A Victim of Slander

Good deeds rarely go unpunished.

A Victim of Slander

 

By Elton Camp

 

An old lady once lived in the forest so deep

On day she was lying in her bed half-asleep

Then there came a noise she’d heard before

People outside, but not knocking at the door

 

“Oh, Gretel, this cottage should taste so good.”

He’d found it was made of sweets, not wood

Hansel and his sister then tore the house apart

But to do that without asking wasn’t very smart

 

“It’s kids damaging my little house some more.

Several times I’ve had to put up with that before.”

The crone hobbled to the door to ask ‘em inside

Not even once for vandalism did she them deride

 

Although their conduct had been extremely rude,

She sat them at her table and gave them some food

So to Hansel she gave his own private little room

Gretel became her housekeeper with a straw broom

 

On Hansel’s health the woman checked each day

And checked to see how much the boy did weigh

But despite all the things that for them she did do,

They ended up giving reason her kindness to rue

 

As if damaging her house wasn’t quite bad enough,

From her visitors there came even much worse stuff

And although the brother and sister looked very cute,

The helpless old woman they proceeded to execute

 

So if lost and homeless children show up at your door,

It doesn’t even pay to try to help them out anymore

As with that old lady, your reputation they may besmirch

It’s better that you play it safe and leave them in the lurch