A Moody Moodus Mooder

There lived a man in Moodus, a mooder through and through,

Who worshipped dear old Moodus as mooders always do.

This mooder loved his Moodus so, he never roamed about,

For fear that Moodus would collapse and he would be left out.

This mooder while in Moodus was a very moody chap,

But other Moodus mooders for his mood cared not a rap.

This moody Moodus mooder had his mood upset one day,

When a stranger entered Moodus from a town some miles away.

He told the moody mooder that his little Moodus small,

Compared to some was but a speck upon the mammoth ball.

At this the mooder in a mood that Moodus people knew,

Was very wrath and mooder-like and very moody grew.

“Was sure ‘twas so, had heard ‘twas so, had known it since his birth,

That Moodus was the biggest an’ the only place on earth!

But still,” said he, “I’ll go an’ see if Moodus can be beat,”

And in a shaky mooder-mood he left his Moodus street.

This moody man from Moodus bade the mooders all adieu,

The first time in his moody life a journey to pursue.

“He knew the ferryboat would sink, the keers would never stop,

Or else they’d jump the track and he would fail to land on top.”

He landed in a city where ‘twas hustle, rush and roar,

And this mooder far from Moodus never saw the like before.

He got in everybody’s way was jostled all around,

His pockets picked, his watch chain gone, his hat trampled in the ground.

He tried to break away and struck a ‘lectric car kerplunk,

And then a p’liceman pulled him in on charge of being drunk.

That night within his cell he lay and thought of Moodus town,

Of mooders in a happy mood, meandering up and down.

And raising high his voice he cried: “O, Moodus, Moodus, mine!

O, would I were in Moodus with the mooders true and fine.”

“O, Moodus, Moodus, Moodus! how could I leave you so –”

Then finding him a mooder did they quickly let him go.

This mooder in a happy mood to Moodus did return,

And all the mooders moodily this mooder’s scrape did learn.

Then in a word this mooder vowed to all the Moodus men,

That Moodus was a paradise – he’d never leave again.

March 16, 1892

Pub. in Conn. Valley Ad.