Paint-box / Cauliflowers Fluffy

This is a song about fruit and vegetables, which has become very popular as a harvest-season secular  hymn for children in the United Kingdom.   Originally called Paint-box, it is now widely known as Cauliflower's Fluffy or simply Cauliflower Fluffy.

Most sources attribute the words to V P Mitchell and the music to English pianist, music teacher and piano-tuner, Hugh (H C) Mitchell, but give no details about them.

Some sources say it was in the BBC’s Come and Praise collection, but the index to the combined edition does not include the song.  Google indexing also points to pages produced by the BBC - but when you check the pages now, the song isn't listed.

In fact, the song was included in Harlequin 44 Sounds Round the Year, originally published by A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd, London in 1981, and later by Collins Music.   Second hand copies of this book (often available on Amazon - see link below) are the only-located source of sheet music for the song.

The tune is described as "steady, blues tempo".  It has C (common, ie 4/4) time signature.  In the key of D, the first few notes of the melody are A>F A>F B F F |  G>F G>AA_  with accompanying chords D / Bm / Em / A. 

Downloads

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Buy Harlequin from Amazon

Examples

Music video - professional recording for children

Children's choir with piano, words on-screen

Singer with guitar and bells

Small group, unaccompanied

Singer with guitar, words on-screen

Instrumental - backing track with words on screen

Lyrics

Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green
Strawberries are sweeter than any I've seen
Beetroots purple and onions white
All grow steadily day and night!

Chorus:
The apples are ripe and the plums are red,
The broadbeans are sleeping in their blankety bed.

Blackberries are juicy and rhubard's sour,
Marrows fattening hour by hour,
Gooseberries hairy and lettuces fat,
Radishes round and runner beans flat.

Orangey carrots and turnips cream
Reddening tomatoes that used to be green
Brown potatoes in little heaps
Down in the darkness where the celery sleeps

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green
Strawberries are sweeter than any I've seen
Beetroots purple and onions white
All grow steadily day and night!

Chorus:
The apples are ripe and the plums are red,
The broadbeans are sleeping in their blankety bed.

Blackberries are juicy and rhubard's sour,
Marrows fattening hour by hour,
Gooseberries hairy and lettuces fat,
Radishes round and runner beans flat.

Orangey carrots and turnips cream
Reddening tomatoes that used to be green
Brown potatoes in little heaps
Down in the darkness where the celery sleeps