The Batty Drummer – Bilingual Story to Teach Kids Spanish at Home
Welcome to the eighth story-based Spanish for kids lesson!
About this bilingual story for kids: Toomey always dreamed of being a drummer… but somehow ended up an accountant. Now in his 40s and deep in a midlife crisis, he buys a giant set of drums and starts hammering away when no one’s home.
Life is good... until one night, a little bat flies past the attic window and spots his drums.
But this isn’t just any bat. This is a bat with a beat. A bat with a dream.
“Drums!” it squeaks excitedly, diving inside to start pounding out wild rhythms. Night after night, it returns, driving the family mad.
But just when things reach total chaos, the bat discovers an unexpected way to use its gift… to save lives, bring peace, and keep the music going forever.
How bilingual story immersion works: This story presents each sentence first in English, then in Spanish. This paired sentence bilingual format (called NeuroFluent Immersion) makes it easy for your child to understand everything that happens in the story, even if they're a complete Spanish beginner and don’t know any Spanish vocabulary yet!
Simply by listening to bilingual English-Spanish stories, your child will naturally pick up new Spanish words. The more they listen and read to bilingual stories, the faster they’ll become fluent in Spanish. No drills, no stress, just fun!
On this page, you can listen to the bilingual audiobook and read the bilingual story beneath the player.
This is an original story by Lily Galili, translated and published by LingoLina. Copyright 2026 Lily Galili, LingoLina.com. All rights reserved.
Read along with the written story below.
The Batty Drummer by Lily Galili
El Baterista Murciélago por Lily Galili
Chapter One
Capítulo Uno
Once upon a time, there was a small town nestled at the foot of a towering mountain.
Érase una vez, había un pequeño pueblo situado al pie de una montaña imponente.
This wasn't just any mountain, it was steep and sheer, with jagged ridges that looked like they were carved by a giant's claw.
No era cualquier montaña, era empinada y escarpada, con crestas dentadas que parecían esculpidas por la garra de un gigante.
Recently, some very nasty black eagles with sharp yellow beaks had moved into the mountain's rocky peaks.
Recientemente, unas águilas negras muy desagradables con afilados picos amarillos se habían instalado en los picos rocosos de la montaña.
These weren't your average eagles.
Estas no eran águilas comunes.
Oh no.
They were mean and sneaky, and they came all the way from the far-off, twisted black mountains.
Eran malas y astutas, y vinieron desde las lejanas y retorcidas montañas negras.
They stole hens and even little baby piglets.
Robaban gallinas e incluso cerditos pequeños.
No one in the village liked them, but no one could shoo them away, either.
A nadie en el pueblo le gustaban, pero tampoco nadie podía ahuyentarlas.
In this village lived a man named Toomey.
En este pueblo vivía un hombre llamado Toomey.
Now, Toomey wasn't supposed to be called Toomey.
Ahora bien, Toomey no debería haberse llamado Toomey.
His name was supposed to be Tommy, but his mother made a typo when filling out the paperwork.
Su nombre debería haber sido Tommy, pero su madre cometió un error tipográfico al rellenar el papeleo.
And so, Toomey it was.
Y así, Toomey era.
Poor guy.
Pobre hombre.
Toomey was a bit... well, let's say he was a little boring.
Toomey era un poco... bueno, digamos que era un poco aburrido.
He was plump, middle-aged, and stuck in a rut.
Era regordete, de mediana edad y atrapado en la rutina.
He had a good job and a good income, but something was missing.
Tenía un buen trabajo y un buen salario, pero algo faltaba.
He felt unfulfilled and kinda blah.
Se sentía insatisfecho y un poco apagado.
Toomey's wife, Melida, was a round, cheerful woman who loved cooking.
La esposa de Toomey, Melida, era una mujer redonda y alegre que amaba cocinar.
She baked and fried and stewed and roasted her way through every day, making sure Toomey always had something delicious to eat.
