Q stands for Quagga. We’ve been taught
Nothing was ever made in vain;
But even after serious thought
The Quagga’s use is not quite plain.
Though, stay!—ah, yes! at last I see
Why the queer Quagga has to be:
Were there no Quaggas, how would you
Find any beast to stand for Q?
R’s for Rhinoceros. You see
His clothing does not fit;
Yet so indifferent is he,
He doesn’t care a bit.
Although it does not seem to us
The unconcerned Rhinoceros
Has any claim to wit or grace,
We must admire his earnest face.
S stands for Sponge. You’d scarce suppose
This could be called a creature;
It hasn’t any eyes or nose—
Indeed, it has no feature.
And, though this may cause some surprise,
The mermaids, I dare say,
Will set a Sponge at night to rise,
And make sponge-cake next day.
T stands for Tiger. In the south
He roams his native heath.
He has a wide, capacious mouth,
And long and glistening teeth.
’Tis not worth while your time to spend
To cultivate him as a friend;
But to your house, so warm and snug,
Invite the Tiger as a rug.
