Froggy Did A’Sailin’ Go

I
Oh, Froggy did a’sailin’ go,
Where the harsh sea currents flow,
Where the winds do roughly blow,
But why, sir, did he dare?

II
He dared to sail across the wave,
To risk his life, to be so brave,
Twas for another’s life to save,
For she’s a maiden fair

III
Froggy sailed for nights and days
Through winds and storms and swelt’ring rays,
Until upon land, he did gaze
And on her auburn hair

IV
A dragon, he did also spy,
And though he knew that he could die,
He also knew he’d have to try
To kill the dragon there

V
Oh Froggy played the knightly part
Wielding sword swift, sure and smart,
He pierced the dragon through the heart,
Saved the maiden from its lair.

VI
And Froggy, therefore, filled with pride,
He asked the maid to be his bride
And so, they sailed home side by side,
The frog and maiden fair.

Oh what a funny pair!

Monster Shapes

The mother asked Caleb,
“What shape is this?”
“That’s the shape of a MONSTER!”
Caleb did hiss.
“It’s red and it’s blue
And it has a forked tongue.
No toes or fingers,
But twenty-nine thumbs.
No nose on its face
But thirty-two eyes,
Three horns on its head
That vary in size.
It eats only the eggs
Of a goose or a pheasant.
The name of this monster –
A Cantankerous Crescent!”
“A crescent it is!”
The mother did say.
“Now what shape is this?
And don’t take all day.”
Caleb studied the picture
And tugged at his ear:
“A Squalidly Square-fiend
Is what we have here.
A Square-fiend is red
With yellowish dots.
Its long hair is tangled
And tied up in knots.
Aligning its gums
Are rows of sharp teeth.
It’s covered in fur,
But with spikes underneath.
When it hears babies cry,
It cackles with glee.”
“Enough,” laughed the mother.
“Now what shape do you see?”
“A yellow-tailed beast,
Its eyes pop in and out.
There’s short, wiry fur
On its belly and snout.
The claws on its fingers
Are twenty feet long.
It smells most atrocious.
 It’s fifty bears strong.
It lives in a nest
High up in a tree:
The Toxic Triangle
Of Tog-Tippani.”
“Triangle is right,”
The mother did sigh.
“So, how about this shape?
Let’s give it a try.”
“Aha!” said young Caleb.
“A rare find indeed.
It’s as mean as a bobcat
With ten times the speed.
With no arms or legs,
It rolls ‘cross the land,
Devouring creatures
On grass and on sand.
It’s camouflageable skin
Is its claim to fame.
Contemptible Circle-beast
Is this monster’s name.”
“All right,” said the mother,
“Our very last one.
Tell me about this shape
And then we are done.”
“My most favorite monster!”
Caleb did shout,
“The most ferocious and evil,
There isn’t a doubt.
An orange-ish monster
With lots of green stripes
Where its insides should be,
Instead it has pipes.
Its metallic skin is tougher than nails.
It eats children’s toes
And small kittens' tails.
It hasn’t a brain,
And it hasn’t a soul.
It’s the Rancid, Robotic,
Rectangular Troll.”
“A rectangle. Well done,”
The mother then said,
“And you’ve taken so long,
It’s now time for bed.”

In My Imagination

In My Imagination

I’m flying in a rocket ship
Way out with the stars.
I’m hiking the Sahara,
Putting specimens in jars.
I’m tracking tigers in the jungle,
Moving steadily and slow.
In my imagination, I go
Wherever I want to go.

I’m a king up in his castle,
Surveying all my land.
I’m a knight fighting dragons
With a sword in hand.
I’m an underwater diver
Observing life at sea.
In my imagination, I am
Whatever I want to be.

I’m eating ice cream for breakfast
And chocolate cake for dinner.
No matter what game I play,
I always end up the winner.
I’m staying up super-late.
I’m feeding animals at the zoo.
In my imagination, I do
Whatever I want to do.

In my imagination,
Nothing is impossible, you see.
But here on Earth, I’m just a kid
And that’s all right with me.

Little Unicorn Series

Little Unicorn Has a Party

Little Unicorn is having a party.

The day is finally here.

She's invited lots of folks.

Some from far and some from near.

Pixie wore a brand new dress,

while Elf wore something old.

The dragons brought food that's steaming hot,

while the sprites brought something cold.

The centaurs sauntered in, some fat

And some quite skinny, too.

Many went in, a few stayed out,

Delighted by the view.

Troll came dirty, ugly and old.

His skin a moldy green.

The mermaids came lovely, young and lithe

and very, very clean.

Goblin crawled in, staying low.

Fairy came in, flying high.

As the Phoenix said "Hello,"

The Griffin waved "Goodbye."

Little Unicorn loves all her friends,

As different as they came.

Opposites are much more fun

Than when everyone's the same.

 

Little Unicorn Series

Little Unicorn does Ballet

Little Unicorn is happy.
She wears a smile upon her face.
For today, she is going
To a very special place.


Little Unicorn's excited!
For today's the day
That Little Unicorn and friends
Get to start ballet.


She'd been bored all winter long.
There was little she could do.
But now she dances every day
In a lovely pink tutu.


