Eric's Book of Beasts

Eric said to Jupiter:

"Here I am. Good

morning, Sir,

What are your small

planets worth?

Give me one. I'll

take the Earth."

Van! Van! Caravan!

Who is the camel and

which is the man?

Jack the Rabbit

Has the habit

When you look him

in the face

He is in some other

place.

I never saw an Elephant

But that's no symptom

that I sha'n't.

My little 'Potamus and I

Walk hand in hand when

roads are dry,

But when the clouds

begin to rain,

I creep into his mouth

again.

My Crocodile is good to me—

He is as nice as he can be;

But when I go out for a ride,

I'd rather not come back

inside.

If the Giraffe were not so tall

He'd be an Awful Cannibal,

But just before he goes to bed

He sits awhile upon his head.

This little beast is called

a Goat,

He isn't anything of note,

But give him a tomato can

And he's a match for any

Man.

The 'Possum sees the

little boy;

It does not seem to

give him joy.

Old Sea Catch comes out

on the shore

To Roar,

And then he thinks it's

time once more

To Roar,

And then he thinks he'll

have to roar

Some more!

I would not like to be a

Quail,

And have Salt sprinkled

on my Tail.

The Ptarmigan lives in

the Snow;

Can Eric see him? I

don't know.

If I were born a Pelican,

I'd try my best to be a Man!

If I were born a Man, I'd wish

I might associate with Fish.

If I were born a fish—

but then,

No use to wish: Men

must be Men.

The Lion looks like Santa

Claus,

I think that this should

give him paws.

When he on Lionizing's

bent,

He always looks benevolent.

Phryne is the beast, his name,

Eric loves him just the same;

On his back, see, if you please,

Eric's name in Japanese.

This Reptile is a hardened

sinner;

But when a friend drops in

for dinner,

He greets him with an

open smile,

And makes him merry

quite a while.

O let us, like this Reptile,

be

Renowned for Hospitality!

The Lobster's home is in

the Sea;

It is as humble as may be.

But he has wandered far

afield,

And now his presence is

revealed

Within our best Society.

This Lesson to us all is

sent

To lend us due Encouragement.

A Cat may look at any King,

If he cares for that sort of

thing;

And, if he likes the likes of

that,

Most any King can see a Cat.

Little children at their play,

Happy, scrappy all the day.

There were six Kings of

Yvetôt;

They stood up there all in

a row,

And every time they looked

around

They cast their eyes upon

the ground.

I do not like to look at

Kings—

They do such very awful

things;

For actions such as this

must tend

To make one's hair stand

up on end!

Once a Monkey in Japan

Vowed his destiny was Man;

So he climbed up in a tree,

Then I saw him wink at me.

These twain our ancestors

must be, (Arboreal, undoubtedly)

But this is true; it seems

to me,

If Adam looked like this

and Eve, (With no intention to

deceive)

Thus in Creation's Rosy

Dawn,

I'm glad that I came later

on.

In their dugout lives the Wunx

With his jolly family;

Tasting happiness in chunks,

Just the same as you and me:

Not much use the world to

roam—

Happiness is found at home.

(After J. W. R.)

O, my Prophetic Soul!

I see a Totem Pole—

The only Ancient Screed

That Hempl cannot read!

The children sing in far Japan;

The children sing in Spain;

The organ and the organ man

Are singing in the rain!

R. L. S.

The squally Cat and squeaky

Mouse;

The howly Dog, by the door

of the house;

The Bat that hangs to his bed

till noon,

They all come out by the light

of the moon.

R. L. S.

"The Hunter still the Deer

pursues,

The Hunter and the Deer

a shade."

I never loved a fond Gazelle

But it would jump and snort

and yell.

A Bulldog by the river's brim,

A sinful Bulldog was to him.

The Cats catch Mice and the

Goblins chase the Elves,

But the Squidgecumsquees

they swallow themselves.

