The hunt for the Wallagaroo! August 25, 2010

“The wonderful Wallagaroo,” said Bear,

“the colourful Wallagaroo!

His head is bright yellow, his legs are sky blue.

I’ll hunt him and catch him, that’s what I shall do,

I’ll drag the beast out of his lair,

he said.

I’ll drag the beast out of his lair!”

.

“The mythical Wallagaroo?” Cow jeered,

“Banana-shaped Wallagaroo?

As fake as the yeti and unicorns too,

only believed in by dimwits like YOU!

Find him and bring him back here!”

she laughed.

“Find him and bring him back here!”

.

“Dear magical Wallagaroo,” called Bear,

“Oh velvety Wallagaroo?”

He hunted him high and he hunted him low,

he hunted through deserts, he tracked him through snow.

The Wallagaroo wasn’t there!

Nor there.

The Wallagaroo wasn’t there!

.

“Incredible Wallagaroo!” sighed Bear,

“my flappy-eared Wallagaroo!

I’ve looked in the park and in Debenhams too,

He’s not in the café, he’s not in the zoo.”

He set off for home in despair.

Poor Bear!

He set off for home in despair.

.

“Peculiar Wallagaroo?” gasped Bear.

“Oh waggy – tailed Wallagaroo?”

He’d nearly reached home when he saw, on the coast,

the Wallagaroo eating sardines on toast

and brushing his beautiful hair.

He was

sat brushing his beautiful hair!

.

“So speedy my Wallagaroo,” Bear cried

“my cheetah-like Wallagaroo!”

He chased him but Wallagaroo was too quick

he ran and he ran but he made himself sick.

“I’ll catch you with Cow by my side,”

he swore.

“I’ll catch you with Cow by my side!”

.

A mischievious Wallagaroo, and how!

Intelligent Wallagaroo!

He raced past the bear and hung fish from a tree

the Bear ate them up just as quick as can be

and ran home to wake up the Cow.

He did,

he ran home to wake up the Cow!

.

“The marvellous Wallagaroo!” Bear said

“Please help catch the Wallagaroo!

He’s out where the fish grow on conifer trees!

I beg you, please help!” He fell down on his knees!

“You’re mad! Get away from my bed!”

Cow said

“You’re mad, get away from my bed!”

.

“Troublesome Wallagaroo” wept Bear

“That maddening Wallagaroo!”

“I’ll hunt him through China, Tibet and through Spain”

but nobody listened, they thought him insane.

“I tell you, he’s out there, I swear”

said Bear

“The Wallagaroo, he is there!”

.

Paul Hughes 2010

.

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Picture: www.pencilsandpaper.com

Kim the Cow and Space Cat July 15, 2010

Once on Daisy Dairy Farm, there lived a cow called Kim.

Kim was her farmer’s favourite and she was fond of him.

She was the greatest milk cow the world had ever seen.

           Her milk was rich and silky, sweet and full of cream.

.

One night Kim was woken, by red and yellow lights.

At first they hovered low, but then shot into the night.

 Her udder was quite empty, Kim was shocked and shaken.

“Oh!” she cried, “What’s going on? My milk! It’s all been taken.”

.

“The Farmer won’t be happy, if milk is being stolen.

I’ll catch that nasty thief, I’ll give him such a scolding!”

So that night she stayed awake and saw, beyond the moon,

coloured lights a twinkling. She mooed “He’ll be here soon.”

.

She didn’t have to wait long, the lights were moving fast.

They landed by the cow-sheds, scorching all the grass.

It was a flying saucer, bright silver, round and flat;

and when the door sprang open, Kim saw a pussy cat!

.

Kim lay still and closed her eyes, “he’ll think I’m fast asleep.”

The thief crept by the piggies, the chickens and the sheep.

He tip-toed past the turkey, the donkey and the foal;

but then he fell into Kim’s’s trap: a deep and dirty hole.

.

Kim looked at the Space Cat and saw his purple eyes.

His fur was pink and curly. Imagine her surprise

when she heard that Space Cat could speak in fluent cow.

He asked her quite politely “would you release me now?”

.

Kim said “No, you stole my milk. You naughty, wicked thief!

You really ought to be ashamed. Your crime’s beyond belief.”

“I had no choice.” cried Space Cat. “My family is cursed.

“Space Dogs dammed the Milky Way, we Space Cats die of thirst.”

.

Tears welled up in Kim’s brown eyes, she lowered down her tail.

“Climb up, Cat! We’ll beat the dogs. Together we can’t fail.”

“You mean you’ll help?” asked Space Cat, “to save my family?”

“Yes!” mooed Kim. “We like to help! We’ll sort things out. You’ll see!”

.

Kim packed up her rucksack and called her farmyard friends;

“grab your things, we’re blasting off, this misery must end!”

Space Cat revved the engines and turned his headlights on.

The animals all climbed aboard and WHOOSH the ship was gone.

.

The pigs soon moaned, “we’re hungry! We need to eat and soon.”

And so they stopped for breakfast, a picnic on the moon.

The Moon Mice served as waiters; “Be seated, if you please!

Our local speciality is bread and lunar cheese.”

.

Stomachs full, they blasted off and travelled through the day,

past Mercury and Jupiter, towards the Milky Way.

They almost hit an asteroid, but made it safe and sound.

They reached the Space Cat’s planet, and landed on the ground.

                                                           .

“Milk once ran in rivers,” said Space Cat, teary-eyed.

“Then the Space Dogs came and now the river beds run dry.

They built a dam to trap the milk. Now they keep it all.”

“Never fear!” said Kim, “we’re here. We’ll knock away that wall!”

.

The farmyard crew worked as a team to build a wooden ram,

tipped with lead to batter down the Space Dogs’ horrid dam.

They bashed against the brickwork, they smashed against the stone,

but suddenly they realised, they were not alone.

..

Space Dogs growled and bared their teeth, surrounding Kim and crew.

Kim cried “charge!” The pigs attacked, the ducks and goats did too.

The Space Dogs trembled, turned and ran. They knew they couldn’t win.

“Well done everyone!” said Kim. Space Cat purred and grinned.

.

Then they battered down the dam, the milk flowed fast and free.

“Yay!” cheered Space Cat. “Thanks a lot! Let’s all go home for tea!”

Mrs Space Cat baked a cake and poured some lemonade.

They raised their glasses, “here’s a toast, to all the friends we’ve made!”

.

Space Cat flew Kim back to earth, with all her farmyard crew.

They promised that they’d keep in touch, as good friends always do.

And every single night time, as Kim gets into bed,

she wonders if a bright pink cat is flying overhead.

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Paul Hughes 2010

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Picture: http://www.perrolocoproductions.com/ilustraciones/space_cow.jpg

Bull Dog March 10, 2008

 

My British Bull dog doesn’t bark

He greets me with a “moo”

For he learned a second language

At the local petting zoo

 

 

Paul Hughes 2008