The Water Babies are the titular characters from the 1935 Silly Symphony animated short.
They are loosely inspired by the characters of the same name from Charles Kingsley's 1863 novel The Water-Babies.[1]
Background[]
The Water Babies are diminutive-sized fairies[2][3] with a humanoid appearance. Although with an identical appearance resembling cherubs, they have a wide variety of hair colors to give them a distinguished appearance, such as brown, yellow, or blonde hair. They are also shown to have a playful personality during a typical day in their life, such as playing in water, riding on methods of transportation such as sailboats made from leaves or on animals (such as turtles or swans), bouncing on spider webs, and certain other activities - whether on land or on water.
The voices of the Water Babies were done by Leone Ledoux and Marion Darlington (who did their whistling effects) respectively.[1]
Appearances[]
Water Babies[]
As the sun rises on a peaceful lagoon's pond, the water lilies open to reveal the Water Babies asleep inside. As they wake up, they have fun swimming together in the lagoon. Throughout the summer, the Water Babies all have a good time in the lagoon, where they swim within the water. However, they suddenly hear a fanfare, announcing the arrival of a parade at the lagoon. During the parade, a bandleader stands on top of a turtle's head while a procession of Water Babies riding on animals occurs throughout the lagoon. The Water Babies are also seen using instruments made from plants, riding on sailboats in the shapes of leaves, and some riding on swans, as well riding on two minnows which leap out of the water.
After the procession, the Water Babies have fun together in the marsh, such as interacting with frogs (such as playing leapfrog or juggling with them), riding on a salamander, swinging on trapezes, bouncing on a spider web, and riding on some frogs like a bronco in the style of a rodeo. Elsewhere, the Water Babies and a group of pond animals are gathered together in a crowd, just as they watch the festivity. After the rodeo, three Water Babies bow in front of the cheering crowd, praised for their performance. Later on, another Water Baby faces a bullfrog in his pen. Two more Water Babies release the bullfrog from his pen, charging past the Water Baby using a red flower petal as a bullfighter cape, taunting the ferocious amphibian. The bullfrog charges onto the stem of a flower where more Water Babies are watching, causing them scatter away. Later, the bullfrog chases the Water Baby that was taunting him and as he attempts to charge towards his pen, the three Water Babies hide inside the pen as shelter but not before the bullfrog rams his head onto the gate, just as he takes off the flower off his head to be praised by the crowd. After the sequence, the Water Babies all cheer together for a wonderful performance - one of them falls inside a flower where a bee is hiding inside, causing him to be irritated for sitting on him just before everyone hears a fanfare.
As evening approaches, the Water Babies head back to the lagoon, along with the other animals who are ready for bed. The Water Babies ride on swans, leaf-shaped sailboats, turtles, bluebirds (and bird nests), and dragonflies, just before they arrive towards the water lilies, which are their home. Just as the Water Babies arrive at their home, a ladybug announces the arrival of sunset. The Water Babies recite their bedtime prayer, sleep together, and curl up in their beds - the water lilies, just as the moon shines across the lagoon during a quiet night, ending the short.
Other appearances[]
In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, some Water Babies appear in Toontown during the "Smile Darn Ya Smile" sequence. They are seen riding on bluebirds, as they fly past several other Toons when Eddie enters the cartoon world.
Printed material[]
Water Babies' Circus and Other Stories[]
The Water Babies serve as the main characters of the Water Babies' Circus section of the story in the 1940 book. Notable named Water Babies appearing in this story include Pixie, Nixie and Trink respectively. Throughout the story, they were able to put on a circus show, which they all have fun together just before the day ends.
Trivia[]
- The titular theme song, the "Water Babies", was initially written about the titular characters in the animated short with lyrics written by Larry Morey. However, the song was left in instrumental form in the final version of the short.[1]
- The prayer that the Water Babies recite at the end of the short is in fact a real-life bedtime prayer called, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep", which originated from the eighteenth century.
- While Merbabies (which later came out three years later) was labeled as a sequel to Water Babies in official Disney venues, the Merbabies themselves are completely different from the Water Babies, making them completely separate characters judging by their appearances.
- In Water Babies' Circus and Other Stories, the names of Pixie and Nixie are references to folkloric fairies of the same name (pixies, which are diminutive fairy-like creatures with a humanoid appearance and nixies, shapeshifting water fairies from Germanic mythology).