Adult intro: National anthems are meant to unite, to inspire pride… but what happens when they come with no words, or verses that are better forgotten? In this whimsical Issy & Poppy Investigate adventure, we explore Spain’s wordless anthem, the controversial verse of God Save the King, and uncover a personal connection to centuries of Scottish history. Along the way, our favourite hounds discover that the meaning behind music and family stories can be just as fascinating as the tunes themselves.
🌞 Morning Mischief & National Anthems for Kids
Autumn mornings were a bit chilly, but once the sun hit the courtyard, the day warmed up nicely. Maybe that’s why Issy and Poppy were lingering inside, waiting for the sun to find them.
Dad was in the kitchen, humming something dramatic — the sort of tune that made Poppy think the ceiling might collapse.
Poppy scrambled under the table.
“Is it thunder? It sounds like thunder.”
“It’s Dad,” Issy said flatly, stretching. “He’s probably humming with too much confidence again. ¡Qué exagerado!”
Dad shuffled over to the counter, mug of tea in one hand, biscuit in the other. Crumbs drifted down like gentle snow — for the ghosts, naturally.
“Girls!” he announced. “Today we’re investigating national anthems. Spain’s has no words, you know!”
Issy blinked.
“No words? How do they expect people to shout at football matches?”
Poppy whispered, “¿Y si todos cantan diferente? That would be scary.”
Dad shrugged.
“Spain just… decided to avoid arguments by not choosing official lyrics.”
Issy narrowed her eyes.
“No lyrics because of arguments? Esto es un caso.”
🐾 Why Spain’s Anthem Has No Words (La Marcha Real)
Issy marched around the kitchen in her best “Detective Stance”: tail straight, eyes narrowed.
“Right,” she declared. “Why does Spain have an anthem with no words? That’s unusual.”
Dad sat down, biscuit poised over the saucer like a tiny meteor.
“La Marcha Real,” he explained, “is one of the oldest national anthems in Europe. People tried to add words over the years, but nobody could agree. Politics… regions… history… it was easier to keep it wordless.”
Poppy exhaled with relief.
“Oh good. If there are no words, I can’t accidentally get them wrong.”
Issy considered this.
“So Spain’s anthem is basically humming with commitment.”
Dad nodded.
“Exactly. Muy formal, eh?”
👨🦱 God Save the King & Scottish Family History
Dad pressed play on another anthem. Grand, royal, dramatic.
Issy raised an eyebrow.
“This one sounds like someone’s about to put on a very big crown.”
“That,” Dad said carefully, “is God Save the King. There’s a verse people don’t sing anymore… it was rude, about the Scots. I’m not proud of it, but it’s history.”
Poppy hid behind the lemon tree.
“Why? Is it scary?”
“One of the old verses,” Dad said, “talked about crushing the Scots. But that’s long ago. People said silly things in songs back then.”
Issy gasped.
“Crushing? But Dad — your ancestors — were Scottish!”
“Exactly,” Dad said. “I’ve traced our Morrison family all the way back to 1598 in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. ¡Increíble, verdad?”
For a closer look at Dad’s family tree, see the full Morrison family tree here.
🎵 Fun Scottish Ghost Stories for Kids: Enter Glen
A faint wheeeeeeoooooo drifted across the olive groves. Bagpipes.
“Oh no…” Poppy squeaked.
“He’s coming.”
Glen appeared in the doorway, slightly faded by imagination, wagging a tail you could barely see. He was a friendly border collie cross from Dad’s childhood, a ghost who loved appearing whenever Scotland or bagpipes were mentioned.
“Aye,” Glen barked softly, tail wagging.
“Did someone mention rebellious Scots?”
Issy pointed a paw at Dad.
“He said the English anthem wanted to squish you!”
Dad threw up his hands.
“Not me! Centuries ago! Long before the ghosts were born!”
Glen sniffed.
“Do ye at least mind yer own ancestors? Hard-working folk from Clackmannanshire. Ye come from Thomas Morisone, born in 1598, ye ken. The whole clan spelled the name differently every generation — Moriesone, Morison, Muirson — like they couldnae decide how many letters to use.”
Issy’s eyes sparkled.
“This is the best family gossip ever.”
Poppy trembled.
“What if they’re upset about the anthem verse?”
Glen wagged his ghostly tail.
“Ach, lass… the past is full of silly verses. But Scots are stubborn. We outlasted them all.”
📜 Tracing Scottish Ancestors for Kids
Dad sipped his tea and opened his How to Be Right book — as usual, no useful info, but it made him feel authoritative.
“Well,” he said, “your Scottish ancestors lived in tiny cottages with turf roofs. Life was hard — long winters, bad harvests, sometimes famine.”
Issy listened intently.
“Famine sounds awful. Did they still have biscuits?”
Dad chuckled.
“Not really, Issy. But the Morrisons were tough. Some were weavers, some travelled, and some — records suggest — might even have been judges in the Hebrides, called Brieves.”
Issy stood taller.
“We come from Scottish judges? Excelente!”
Poppy peeked out.
“So we’re a bit Scottish, a bit English, and a tiny bit from Greece and Albania?”
Dad nodded.
“That’s what DNA says. Humans move around more than you think.”
Issy grinned.
“And dogs move even more when alguien abre una bolsa de golosinas.”
🐾 Educational Kids’ Story About Music & Family
Issy paced like a conductor.
“So Spain hums, Britain sings politely then pretends the naughty verse doesn’t exist, and our family tree goes back more than four hundred years.”
Dad nodded.
“Exactly.”
“And different names,” Issy added.
“Moriesone, Morison, Morrison. Did anyone even care about spelling back then?”
Dad laughed.
“Nope. People wrote what they heard.”
Poppy thought for a moment.
“So anthems and names both change over time… but families stay families.”
Dad scratched her behind the ears.
“That’s it.”
🌙 Sunset at Casa Adora
As the sky turned apricot, Dad, Issy, and Poppy sat in the kitchen doorway, watching the olive trees glow.
Somewhere faintly, the echo of pretend bagpipes drifted across the grove.
Issy smirked.
“Glen’s probably writing his own anthem.”
Poppy whispered.
“I hope it’s a quiet one.”
Dad smiled.
“Anthems aren’t just words or music. They’re history, family, and stories that make us who we are.”
Casa Adora settled into a cosy evening glow — sprinkled, as always, with biscuit crumbs for the ghosts.
Glossary: English – Spanish – Scottish
La Marcha Real – Spain’s national anthem (“The Royal March”), usually played without words
Aye / Ken – Scottish for yes / know
Brieve – A hereditary judge in old Hebridean clans
Clan – A family group with shared heritage in Scottish tradition
¡Qué exagerado! – Spanish / Andaluz: “How overdramatic!”
¡Increíble, verdad? – Spanish: “Incredible, isn’t it?”
Glen – Friendly ghost of Dad’s childhood border collie cross; appears playfully whenever Scotland or bagpipes are mentioned
This story is part of the Issy & Poppy: Kids Edition collection — bilingual adventures with Issy and Poppy in Andalucía. You can explore the whole collection in the Kids Edition Hub.
Esta historia forma parte de la colección Issy & Poppy: Kids Edition — aventuras bilingües con Issy y Poppy en Andalucía. Descubre toda la colección en el Kids Edition Hub.
Footnote: AI images, my stories — The Flexible Chef.
