Chukovsky
director Mihail Tsehanovskiy composer Leonid Shvarts
camera N. Sokolov, G. Reysgof
sound N. Bertran production director A. Yanovskaya
assistant director Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya
art directors Vera Tsehanovskaya, Ivan Ivanov-Vano
animators Roman Davydov, Boris Dyozhkin, Faina Yepifanova,
Yelizaveta Kazantseva, Lidiya Reztsova, Gennadiy Filippov
background artists Olga Gemmerling, Vera Rodzhero,
Irina Troyanova, B. Suteyeva, (planner) N. Orlova
artistic supervisor Aleksandr Ptushko (Distinguished Artist of the Republic)
A production of film-studio Soyuzmultfim 1944
[ Telephone ]
- Hello. - Hello?
- Who's speaking? - Me.
I'm listening!
- Speak louder. - Yes, yes.
I'm listening.
Yes, yes?
My telephone rings.
- Who is speaking? - The elephant.
Calling from where?
From the camel's.
What do you want?
Chocolate.
For whom?
For my son.
How much should I send?
Oh, five or six tons.
"Five or six tons"?!
He can't eat more than that,
He's still a little kid!
"A little kid"!
[For Elephant: Six tons of chocolate]
Then comes a call from...
...Crocodile
who asks with tears in his eyes:
My dearest, my precious,
Please send some galoshes -
For me, my wife, and son Totosha.
Wait, was it not to you That, last week, I sent out two
Pairs of pretty, beautiful brand-new galoshes?
Ah, those that you sent out To our lot last weekend,
We've eaten, We've long ago eaten!
And we're all impatient
For you to again send a bunch,
For supper just enough: Twelve pairs of
New, sweet galoshes to munch!
[For crocodile A dozen pairs of galoshes]
Lately, two gazelles called me up And kept harping on some mess up:
Was there really a huge mishap
And all carousels have burned up?
Hey, gazelles, are your heads messed up?
All the carousels have burned up?
Was there really a huge mishap
And all carousels have burned up?
Hey, gazelles, are your heads messed up?
No, the carousels aren't burned up, And the seesaws have no hang-up!
Don't they, really? Ah-ah?
Have they really not been burned up? Have they really not been burned up?
You, gazelles, should not speak claptrap,
You should not, gazelles, speak claptrap, But come on the week that's next up,
Sit on them, and stop being hung up about carousels being burned up.
Could we really? Ah-ah!
After that, certain herons called here:
Please send stomach drops for us all here.
We've swallowed every frog in the lake, And are croaking with a stomachache!
It is us, it is us, the wee hares:
Could you arrange some gloves to be sent here?
Hello, hello, this is Elk. I say! I have been trying to reach you all day!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, It's us, the chimpanzees:
Would you send us some books to read, please?
Don't recognize us? It is us, Tit-mous-es.
Chirp-chirp, if you are able,
Please send some matches.
Hello, hello, this is Elk. I say! I have been trying to reach you all day!
Oh, help the sick Walrus, I pray! He swallowed a live urchin the other day!
And you know what?! I'll tell you, quickly: The urchin turned out to be prickly!
And then Bear rang me up on the phone
And he grunted, he growled and he groaned.
Take it easy, now, Bear! Don't just grumble!
Please explain what you want, and don't mumble.
But he just cried "Moo!" and "Moo!",
But how come, and for what, I've no clue!
If you please, hang up the receiver!
It's the same silly song, All day long!
Ting-a-ling, ding-a-ling, Ding-a-long!
Seals, deer, elephants, all join the throng!
[ Telephone ]
- Mayday! - Mayday!
- Who is speaking? - The rhino!
What's the matter?
Mayday! Mayday! You must hurry here right away!
- What's the fuss? - Save him!
- Who? - The Hippopotamus.
Our Hippo is sinking in that swamp dismal...
"Sinking in that swamp dismal?"
Yes! He can't move forward or back!
Oh, if you don't come this instant...
He will sink, sink in that swamp dismal!
He'll die, he'll croak, oh, oh, Poor Hippo-po.
All right! Okay! Okay! I'm coming to help right away!
Whew! What a job! You need some luck To help a Hippo when he's stuck!
The End
Subtitles - Niffiwan, Eus, partly using translation by William Jay Smith, 2025