Horneaba, freía, guisaba y asaba cada día, asegurándose de que Toomey siempre tuviera algo delicioso para comer.
They had three kids: a baby, a wild toddler, and an eight-year-old who went to school.
Tenían tres hijos: un bebé, un niño pequeño y travieso, y un niño de ocho años que iba a la escuela.
Life in their household was busy, noisy, and perfectly ordinary—except for Toomey, who felt like life was slipping by without any drumrolls or excitement.
La vida en su hogar era ocupada, ruidosa y perfectamente normal, excepto para Toomey, que sentía que la vida se le escapaba sin emoción ni sobresaltos.
One day, Toomey decided he'd had enough of his boring life.
Un día, Toomey decidió que ya había tenido suficiente de su vida aburrida.
It was time to bring back a dream he'd buried long ago.
Era hora de revivir un sueño que había enterrado hace mucho tiempo.
As a boy, Toomey had wanted to be a drummer in a famous band.
De niño, Toomey había querido ser baterista en una banda famosa.
He dreamed of pounding out rhythms on a huge drum set, wowing crowds with his epic beats.
Soñaba con golpear ritmos en un set de batería enorme, deslumbrando al público con sus impresionantes ritmos.
But his father had other ideas.
Pero su padre tenía otras ideas.
"Be an accountant," his dad had said.
"Sé contador," le había dicho su papá.
"That's where the money is."
"Ahí está el dinero."
And so, Toomey had become an accountant.
Y así, Toomey se convirtió en contador.
But deep down, the beat of the drums never left his heart.
Pero en el fondo, el ritmo de los tambores nunca dejó su corazón.
Now that he was older and had some savings, Toomey decided it was time to reignite his passion.
Ahora que era mayor y tenía algunos ahorros, Toomey decidió que era momento de reavivar su pasión.
He went out and bought the fanciest, flashiest drum set he could find.
Salió y compró la batería más elegante y llamativa que pudo encontrar.
It was huge, shiny, and had enough parts to start a small percussion army.
Era enorme, brillante y tenía suficientes piezas para iniciar un pequeño ejército de percusión.
He set it up in the attic and was thrilled to bits.
La instaló en el ático y estaba emocionado hasta las lágrimas.
Whenever his wife and kids weren't home, Toomey would climb up to the attic and drum his heart out.
Siempre que su esposa e hijos no estaban en casa, Toomey subía al ático y tocaba la batería con todo su corazón.
It was loud, it was messy, and it was glorious.
Era ruidoso, era desordenado, y era glorioso.
The rest of the time, the drums sat quietly in the attic, waiting for their next thunderous session.
El resto del tiempo, los tambores permanecían silenciosos en el ático, esperando su próxima sesión atronadora.
One fateful night, Toomey made a mistake.
Una noche fatídica, Toomey cometió un error.
He left the attic window open.
Dejó la ventana del ático abierta.
Chapter Two
Capítulo Dos
The family went to bed, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.
La familia se fue a dormir, ajena a lo que estaba por suceder.
High above, in the dark sky, a little black bat flapped its way across the rooftops.
Muy arriba, en el cielo oscuro, un pequeño murciélago negro aleteaba sobre los tejados.
This wasn't just any bat.
Este no era cualquier murciélago.
Oh no. This was a musical bat.
Oh no. Este era un murciélago musical.
A bat with rhythm.
Un murciélago con ritmo.
A bat with a dream.
Un murciélago con un sueño.
When the bat flew past the open attic window and spotted the shiny drum set, its little heart practically burst with excitement.
Cuando el murciélago voló más allá de la ventana abierta del ático y vio la reluciente batería, su pequeño corazón prácticamente estalló de emoción.
"DRUMS!" it squeaked, zooming into the attic.
"¡TAMBORES!" chilló, entrando velozmente en el ático.
Without wasting a second, the bat landed on the drums and started to play.
Sin perder un segundo, el murciélago aterrizó sobre los tambores y comenzó a tocar.