AUDITIONS BEING HELD TODAY
a sign says on the wall.
Little Unicorn is scared to try.
What would happen should she fall?


All her friends might laugh at her.
Embarrassed she would be.
And if she didn't get the part,
She might be sad or get angry.


Little Unicorn is jealous.
Her friend, Fairy, dances well.
But will she get the starring role?
It's just too soon to tell.


Little Unicorn is nervous.
She's the next one up, you see.
Her body's shaking. She feels quite faint.
Her legs feel rubbery.

Little Unicorn does plies,
Jetes and pireouettes.
She feels so proud! She's done it.
She seized the day with no regrets.

It's been a long, exhausting day.
Little Unicorn goes to bed.
She's tired and falls fast asleep.
Dreams of ballet fill her head.

Good night, Little Unicorn.
We bid you now adieu.
You've felt so many things today
And we all feel them too.

Little Unicorn Series

One Little Unicorn

Underneath a waterfall,
Upon a golden throne,
There sat one little unicorn
Playing all alone.

"Perhaps it's time to venture out
And find myself a chum,"
The unicorn thought to herself.
"Being by myself is glum."

And so, the little unicorn
Pranced into a vale
And promptly found two fairies
Along an orchid trail.

"Come play with us," the fairies laughed.
"Let's dance under the sun."
Three dragons wandered down the path
And joined in all the fun.

Soon, four fauns meandered by
Playing on lute and lyre.
Then five nymphs started singing
And six sprites joined the choir.

Seven griffins brought a feast
Which eight dwarves gobbled down
With the help of nine young centaurs
All mottled white and brown.

Finally, ten mermaids
Rose from the river bed
And placed water-lily laurels
On everybody's head.

"Oh, what a day! It's been so grand,"
The unicorn softly sighed.
"Friends make each day better,"
A fairy quick replied.

And so, the little unicorn
She counted all her friends.
And you can do the same
For this story's at an end.

Safia

Safia

Safia opened her eyes and stretched.
"Today, I will be a princess."
She informed her parents of the decision.
They were mostly supportive.
"What would you like for breakfast, Princess Safia?" asked her mother.
Safia thought very hard.
"What would a princess eat for breakfast?"
"I think princesses eat very healthy because they have to grow big and strong," said her father.
"I know just the thing," said Mother.
"A bowl of fruit and some whole grain waffles with just a bit of syrup to keep your majesty sweet."
When breakfast came, Safia's father pulled out her chair.
She sat at the table and began shovelling food into her mouth.
"Tsk, tsk," said her mother.
"If you're a princess, you have to eat like one.
Sit up straight, use your fork and spoon and keep your elbows off the table."
"And eat slowly," reminded her father.
Safia nodded and picked up her fork.
"Being a princess is hard work," she thought.
After breakfast, Princess Safia wanted to play outside.
"Of course, Princess Safia," said her father.
"But don't get your clothes dirty. Princesses never have stains on their clothes."
Safia played outside for awhile, but she grew weary of avoiding puddles and dirt and soon came back in.
"Being a princess is hard work," thought Safia.
After lunch, Safia performed some "royal" duties and then announced her afternoon itinerary.
"I am having a ball," she informed her parents.
"I will need a beautiful new ball gown. And the ballroom will need to be decorated with balloons and streamers.
The theme of the ball is pink."
Mother and Father looked at each other.
"Princesses always use their manners," said her father.
"Please," said Safia.
"Well," said Mother, "you have been pretty good. I think a ball might be in order."
While Father went to get supplies, Safia and Mother looked in the attic for the perfect ball gown.
"I found it," said Mother.
It was pink and lacy and Safia thought it was just perfect.
"I will be the belle of the ball in this," she said as she put it on.
Then her mother pulled out something else - a crown!
"What a beautiful princess you are, Safia," said her mother.
Soon, the neighborhood kids began to arrive, each dressed in their finest attire.
"Princesses have to be nice to everyone and make sure everyone is getting along," reminded her father.
Princess Safia wanted to spend all of her time with her best friend, Madeleine, but because she was a princess, she talked to everyone.
And when Mother brought out punch and cake, instead of being first in line, Safia helped serve her friends because Mother told her that the best princesses put their subjects' needs before their own.
Finally, after all of her friends had a slice of cake, Safia had one too.
It was strawberry flavored, with pink frosting, and it was delicious.
After cake, Safia wanted to play freeze dance, but her friends wanted to play hide and seek.
"Princesses always listen to what their subjects want," said the father, so Princess Safia played hide and seek with her friends instead of freeze dance.
"Being a princess is hard work," thought Safia.
Pretty soon, it was dark and time for her friends to go home.
Princess Safia thanked all of them for coming, because princesses should be always grateful when their friends come to visit.
After the last child left, it was time for Princess Safia to get ready for bed.
She put on her most stately pajamas and brushed her teeth.
"Can't I stay up a little bit later?" she asked. "I am a princess."
"Princesses have to get a lot of rest," said Mother, "so they can be ready for the morning."
"Being a princess is hard work," said Safia.
"Try being a princess' mother," her mother replied.