MAGPIE TALES
Snake-charming is an ancient art
That you must approach with care.
A snake-charmer in a jungle
Had better, indeed, beware.
If you take your flute and play it
Where the jungle leaves are green,
You may get more than you bargain for,
Even though snakes can't be seen.
As soon as you play the first note
The snakes will raise their heads,
Darting out tongues with interest
As they laze in their leafy beds.
Slowly they'll lift their bodies,
Sinuously and then hiss,
In their special reptile language
'Brothers! What is this?'
As you play your initial number,
They'll all decide to meet,
And, sliding through the jungle,
They'll end up at your feet.
At first you'll be delighted
That you are playing well,
And that an entire population
Is under your musical spell.
You'll even enlarge your repertoire
Moving on to a jig,
Not noticing that the crowd of snakes
Is growing rather big!
Soon you'll be surrounded
By an absolute multitude,
And every snake has one thing in mind...
'Let's taste this strange new food!'
I wont go into details about your horrible demise!
Let's just say that charming snakes
Can prove to be unwise!
*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFTERTHOUGHT.
'The bridge is out! The bridge is out!'
Be alerted to this shout!
Cars may tumble in the torrent!
The thought of that is quite abhorrent!
Citizens may sink and drown
Because the bridge has tumbled down!
Such great problems will arise!
The town is cut-off from supplies!
Soon we'll see a sea of mud
Where the river's caused a flood.
Bits of bridge are floating past!
The river's rising, rising fast!
This is a tragic situation!
We dare not stand in contemplation!
Run! Run! We dare not linger!
Worst of all.........I've cut my finger!
*