CRASH!
¡CHAS!
BOOM!
¡BUM!
BANG!
¡GOLPE!
THUMP!
¡TON!
SMASH!
¡ROMPE!
The noise was outrageous.
El ruido era escandaloso.
It sounded like a herd of wild elephants having a dance party.
Sonaba como si una manada de elefantes salvajes estuviera teniendo una fiesta de baile.
The whole house shook.
Toda la casa tembló.
Toomey, his wife, and the kids shot up in bed, wide-eyed with terror.
Toomey, su esposa y los niños se incorporaron en la cama con los ojos muy abiertos de terror.
"There's a burglar in the house!" Melida whispered, clutching Toomey's arm.
"¡Hay un ladrón en la casa!" susurró Melida, agarrando el brazo de Toomey.
"That's not a burglar," Toomey said, his face pale.
"Eso no es un ladrón," dijo Toomey, con el rostro pálido.
"That's someone playing my drums!"
"¡Es alguien tocando mis tambores!"
Melida stared at him.
Melida lo miró fijamente.
"Who on earth would break into someone's house to play the drums?"
"¿Quién en el mundo rompería en una casa para tocar la batería?"
"I don't know," Toomey admitted, "but I'm going to find out."
"No lo sé," admitió Toomey, "pero lo voy a averiguar."
He grabbed a big wooden bat for protection (how ironic) and headed upstairs.
Agarró un gran bate de madera para protegerse (qué irónico) y se dirigió al piso de arriba.
As he climbed the creaky attic stairs, his heart pounded.
Mientras subía las escaleras chirriantes del ático, su corazón latía con fuerza.
What kind of lunatic breaks into a house just to have a jam session?
¿Qué clase de lunático entra en una casa solo para tener una sesión de improvisación?
When he reached the attic door, he took a deep breath, counted to three, and yanked it open.
Cuando llegó a la puerta del ático, respiró hondo, contó hasta tres, y la abrió de un tirón.
Chapter Three
Capítulo Tres
"WHO'S THERE?" he shouted, holding up his bat like a weapon.
"¿QUIÉN ESTÁ AHÍ?" gritó, sosteniendo su bate como un arma.
The attic was silent.
El ático estaba silencioso.
Too silent.
Demasiado silencioso.
Toomey lit a candle and looked around.
Toomey encendió una vela y miró alrededor.
The drums sat in the middle of the room, looking innocent.
Los tambores estaban en el medio de la habitación, luciendo inocentes.
Shadows danced on the walls, making everything look extra spooky.
Las sombras danzaban en las paredes, haciendo que todo se viera más tenebroso.
Toomey's heart thudded in his chest as he searched every corner, but there was no one there.
El corazón de Toomey latía con fuerza en su pecho mientras buscaba en cada rincón, pero no había nadie allí.
What Toomey didn't know was that the little bat had hidden itself in the corner of the ceiling, upside down.
Lo que Toomey no sabía era que el pequeño murciélago se había escondido en el rincón del techo, boca abajo.
With its wings wrapped around its body and its eyes barely open, it blended into the shadows perfectly.
Con sus alas envueltas alrededor de su cuerpo y sus ojos apenas abiertos, se mezclaba perfectamente con las sombras.
Toomey had no idea he was being watched.
Toomey no tenía idea de que estaba siendo observado.
After a thorough search, Toomey went back to bed, shaking his head.
Después de una búsqueda exhaustiva, Toomey volvió a la cama, sacudiendo la cabeza.
"There's no one up there," he told Melida.
"No hay nadie allí arriba", le dijo a Melida.
"It must have been... the wind?"
"¿Habrá sido... el viento?"
But even as he said it, he knew it didn't make sense.
Pero aun mientras lo decía, sabía que no tenía sentido.
What kind of wind plays drums?
¿Qué clase de viento toca tambores?
Melida looked at him with a mix of annoyance and unease.
