Old Mr McGuire, blind as a bat,

had a rabbit, a weasel, a dog and a cat.

He stroked them all as he sat by the fire,

some days they felt smooth,

and some days like wire.

With a bark, a hiss, a squeak and miaow

they demanded attention

and all got it somehow.

Old Mr McGuire, he loved them all –

‘To me you’re one creature

you’re all from the same sack.

God brought you here

and he’ll take you back.

You may think you’re all different

but, heavens above –

you are all of you loved

with one single love.’

Brian Patten

Wonderful Worms

Wonderful Worms

Anna Worm is acrobatic,

Bertie Worm is brave,

Charlie Worm is cheerful,

a daring worm is Dave.

Elspeth Worm is elegant,

Freddie Worm has fangs,

Gertie Worm is simply great,

Harvey Worm just hangs.

Ivy Worm’s inspiring,

Jasmine Worm, she jives,

Katy Worm is kindly,

Lucy Worm saves lives.

Mary Worm’s magnificent,

Nasreen Worm is neat,

Oliver Worm is odd at times,

a popular worm is Pete.

Quentin Worm is quiet and quick,

Richard Worm is wriggly,

Sanjit Worm’s surprising,

Tamsin Worm is tickly.

Ulrica Worm is upside down,

Vikram Worm is vexed,

William Worm is witty and wise,

a secretive worm is X.

Yolanda Worm likes yellow sand,

Zoe Worm has zest.

Ask any worm, ‘Are you wonderful?’

and all worms answer, ‘YES!’

Celia Warren

Song of Mr Toad

Song of Mr Toad

The world has held great Heroes,

As history-books have showed;

But never a name to go down to fame

Compared with that of Toad!

The clever men at Oxford

Know all that there is to be knowed.

But they none of them know one half as much

As intelligent Mr Toad!

The animals sat in the Ark and cried,

Their tears in torrents flowed.

Who was it said, ‘There’s land ahead’?

Encouraging Mr Toad!

The Army all saluted

As they marched along the road,

Was it the King? Or Kitchener?

No. It was Mr Toad!

The Queen and her Ladies-in-waiting

Sat in the window and sewed.

She cried, ‘Look! who’s that handsome man?’

They answered, ‘Mr Toad.’

Kenneth Grahame

The Frog

The Frog

What a wonderful bird the frog are –

When he stand, he sit almost;

When he hop, he fly almost.

He ain’t got no sense hardly;

He ain’t got no tail hardly either.

When he sit, he sit on what he ain’t got almost.

Anon.

The Brushbaby

The Brushbaby

The Brushbaby

lives under the stairs

on a diet of dust

and old dog hairs

In darkness, dreading

the daily chores

of scrubbing steps

and kitchen floors

Doomed to an endless

Life of grime

My poor little wooden

Porcupine.

Roger McGough

The Porcupie

The Porcupie

I should not try, if I were you,

To eat the porcupie;

Although the crust is brown and crisp

And packed with meat, you’ll die.