The Tail of Big Horace

Poor Mother Duck was oh, so tired,
for days she’d sat upon her nest
of twelve big brown-blue speckled eggs;
now there’s no time for her to rest.

Her eggs all hatched on the same day.
She had to find them food to eat,
protect her ducklings from bad cats
until they could get on their feet.

Days later they had their first swim
and to the water’s edge, in pairs,
their twenty-four flippers skipped
so soft you wouldn’t know they’re there.

In first was Prescilla the princess,
then Bill and Ann and Beth and Morris,
petite young Mary, orange Jill
and last of all was big ol’ Horace.

Who sunk. He didn’t have one feather
and couldn’t keep afloat. He tried
again, and sunk again but when
his siblings laughed at him - he cried.

All of a sudden a cry rang out -
their mother was in pain.
A snapping turtle held her leg
and wouldn’t let go again.

Big Horace ran, without a thought,
and grabbed the nasty turtle’s tail.
He pulled and pulled with all his might
unil the turtle had to bale.

His brothers and sisters applauded him
and called him ‘Horace the Hero’.
And if you were to look real close
you’d see he had a reddish glow.

Now just like that old Nurs’ry Rhyme,
where boys are made of frogs and snails,
Big Horace has all that to eat
and for a treat, some turtle tails.