Melida lo miró con una mezcla de molestia e inquietud.
"Well, someone was making that racket," she said.
"Bueno, alguien estaba haciendo ese alboroto", dijo ella.
"And they'll probably be back!"
"¡Y probablemente volverán!"
Not five minutes later, just as they were drifting into sweet sleep, it started again.
Ni cinco minutos después, justo cuando empezaban a adormecerse en un dulce sueño, comenzó de nuevo.
BANG BANG CRASH CRASH BOOM BOOM!
CRASH CRASH BANG BING BING BING!
Melida bolted upright.
Melida se incorporó de un salto.
"There it is again!"
"¡Ahí está de nuevo!"
she cried, clutching Toomey's arm like it was a life raft.
gritó, aferrándose al brazo de Toomey como si fuera un salvavidas.
"Who on earth can it be?"
"¿Quién diablos puede ser?"
This time, they bravely crept upstairs together.
Esta vez, se arrastraron valientemente juntos escaleras arriba.
Toomey was gripping his stick like it was Excalibur, and Melida was holding the lamp high, her hand shaking just a little.
Toomey sujetaba su bastón como si fuera Excalibur, y Melida sostenía la lámpara en alto, con la mano temblando un poco.
But once again, as they entered, the drumming stopped.
Pero una vez más, al entrar, el redoble se detuvo.
Toomey and Melida searched and searched the eerily silent attic in vain.
Toomey y Melida buscaron y buscaron en el inquietante y silencioso ático en vano.
Frustrated and creeped out, they returned to bed.
Frustrados y asustados, regresaron a la cama.
"There must be someone hiding in our house," Melida insisted.
"Debe haber alguien escondido en nuestra casa", insistió Melida.
"Unless... it's a ghost."
"A menos que... sea un fantasma."
For four nights in a row, the mysterious drumming continued.
Durante cuatro noches seguidas, el misterioso redoble continuó.
It went on for hours and hours each night.
Duraba horas y horas cada noche.
Toomey and Melida grew more and more sleep-deprived.
Toomey y Melida estaban cada vez más privados de sueño.
The kids were terrified, crying and hiding under the covers every night.
Los niños estaban aterrorizados, llorando y escondiéndose bajo las cobijas todas las noches.
Melida was now fully convinced it was a ghost.
Melida estaba ahora completamente convencida de que era un fantasma.
Desperate, she traveled all the way to the nearest city to hire ghost hunters, psychics, and energy cleansers.
Desesperada, viajó hasta la ciudad más cercana para contratar cazafantasmas, psíquicos y limpiadores de energías.
These professionals waved smoky incense, chanted mysterious words, and performed all sorts of rituals in the attic.
Estos profesionales agitaron incienso humeante, entonaron palabras misteriosas y realizaron todo tipo de rituales en el ático.
One even claimed to catch the ghost in a jar.
Uno incluso afirmó haber atrapado al fantasma en un frasco.
Melida was so relieved she almost cried.
Melida se sintió tan aliviada que casi lloró.
But that night, as soon as the clock struck ten...
BANG BANG CRASH CRASH BOOM BOOM!
Pero esa noche, tan pronto como el reloj marcó las diez...
¡BANG BANG CRASH CRASH BOOM BOOM!
The drumming was back.
La percusión estaba de vuelta.
Chapter Four
Capítulo Cuatro
The neighbors were furious.
Los vecinos estaban furiosos.
"You've GOT to stop this!"
"¡Tienes que detener esto!"
They shouted at Toomey the next morning.
Le gritaron a Toomey a la mañana siguiente.
"If we hear one more night of that racket, we're calling the police!"
"¡Si escuchamos una noche más de ese escándalo, vamos a llamar a la policía!"
"Please do," Toomey replied, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"Por favor, háganlo", respondió Toomey, levantando las manos en frustración.
"Maybe they can catch the ghost, because we can't!"
