David wrote me looking for a song. In the process of trying to find it, I learned a little about The Sandman. It all started when David wrote me…

I REMEMBER THIS SONG WHEN I WAS A CHILD. ALL I REMEMBER IS:

THE LITTLE OLEY
WITH HIS UMBRELLA
HE COMES ON TIPTOES
THIS FRIENDLY FELLOW

THAT IS ALL I CAN REMEMBER OF IT

DAVID BAUM

After searching a little I was able to discover that “Oley? should really be spelled “Ole?. Ole Lukoie is a character in a Hans Christian Anderson tale. He’s known as the Dream God and also the Sandman.

Next I was able to determine that the song that David was looking for was most likely a Danish song. The name of the song that I believe David is looking for is Den lille Ole med paraplyen, in English it’s called The Little Sandman (Ole) with the Umbrella.

I remembered that this song is on the Mama Lisa’s World Denmark page. Here’s what I found there…

Den Lille Ole med Paraplyen
by Peter Lemche
(Danish)

Den lille Ole med paraplyen
ham kender alle småfolk i byen;
hver lille pige, hver lille dreng
han genner skælmsk i sin lille seng

The Little Sandman with the Umbrella
by Peter Lemche
(English)

The little sandman with the umbrella
The friend of Snow White and Cinderella
When you are sleepy, he takes your hand
And guides you gently to fairyland.

Upon further study, I found that there are more lyrics to this song. It was written by Peter Lemche in 1873 and Ole Jacobsen wrote the melody the same year.

Here are the full lyrics to this song in Danish.

Den lille Ole med paraplyen
(Danish)

Den lille Ole med paraplyen,
ham kender alle småfolk i byen,
hver lille pige, hver lille dreng,
han lægger sødt i sin lille seng.

Så vil han ud paraplyen brede
og uskylds hygge om lejet sprede,
da vil i drømme den lille fyr
fortælle dejlige eventyr.

Han vil fortælle om stjerner klare,
og om den dejlige engleskare,
og om den yndige lille fe,
som alle børn vil så gerne se.

Og har om dagen de artig’ været,
og kærlig fader og moder æret,
da kan så glade til sengs de gå,
og drømme smukt om Guds engle små.

Og når om morgenen solen skinner,
da vågner de med små røde kinder,
og takke Gud for, hvad de har drømt,
og kysse fader og moder ømt.

If anyone could provide an English translation to this song, please comment below, it might help answer David’s question. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

Listen to the tune to this song

Read the Hans Christian Anderson tale about Ole Lukoie