Canary-birds feed on sugar and seed, Parrots have crackers to crunch;And as for the poodles, they tell me the noodles Have chicken and cream for their lunch.
But there"s never a question
About MY digestion- ANYTHING does for me.
Cats, you"re aware, can repose in a chair,
Chickens can roost upon rails; Puppies are able to sleep in a stable,And oysters can slumber in pails. But no one supposesA poor camel dozes-
ANY PLACE does for me.
Lambs are enclosed where it"s never exposed,
Coops are constructed for hens; Kittens are treated to houses well heated,And pigs are protected by pens.
But a camel comes handy
Wherever it"s sandy-
ANYWHERE does for me.
People would laugh if you rode a giraffe Or mounted the back of an ox;It"s nobody"s habit to ride on a rabbit
Or try to bestraddle a fox. But as for a camel, he"s Ridden by families-ANY LOAD does for me.
A snake is as round as a hole in the ground, Weasels are wavy and sleek;And no alligator could ever be straighter Than lizards that live in a creek.
But a camel"s all lumpy,
And bumpy, and humpy- ANY SHAPE does for me.
- Charles Edward Carryl
Author.-Charles Edward Carryl (1841-1920), an American writer, was born in New York, where he became a well-known business man. He wrote much humorous verse and some books of fanciful tales.
General Notes.-Make a list of all the complaints of the camel. Make up a conversation between the camel and some of the animals that he imagines are better treated than he is. Try to show both sides. Do you ever feel like the camel? Read the story and the poem about the camel in Kipling"s Just-so Stories.
Suggestions for Verse-speaking.-Do you notice that each verse canbe divided into two parts? Each line in the first part can be spoken by a different pupil or by different groups, and all can chant together the last three lines (the second part) in each verse.