The Bug Picnic

There was a party in the woods,

     Amongst the bugs and bees,

And ev’ryone was asked to come

     And bring their foods or fees.

Each animal and fish and fowl

     For miles and miles around

Were asked to come, and when the day

     Arrived, all kinds were found.

The cow, the horse, the duck and hen,

     The woodchuck, dog and cat,

The ant, the flea, the louse and bee

     The squirrel and the bat.

And when they spread upon the ground

     The food, both cooked and raw,

It was the queerest bill o’ fare

     The forest ever saw.

The oxen brought some ox tail soup,

     The cows they gave some milk;

The horses brought horseradish while

     The silk worms furnished silk.

The pole cat brought skunk cabbage for

     To scent the bill o’ fare;

One bee he brought a honeycomb

     To comb the rabbits’ hair.

The Billy goat brought butterine

     The squirrel furnished sauce;

The hen she dropped a fresh laid egg,

     Then cackled with remorse.

The ants they brought some anti-food

     Sent by rich uncles two;

And when they asked the owl for his

He simply answered “Who?”

The woodchuck chucked the pullet’s chin,

     And chuckled in his glee

The turkey gobbled all the soup

     The bat went on a spree.

The butterfly flew in a rage,

     And then the butter flew;

And when the bull-frog woke up and croaked

     The others frightened grew.

The beetle beat a quick retreat,

     The horn bug blew his horn;

The crow flew off into a field

     To pull an aching corn.

The pole cat started for the Pole,

     To find the cent he’d spent;

It was an awful looking place

     When ev’ryone had went.

May 6 or 7, ‘10