"¡Tal vez ellos puedan atrapar al fantasma, porque nosotros no podemos!"
Melida finally had enough.
Melida finalmente tuvo suficiente.
"The drums have to go!" she declared.
"¡Los tambores tienen que irse!" declaró.
"Get them out of this house.
"Sácalos de esta casa.
Throw them away if you have to!"
¡Tíralos si es necesario!"
"Throw them away?" Toomey gasped, horrified.
"¿Tirarlos?" Toomey jadeó, horrorizado.
"They're brand new!
"¡Son nuevos!
And expensive!"
¡Y caros!"
"I don't care!
"¡No me importa!
GET RID OF THEM." His wife yelled.
¡DESHÁCETE DE ELLOS!" Su esposa gritó.
Reluctantly, Toomey moved the drums outside to an open shed.
A regañadientes, Toomey sacó los tambores a un cobertizo abierto.
He hoped that would solve the problem.
Él esperaba que eso resolviera el problema.
It didn't.
No lo hizo.
The bat found the drums and gleefully pounded away under the moonlight.
El murciélago encontró los tambores y tocó alegremente bajo la luz de la luna.
The sound echoed across the village.
El sonido resonó por todo el pueblo.
The neighbors were angrier than ever.
Los vecinos estaban más enojados que nunca.
The next night, Toomey brought the drums into the bedroom.
La noche siguiente, Toomey llevó los tambores al dormitorio.
"If someone comes to drum on them, we'll catch them," he said firmly.
"Si alguien viene a tocarlos, los atraparemos," dijo firmemente.
Melida looked uneasy.
Melida se veía inquieta.
"You're putting them right next to our bed?"
"¿Los estás poniendo justo al lado de nuestra cama?"
"Yes," Toomey said. "We'll keep watch."
"Sí," dijo Toomey. "Estaremos alerta."
That night, the bat flew quietly down the chimney, through the house, and into the bedroom.
Esa noche, el murciélago voló silenciosamente por la chimenea, atravesó la casa y entró al dormitorio.
The family was jolted awake by an explosive drum solo.
La familia se despertó sobresaltada por un solo de batería explosivo.
Melida screamed at the top of her lungs.
Melida gritó a todo pulmón.
"IT'S A BAT!
"¡ES UN MURCIÉLAGO!
A BAT IS PLAYING THE DRUMS!
¡UN MURCIÉLAGO ESTÁ TOCANDO LOS TAMBORES!
A horrible bat!
¡Un horrible murciélago!
Arrrrrgh!
Get it away from me!"
¡Aléjalo de mí!"
And she hid under the sheets in terror.
Y se escondió bajo las sábanas aterrorizada.
Chapter Five
Capítulo Cinco
Toomey jumped up, grabbed a broom, and tried to shoo the bat out the window.
Toomey saltó, agarró una escoba y trató de espantar al murciélago por la ventana.
But the bat was stubborn.
Pero el murciélago era obstinado.
It dodged, swooped, and banged on the drums some more.
Esquivó, se lanzó y golpeó los tambores un poco más.
Finally, after a chaotic battle, Toomey managed to chase it out and slam the window shut.
Finalmente, después de una batalla caótica, Toomey logró ahuyentarlo y cerró la ventana de golpe.
The bat clawed at the glass angrily, then flew off into the night.
El murciélago arañó el vidrio furiosamente, luego voló hacia la noche.
Melida was hysterical.
Melida estaba histérica.
"Get those drums OUT OF THIS HOUSE!
"¡Saca esos tambores DE ESTA CASA!
THROW THEM AWAY!
¡TÍRALOS!
I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY GO!"
¡NO ME IMPORTA A DÓNDE VAYAN!"
Toomey sighed.
Toomey suspiró.
"It's just a fellow musician," he said.
"Es solo un compañero músico", dijo.
"He wants to express himself."
"Quiere expresarse."
"Express himself somewhere else!" Melida wailed.
