If Artists at their easels
Should ever paint the measles,
I hope they’ll try and put the curious dreams in too;
For when I went to bed
With an aching in my head,
And feeling rather red,
I saw the Long-tailed Monkey, and the Keeper from the Zoo.
We had a little talk
And they said “we’ll take a walk;
We’ve got a Hastings Donkey that perhaps will do for you;”
And though the sky was dark
We made for Regent’s Park,
My friends the Long-tailed Monkey and the Keeper from the Zoo.
They said “we see no reason,
Though it’s late-ish in the season,
Why a little picnic we shouldn’t try and do!
And if you’ve no objection,
We’ll make our own selection
Of the many Midnight Sports in the Gardens of the Zoo!”
My word it made me stare
As soon as we were there,
To see so many pleasant faces that I knew,
It was like a Noah’s Ark,
In the middle of the Park,
With nothing savage left in the creatures of the Zoo!
The dens were all unlocked,
And yet I was not shocked
To mingle in the throng, though my Donkey gave a bray!
But the Zebra calmed his fears,
And the Wild Ass stroked his ears,
And promised him a Thistle as soon as it was day.
The kind Angora Goat,
Now brought a little note,
Which he said was sent for me from Madame Kangaroo,
Who “hoped that I was well,
With love from Miss Gazelle”—
But this I did not tell
My friend the Long-tailed Monkey or the Keeper from the Zoo!
Lynxes, Tigers, Leopards,
Were all as tame as Shepherds,
The baby Hippopotamus was playing with the Storks!
The Elephants all hurried,
Though not the least bit flurried,
With Trunks of birthday presents for little Master Fawkes!
Badgers, Wolves, and Foxes,
All had left their boxes,
And coming up to me said “Johnnie, how d’ye do?”
And then that old Hyena!
I wish you could have seen her,
And the smile of recognition she gave me at the Zoo!
The tall Giraffes and Camels,
Without their daily trammels,
Were cracking merry jokes with Prickly Porcupine
And the funny little Monkeys,
Did the work of flunkeys,
Served the Bears with buns, and gave the Keeper wine!
The Serpents hugged the Rabbits!
What strangely altered habits!
The Eagle and the Vulture did nothing else but coo!
The Cockatoos and Jays
Both talked each other’s praise,
Till the Snake did spring his Rattle in the Gardens of the Zoo!