Storms swept me from paradise
My stagnant lily pond
I was told that good Queen Cape
Lived in a pond beyond
She will return me, I was told
To the place where I come from
She is a piper wise and fair
Who shades beneath a leafy palm
Though I had never seen her
Legends of her charm spring air
Her legendary wisdom leads
And honest sprites earn her care
I hopped along a golden road
In oversized ruby clogs
The Bunk & Belly Inn I was told
Was a place a frog could lodge
I hopped along that golden road
Exhausted by my lonesome quest
Stiffly I must trudge ahead
Till I was home I could not rest
On the first leg of my cheerless trip
I crossed a lively ape
Who was leaping to and fro
Searching after good Queen Cape
“Will you go with me,” I asked
When he finally settled still
“No you silly frog,” he said
“You will become road kill.”
“I will swing my way through trees
To the Bunk & Belly Inn
You hop on down that road poor frog
I doubt our paths will cross again.”
I watched him swing quickly through trees
How I envied that monkey’s grin
If I could climb the highest tree
Perhaps I could see home again
Hop along I did awhile
I was not to be undone
Tiresome was my grounded route
But I would complete the task begun
My pollywogs relied on me
They must surely miss me now
On ruby clogs I hanged my hope
I would overcome somehow
Soon I saw a stately raven
With glasses on his eyes
He made a feast of blueberries
While I wolfed down fruit flies
“Do you know the way,” I croaked
“To the Bunk & Belly Inn?
I cannot find my own way home
To my pleasant darkened fen.”
“What you need, my marshy friend
Are specks to help you see
Trade me for your ruby clogs
And these glasses I will give to thee.”
“Lord above! They look cheap on you
Why they are bigger than your head
Senseless they are! Tacky trifles
And your green hide clashes with red.”
I thought a moment then looked about
My eyes could see just fine
There was no other blackbird hatched
With such a scheming line
“I take your insults most unkindly
You contemptible black bird
Just stretch your wing, point the way
And you could save me with a word.”
“Save yourself you tasteless frog,”
Said the raven as he flew.
“I see good Queen Cape from here
Give up those clogs, you can see her too.”
I sighed awhile as I hopped on
The Raven’s beak had a sting
Perhaps if we had struck a deal
I would instead have cause to sing
Swamp raiders sucked my quagmire dry
And left me but these clogs
I once swore that when I died
I’d leave them to my pollywogs
They were red and shiny
And they seemed to know the way
Perhaps if I trusted them whole
They would lead me home today
Positive thinking eased distress
Thus, I quickened up my stride
I inched along toward my goal
“Give me strength oh lord,” I cried
Shortly out there popped a hare
And a turtle in a rush
When they spied my ruby clogs
Their laughter made me blush
“What a peculiar frog you are
To wear such silly shoes
If you were in this race with us
You would be the first to lose.”
“You must not be from these parts
Here bats and owls feed all day
I would be loath to see you spread
Upon their weekend dinner tray.”