"¡Que se exprese en otro lado!" Melida lloró.
The next day, Toomey hatched a plan.
Al día siguiente, Toomey ideó un plan.
He dragged his drum set all the way up the mountain.
Arrastró su batería hasta la cima de la montaña.
His plan was simple: give the little bat its own drum set, far away from the village.
Su plan era simple: darle al pequeño murciélago su propio conjunto de tambores, lejos del pueblo.
He knew the bats lived high up in the mountains in a dark cave, so he hauled the drums up there, step by step, puffing and sweating.
Sabía que los murciélagos vivían en lo alto de las montañas en una cueva oscura, así que cargó los tambores hasta allí, paso a paso, jadeando y sudando.
"This better work," he muttered as he finally reached the cave.
"Más vale que funcione", murmuró mientras finalmente llegaba a la cueva.
He set the drums up carefully and left.
Colocó los tambores con cuidado y se fue.
Chapter Six
Capítulo Seis
What Toomey didn't know was that the bats in the cave were in big trouble.
Lo que Toomey no sabía era que los murciélagos en la cueva estaban en un gran problema.
Black eagles—nasty, sharp-beaked bullies from the far-off mountains—had taken over the skies.
Águilas negras, matones desagradables con picos afilados procedentes de las lejanas montañas, habían tomado el control de los cielos.
The eagles hunted the bats relentlessly, forcing them to hide in fear.
Las águilas cazaban a los murciélagos sin descanso, obligándolos a esconderse por miedo.
Many bats had fled to safer places, leaving only a few brave (or stubborn) ones behind.
Muchos murciélagos habían huido a lugares más seguros, dejando solo a unos pocos valientes (o tercos) atrás.
When the little musical bat discovered the shiny new drums outside the cave, it was like Christmas morning.
Cuando el pequeño murciélago musical descubrió los nuevos tambores brillantes fuera de la cueva, fue como la mañana de Navidad.
The bat's eyes sparkled with joy.
Los ojos del murciélago brillaron de alegría.
"Drums!" it squeaked, zooming over to them.
"¡Tambores!" chilló, acercándose rápidamente a ellos.
Without hesitation, it started banging away.
Sin dudarlo, comenzó a tocar con entusiasmo.
CRASH!
BANG!
THUMP!
BOOM!
The sound echoed through the mountains, bouncing off the cliffs and filling the skies with noise.
El sonido resonó por las montañas, rebotando en los acantilados y llenando los cielos de ruido.
The black eagles, who had been circling above looking for dinner, froze mid-flight.
Las águilas negras, que habían estado dando vueltas arriba buscando su cena, se congelaron en pleno vuelo.
"What is THAT?" screeched one eagle.
"¿Qué es ESO?" chilló un águila.
"It's awful!" squawked another, flapping its wings frantically.
"¡Es horrible!" graznó otra, batiendo sus alas frenéticamente.
The eagles tried to endure the racket, but the bat drummed with so much enthusiasm that it drove them mad.
Las águilas intentaron soportar el ruido, pero el murciélago tocaba con tanto entusiasmo que las volvió locas.
After a few days of nonstop drumming, the eagles couldn't take it anymore.
Después de unos días de tamborileo sin parar, las águilas no pudieron soportarlo más.
They squawked and screeched and finally flew away, never to return.
Chillaron y gritaron y finalmente volaron lejos, para nunca regresar.
Chapter Seven
Capítulo Siete
The bats were overjoyed.
Los murciélagos estaban encantados.
They came out of hiding, their little faces beaming with happiness.
Salieron de su escondite, sus caritas rebosantes de felicidad.
Bats who had fled to far-off places returned to the cave.
Murciélagos que habían huido a lugares lejanos regresaron a la cueva.
They threw a huge party to celebrate their freedom and crowned the little musical bat as their prince.
Organizaron una gran fiesta para celebrar su libertad y coronaron al pequeño murciélago musical como su príncipe.
