The Kangaroo and the Duck

The Kangaroo and the Duck

by Michael Espinoza



Old Kangaroo,
Certainly knew
The rule since the world began.

The cardinal rule
He learned back in school
Is simply this: "Never hurt man."

"Whatever he do,"
Learned old Kangaroo,
"You never should do a man harm.

"Do not pick a fight,
Or annoy him at night,
Nor trespass upon any farm."

"Fiddlesticks!  Phoo!"
Said old Kangaroo.
"So helpless is man without gun.

"He needs a long stick,
For he can't bite or kick!
In fair fights, he'd lose every one!

"What's that?" said a sound
'Mid a splashing around.
'Twas the duck in the Roundabout pond.

"Do I hear it true,
You bad kangaroo,
That you of mankind are not fond?"

"Without a long gun,
What has a man done
To suggest he is anything grand?"

Said the old Kangaroo.
"I could cleave him in two
Using naught but the claws on my hand!"

"Have you no sense of shame?"
Said the duck as he came
To the field where the kangaroo ate.

"Do you take a delight
In subduing in might
The less powerful?  Why do you hate?"

"It would make greater sense
If a rule did commence
That one never must harm kangaroo!

"In a fair fight, we'd win,
And leave stomach to chin
With great scars," the old Kangaroo blew.

Sighed the duck, "Then I see
You have no sympathy
For the ones who are weaker than you.

"Given that, you must pay
For your insolence; nay,
From now on you are no kangaroo!"

And so is it true:
To this day, kangaroo
Goes upon his hind legs, not on four.

He hops like a coward,
Where one time he towered;
Of man he speaks evil no more.

But unless you've a gun,
Never harm any one
Of the ill-tempered kangaroo clan.

What befell their old sire
Consumes them with ire--
They'll take their revenge upon man.