# Palček Smuk

"Palček Smuk" is the atmospheric opening narration of a much-loved animated series (a Czech cartoon dubbed into Slovenian) about a restless little water-sprite who comes out at the pond Brbotralnik once night falls.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Slovenian narration of a Czech animated series (1976/1983) |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/palcek-smuk/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Za tako gosto meglo, da bi jo lahko rezal,
leži ribnik Brbotralnik.
Čez dan je to čisto navaden ribnik.
A ko zvečer pade črno črna tema....
se začno dogajati čuuudne reči.
V mlaki najprej nekaj zabrbota,
u bičevju nekaj poči...
....in šele potem se prikaže palček SMUK,
to je nemiren škrat, radoveden kot miška,
ki neutrudno pleza na ....
... dokler se na nočnem nebu ne prikaže prva zvezda.......

### English translation (en)

Behind fog so thick you could cut it,
lies the pond Brbotralnik.
By day it's a perfectly ordinary pond.
But when, come evening, the pitch-black darkness falls…
strange things begin to happen.
First something bubbles in the puddle,
something cracks in the reeds…
…and only then does the little gnome SMUK appear,
a restless little sprite, curious as a mouse,
who tirelessly climbs up…
…until the first star appears in the night sky.

## Common questions

**What is "Palček Smuk"?**

It is the introductory narration to the animated series about Palček Smuk, a little water-sprite. By day the pond Brbotralnik is perfectly ordinary, but when pitch-black night falls, strange things begin: something bubbles in the puddle, something cracks in the reeds — and out comes Smuk, a restless little sprite, curious as a mouse, who climbs and roams until the first star appears.

**Is "Palček Smuk" Slovenian?**

The words are Slovenian, but the cartoon is not: "Palček Smuk" is a Czech(oslovak) animated series (from 1976 and 1983, directed by Zdeněk Smetana) that was dubbed into Slovenian, with Jurij Souček as the narrator. Generations of Slovenian children grew up with this Slovenian version.

**Is "Palček Smuk" a song or a narration?**

It is really a spoken narration — the atmospheric opening that sets the scene — rather than a sung song. We include it as the beloved introduction to the Smuk stories that so many Slovenian children remember.

## Sources

- [Wikipedija — Palček Smuk](https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pal%C4%8Dek_Smuk)