"All hail Prince Batty the Drummer!" They cheered, flapping their wings in excitement.
"¡Salve al Príncipe Murciélago el Tamborilero!" Vitorearon, batiendo sus alas con entusiasmo.
Prince Batty happily continued banging on the drums every night, providing music for bat dances and celebrations.
El Príncipe Murciélago felizmente continuó golpeando los tambores cada noche, proporcionando música para las danzas y celebraciones de los murciélagos.
The bats flitted and twirled under the moonlight, their squeaky songs harmonizing with the rhythm of the drums.
Los murciélagos revoloteaban y giraban bajo la luz de la luna, sus canciones chirriantes armonizando con el ritmo de los tambores.
It was a nightly festival of fun.
Era un festival nocturno de diversión.
Down in the village, something amazing happened.
Abajo, en el pueblo, sucedió algo increíble.
With the black eagles gone, the villagers noticed that their chickens and small farm animals were no longer disappearing.
Con las águilas negras desaparecidas, los aldeanos notaron que sus gallinas y pequeños animales de granja ya no desaparecían.
"It's like a miracle," said one farmer.
"Es como un milagro", dijo un granjero.
"No more hawks stealing my hens!"
"¡No más halcones robando mis gallinas!"
The villagers didn't know why the eagles had vanished, but they weren't complaining.
Los aldeanos no sabían por qué las águilas habían desaparecido, pero no se quejaban.
Life became peaceful again.
La vida se volvió pacífica de nuevo.
And the best part?
¿Y la mejor parte?
The thundering drum noises from the mountains were faint and far away.
Los atronadores ruidos de tambores de las montañas eran tenues y lejanos.
Depending on the wind, the villagers sometimes heard a distant boom boom thump, but it didn't bother them.
Dependiendo del viento, los aldeanos a veces oían un distante boom boom pum, pero no les molestaba.
In fact, some even thought it was kind of nice.
De hecho, algunos incluso pensaban que era algo agradable.
Back at home, Toomey waited nervously to see if the bat would return.
De vuelta en casa, Toomey esperaba nerviosamente para ver si el murciélago volvería.
When weeks passed with no sign of the little troublemaker, he finally dared to buy another drum set.
Cuando pasaron semanas sin señales del pequeño problemático, finalmente se atrevió a comprar otra batería.
This time, he could drum in peace without any surprise midnight jam sessions.
Esta vez, podía tocar la batería en paz sin sesiones de improvisación sorpresa a medianoche.
Drumming became his favorite hobby, and every day he grew a little happier.
Tocar la batería se convirtió en su pasatiempo favorito, y cada día se sentía un poco más feliz.
And so, the story of the Batty Drummer came to a joyful end.
Y así, la historia del Baterista Murciélago llegó a un feliz final.
Toomey had his peace, the bats had their prince, and the village had quiet nights and safe chickens.
Toomey tuvo su paz, los murciélagos tenían su príncipe, y el pueblo tenía noches tranquilas y gallinas seguras.
As for Prince Batty?
¿En cuanto al Príncipe Murciélago?
He kept drumming and scaring the eagles away, proving that even the smallest bat can make a big, noisy difference.
Siguió tamborileando y espantando a las águilas, demostrando que incluso el murciélago más pequeño puede hacer una gran y ruidosa diferencia.
The end.
Fin.
Spanish Vocabulary List:
- Murciélago | Bat
- Batería | Drum set
- Tambores | Drums
- Baterista | Drummer
- Música | Music
- Ruido | Noise
- Silencio | Silence
- Montaña | Mountain
- Águila | Eagle
- Pueblo | Village
- Contador | Accountant
- Sueño | Dream
- Corazón | Heart
- Ventana | Window
- Ático | Attic
- Cueva | Cave
- Noche | Night
- Luna | Moon
- Felicidad | Happiness
- Paz | Peace
- Fuerte | Loud/Strong
- Despacio | Quietly/Slowly
- Esposa | Wife
How to Use These New Spanish Words This Week:
The "Ruido o Silencio" Game: Use a pot and a spoon as a drum. When you say "¡Mucho ruido!" (Lots of noise!) your child bangs very loudly on the drum. When you say "¡Silencio!" (Silence!) they must stop.
