Captain Beaky
by:
Keith Michell
The bravest animals in the land
Are Captain Beaky and his band.
That's Timid Toad. Reckless Rat.
Artful Owl and Batty Bat.
March through the woodland Singing songs
That tell how they have righted wrongs
Once Hissing Sid, an evil snake
Kept the woodland folk awake
In fear and trembling every night
In case he gave someone a bite.
Said Artful Owl, 'We'll lie in wait
And one of us will be the bait.'
Said Captain Beaky, 'Have no fear
For I alone will volunteer.'
'No make it me,' said Reckless Rat,
'I'll stand there in my reckless hat
When Hissing Sid picks up my trail
I'll just lasso him with my tail.'
'Good idea,' said Timid Toad,
'We'll hide a long way down the road.
And when you've overcome resistance
We'll rush along to your assistance.'
Said Batty Bat, 'I've got a wheeze,
I'll fly and hide up in the trees.
If Hissing Sid should slither by,
I'll drop a boulder from the sky.'
Said Artful Owl, 'The idea's sound.
How will you lift it off the ground ?'
Poor Batty Bat just scratched his head,
'1 hadn't thought of that, he said.
Said Owl, 'The rest of us hold back,
There's only one that he'll attack.'
Said Timid Toad, 'I like your plan.'
'Good luck,' said Owl, 'For you're the man'
So Timid Toad, his eyes a-popping,
Into the woodland night went hopping.
Captain Beaky waved his hand
Followed with. his trusted band
That's Artful Owl and Reckless Rat.
Above the trees flew Batty Bat.
'Stop, 'said Beaky, 'I hear squeaking.'
'It's Batty Bat,' said Owl, 'He's speaking
'It's all in code,' said Reckless Rat.
Said Owl, 'I'll just decipher that.'
A dash, a dot, two short, two long,
I rather hope I've got it wrong.
It reads, can clearly see the road.
Hissing Sid has captured Toad.'
'Quick men,' said Beaky, 'No delay,
You mustn't let him get away.'
And leaping off, said, 'Follow me,'
And ran head first into a tree
'Dot -dot -dot,' squeaked Batty Bat.
Said Beaky, 'Quick, decipher that.'
Cried Reckless Rat, 'Perhaps we're gaining
'No' said Owl 'He says it's raining.'
Oh how they ran to save poor Toad,
For they must find that Snake's abode.
Guided by old Batty Bat,
Dot - dot, go this way, Dash  go that.
Then Hissing Sid's lair they espied.
Were they too late ? Was he inside ?
Said Reckless Rat, 'I'll get a pole,
And stop him going down his hole.'
Then into sight the Snake came hopping,
Right past his hole, no sign of stopping
Said Reckless Rat, 'That's rather funny,
There's something jumping in his tummy.'
Said Captain Beaky, 'Well, I'm blowed,
Hissing Sid has swallowed Toad.'
And as the Snake hopped out of sight,
Off they chased into the night.
At last they found him, tired and dizzy
And pulled out Toad, who said, 'Where is he ?
For left alone, I felt quite sick
And hopped into a hollow stick.'
Said Owl, 'A clever step to take,
You jumped into that Slippery Snake.'
'That was brave of Toad,' said Rat.
'That's just my sort of plan,' said Bat.
Said Captain Beaky to his men,
'We'll not see Hissing Sid again.'
And as they marched off down the road,
They sang in praise of Timid Toad.
Above them flew old Batty Bat,
With his wings stretched out quite flat.
Owl's idea, that clever fellah,
To have a flying umberella.
The bravest animals in the land
Are Captain Beaky and his band.
That's Timid Toad. Reckless Rat. Artful Owl and Batty
Bat.
March through the woodland Singing songs
