Chapter (6) SNAKES DON'T FLY

On a branch in a tree, with leaves small and green,

Hides Sidney the snake, who could not be seen.

His skin was the colour of the leaves on the tree,

And his eyes were as wide as ever could be.

 

Now Sid had no legs or hands or knees,

But he was the best, at climbing tall trees.

Then he'd lay on a branch in the tree top so high,

And spend all day watching birds in the sky.

 

One day he was lazing and wondering why,

The birds could climb trees but snakes could not fly.

It must be so nice to soar through the air,

And to spend all the day with never a care.   

 

Sid's friend was a Toucan with a beak long and wide,

It was red on the end and had stripes on the side.

Toucan said to the snake "You know what we'll do?

We'll go for a ride in the sky, me and you."

 

"But I do not have wings so how can I fly ?"

"That's easy." said Toucan, then winked one black eye.

"I have a large beak you could climb up inside,

and when I go flying you can come for a ride."

 

So Sid was excited and climbed in his beak,

And when he was ready he sat up to peek.

"Whooo hoo." He shouted as they started to fly,

"My goodness." said Sid. "We're really quite high."

 

And as Sid looked down at the tree tops below,

His tummy felt funny when they flew fast then slow.

Sid said to his friend "I'm feeling quite sick,

I think we should fly, back home really quick."

 

So Toucan flew home, Sid was happy to be,

Back safe in the jungle in his favourite tree.

"I'm glad I'm a snake." he said with a smile,

"Being a bird was great fun, but just for a while."

© 2016 MAD ENGLISHMAN