Bat vs. Eagle: Have your child pretend to be a murciélago (bat) flapping their wings. If you shout "¡Viene el águila!" (The eagle is coming!), they have to find a "cave" (under a table or blanket) to hide in. To scare the eagle away, they have to drum on their knees and shout "¡Bum, bam, chas!"
Window Check: Before bed, check the ventanas together. Ask, "¿Está la ventana abierta o cerrada?" (Is the window open or closed?). Say, "¡Ciérrala para que no entre el murciélago!" (Close it so the bat doesn't come in!).
"El Director de la Banda" (The Band Director):
One person is the jefe (boss) or director. When they raise their hands, everyone plays their "drums" (pots, pans, or claps) very fuerte (loud). When they lower their hands, everyone plays very despacio (quietly). Practice the words fuerte and despacio while you play!
Follow the Rhythm (Sigue el Ritmo):
Clap a simple rhythm and have your child repeat it. Then, assign a Spanish word to the rhythm. Invent three rhythms, each with a different Spanish word and rotate randomly between them.
Example: Clap-clap-stomp = "Mur-cie-la-go."
Example: Clap-clap-snap fingers = "Cu-e-va."
Example: Stomp-clap = "To-mmy."
It helps them hear the "beats" (syllables) in the Spanish words!
The Eagle Scarecrow: Make "Eagle" targets out of paper plates. Put them across the room. Your child has to "drum" as loudly as possible to "scare" the águilas away from the pueblo (village).
Make Your Own "Batería" (Drum Set): Gather empty oatmeal containers, coffee cans, or plastic tubs. Decorate them with estrellas (stars) and lunas (moons) like the night sky. Use wooden spoons or even pencils as your drumsticks.
Practice your counting up to cincuenta (50) by hitting the drums once for every number!
You can also direct rhythms with English and Spanish numbers such as "Three-three-two-one" which would be three taps, a pause, three taps, pause, two taps, pause, and then one tap.
The Marching Band: When it’s time to go to the bathroom or the car, march like a drummer. "Uno, dos, uno, dos..." (One, two, one, two...). It turns a walk down the hallway into a parade.
The Word Search Puzzle: Print out the included word search puzzle in the activities section. It’s a fun, quiet way for your child to practice identifying the Spanish words they heard in the story. See how many they can spot!
Coloring Activity: Grab your favorite crayons or markers for the coloring sheet also found in the activities section. This is a great way for your child to visualize the characters and scenes from the story while practicing their Spanish color names.
You can give specific instructions on which colors to use, or simply let your child choose while you name the colors and point out different items in both English and Spanish.
Creative Drawing: Once they finish with the activity sheet, you can direct their own drawing using English and Spanish prompts to keep the immersion going!
Example bilingual coloring instructions:
- Paint the bat black. Pinta el murciélago de negro.
- Color the trees green. Colorea los árboles de verde.
- Paint Toomey's shirt blue. Pinta la camisa de Toomey de azul.
- Paint the sky blue. Pinta el cielo de azul.
- Paint that drum yellow. Pinta ese tambor de amarillo.
- Paint that drum silver. Pinta ese tambor de plateado.
- Make the mountain brown and green. Pinta la montaña de marrón y verde.
- Draw three drums. Dibuja tres tambores.
- Paint a little black bat. Pinta un pequeño murciélago negro.
- Draw a moon. Dibuja una luna.
- Draw white stars. Dibuja estrellas blancas.
What's next?
You have completed the seventh bilingual Spanish story lesson!
To continue learning more Spanish vocabulary in a fun, easy way, read the next bilingual story in this free course.