(After J. W. R.)

On the Road to Mandalay

Where the Flying Fishes play

And the Dawn come up like

thunder

Out of China, 'cross the Bay.

R. K.

It was the Mitgard Serpient,

He grabbed the Earth and

away he went; (The Mitgard Serpent was a

Cat

With a dozen legs, or about

like that).

He swallowed his tail with

all his might,

Then spit on his claws and

held on tight;

And so the world went round

all right.

And 'twas sometimes day and

sometimes night,

And 'twas always dark when

it wasn't light.

There once was a brave

Knight of Pendragon,

Who tried to Saint George

an old Dragon;

But the Dragon had Claws

At the ends of his Paws, (With no adequate Pauses

At the ends of his Clauses).

At last when the scrimmage

was done,

The Dragon had most of

the Fun!

There once was a person

in Spatsum

Who et some and gave to

his cat some;

But just what he et

That I cannot tell yet,

But 'twas probably

Flotsam and Jetsam.

I know a magic circle in the

Sea

Etched on the blue with pale

gray coral sand.

A mountain sank there once,

amid the spray,

Its widening eddies stiffened

into land

With lazy surges flapping

on the strand!

One day the Storm Wind

came to town

And the Barometer went

down.

And all the dogs and cats

had wings—

And so had all the other

things.

Little Eric in the dark

Saw a Boojum and a Snark

With a bunch of Gobelins;

Also many other things.

Such, a small boy sees in

dreams

When by night he ups and

screams.

The Sun is down,

The lazy Hound;

The Moon is up,

The little Pup.

I see the Stars;

One of 'em's Mars,

I think the others

Must be Pa's.

The Stars shine bright,

I'm sure it's night;

Then go to bed,

You sleepy-head!

The Porcupine's awake at

Dawn

To see how Eric's coming on.

"I never saw a Purple Cow!"

How can I paint one? This

is How!

When we have nothing else

to do

We ride together, I and Gnu;

And if I'm feeling extra smart,

I take him spinning in my

cart!

Comes the Bobo from his lair,

Cats and squirrels in his hair.

Eric's not a bit afraid;

He knows how such beasts

are made.

Little Eric caught a Salmon

Wandering through the field!

Mother said: "It is alarmon'

What our waters yield."

Bean soup is bad!

It makes me mad

When mother gives such

stuff to me.

But when I pour

It on the floor

I'm just as happy as I can be.

When Mother spanks

I give her thanks,

Because I know 'tis good

for me.

A happy Boy

Am I. O Joy!

What time my Daddy

paints for me!

Eric and his little Shadow

Went out walking in the

Meadow.

Little Shadow got away—

Haven't seen him since

that day.

Here we go, O Gazibou!

Eric's not afraid of you;

You may scratch and

reach and cough

But you cannot throw

him off!

Little Eric went a-fishing

With his rod and line and

hook,

And his wishing cap for

wishing

Half the minnows in the

brook.

This is what he caught by

wishing:

Trout and flying-fish and

whale.

This is what he caught by

fishing:

One small tadpole by the

tail!

Bulldog is a fearsome thing—

Eric leads him with a string.

Brother Knight pounds away

with his hammer so gay,

While Daddy does stunts

with his pen;

And mother sits clear at the

steering gear

And bosses all three of us

men.

Brother Knight is fond of curls;

Half his ancestors were girls!

So your daddy says; but, then,

Half of mine were gentlemen.

Thus we understand each other

As a sister does a brother.

'Tis a combination fine—

Will you be my Valentine?

Brother Knight, he is all right,

With Harold, Edith and the

rest;

But of all my Daddy's family

I like myself the best.

Content am I but just to

sign the checks;

Nor wot what mystery is

brewing next!

Eric's grown up with the

men;

He won't need these things

again.

Sweep them out! He'll find

his Joy

With some other sort of Toy!

Little Incas have long ears,

May they sleep a thousand years!