He walked with a limp and a luminous chimp in a land where the elephants fly.
He searched far and near, near and far, yes, he sought,
For a thief with a beak and a hoot,
An oy had descended when he'd been upended and stolen the twin of his boot.
Through the cold fires of Gree he hobbled and sneezed to the tippity top of Mt. Grue,
There a nest he espied made of braces and ties where the elephant bird of Foo flew.
The bird of Foo knew old Ponimonous Snoot, yes, his face was well knew far and wide,
For wanted was he by the Sheriff of Gree, for an amethyst plucked from his wife.
Ponimonous Snoot thrust his half-feathered boot at an angle conducive to view,
"Have your eyes e'er espied on your elephant flights, a boot that would make this one two?"
The elephant bird he did not dare be stirred, for a secret he kept in his cleft,
His friend was an oy who had swapped for a toy a boot of the right, not the left.
The feathers half-tickled where no sunlight trickled, his pachyderm perm was a-squirm,
"I might have a clue," he sniggered and blew, "but the fee for my key is a worm"
Now, silly, old Snoot, all concerned for his boot, had neglected to pack any worms,
"Just give me a day and your price I will pay, but I strongly object to these terms!"
The luminous chimp was not such a wimp, in the glow from his fur he could see,
That elephant bird was a thief and a cur, and the boot was stowed up its jacksy.
Now chimps aren't the brightest bulb in the night,
But they're brighter than birds, we all know,
And a luminous chimp is brighter again than a chimp without fur that can glow.
So, the chimp drew a match from the back of his pack, and struck it upon a cheque tie.
The match grew a flame and the bird knew its game was as up as the stars in the sky
The nest caught alight and the bird took to flight and Ponimonous cried out with glee,
There in the bottom, amongst varied flotsam, was his half-feathered boot, he could see.
But feathers are flammable in flames so unquenchable and the fire took hold of the boot.
Can you conceive, the horror that screamed through the heart of Ponimonous Snoot?
He picked up the chimp, with a wrist far from limp, and threw him to choke out the heat,
And thus learnt as chimp burned, that fire won't spurn glowing primates or boots for the feet
The elephant bird, with his guilt all-astir, saw this murderous act perpetrated,
And flew at the back of Ponimonous Snoot as he flapped and he wailed and berated.
And justice was served by that mighty big bird, as Ponimonous fell on the pyre,
He danced in the flames, where he'll ever remain, in boots cut from hot crystals of fire.
©Adam Walton
2010
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