A Nature Story

"Let us have peace" the tiger said,
As he gobbled up a girraffe,
"Let us have peace" the lion sighed,
As he gnawed the bones of a calf;
"Let us have peace" cried the jungle folk,
As they hunted in packs together-
But an elephant herd, to anger stirred,
Scattered them yond and thither.

A mouse, hot-footing from nearing slaughter,
Turned the elephants' blood to water,
But fierce eyed bird, with a venomous beak,
Grabbed the mouse without time for a squeak;
While monkey high in the bamboo tree,
Cried,"the jungle's now safe for democracy".

Then a coconut fell on the monkey's head,
And the monkey arose, with eyes blood red,
And yelled "Let the lad that shook this tree,
Come out for a tussle with me,
And I'll swat him so hard in the solar plexus,
He'll find himself twenty miles south of Texas".

So, sad to relate, the story goes,
When peace is a thing to be won by blows,
And jungles war upon jungles until,
There isn't anything left to kill;
And the last lone victor cries "Look at me!
I'm safe, I'm at peace, I'm democracy.
(Teresa Brayton 1868-1943)


Courtesy of Pete Briquette on the Reborn list.