Norby Nofuss — the wise old horse as big as a bus
Welcome to The Stables,
A place for fun and fables*.
Come in and meet,
Betty the beaut — she’s scruffy but cute,
Tomboy the toughie — he’s cute but scruffy,
There’s Tickly Tig — she’s ticklish, round and big,
And Maurice McMorse — the wee Scottish donkey as strong as a horse,
Nextdoor live Johnny and Joanie Fame — the ginger twins both the same (and each as red as a flame),
Their neigh-bour is Knobbly O’Knee — the Irish racehorse as tall as a tree,
And Pauly Pee — he’s as small as you and me,
And watching from the end,
Is everyone’s wise old friend,
Norby Nofuss — he’s clearly as big as a bus!
They all live here in Bill and Ed’s yard,
It’s close to you, to find it’s not hard.
From October to May the horses and donkey have a life of ease,
Snoring, munching grass and trotting in the breeze,
And for the rest of the year they take turns from May,
Pulling tourists in carriages around a palace gardens to earn their way.
(* Note to adults: a fable is a short story with a moral, especially one in which the characters are animals, like horses and donkeys.)
It’s great fun and the tourists so friendly it’s never a bore,
But then this May Johnny and Joanie Fame decided they wanted more,
So one sunny day they nagged to the rest,
“Supposing the life we have is not the best,
Supposing out there is a life of greener grass and hay!
Supposing we escape, bet there’s much more than what we do every May!
Supposing we found a place where there was fun, fun, fun each day!
Supposing this evening we escape — what do you say?”
So to Johnny and Joanie Fame — the ginger twins both the same (and each as red as a flame),
All the horses (but one who is the most wise) replied they were game.
Betty the beaut, scruffy but cute, whinnied “Hooray!”
Tomboy the toughie, cute but scruffy, cried “Yeah, okay.”
Tickly Tig, ticklish, round and big, chortled “Hey, hey, HAY!”
Maurice McMorse, the wee Scottish donkey as strong as a horse, eeyored “Today!”
Knobbly O’Knee, the Irish racehorse as tall as a tree, sang, “Tiddley-hay!”
And Pauly Pee, as small as you and me, whispered, “Which way?”
But watching from the end,
Everyone’s wise old friend,
Norby Nofuss, clearly as big as a bus, neighed “No way!
You’ll be like the ship that sailed to the sunrise, but into a storm and got wrecked,
All the little men on board that boat got well and truly decked,
And oh they were glad to make it home to their familiar bay.
“For we are loved and looked after here by Bill and Ed,
The grass always looks greener in other fields,” he said.
But the others just “supposed”,
And that evening when their gate was closed,
With a kick and a hoof,
That nearly took off the roof,
They all escaped with little fuss,
Except for wise old Norby, clearly as big as a bus.
And while he stayed and munched his grass,
They all galloped super-fast,
Over fences and hedges and fields and a track,
Johnny and Joanie whinnied, “This is the life, we’re never going back!”
On they trotted in this new paradise,
Until suddenly a monster arose and they froze like ice.
It had a long black bottom, as ugly as you saw,
Its top made up of red, yellow and yucky blurred colours galore,
Its name was the monstrous M25,
And they all neighed “We want to stay alive!”
From Betty to Knobbly they all shook a mane,
And cried “Let’s turn back or we’d be insane!”
So they turned and they trotted, then cantered, galloped and back to their stables they ran,
Just as fast as four hooves times eight possibly can!
And they were soon happily back,
On the right track,
And into Bill and Ed’s yard,
Because to find it’s not hard.
And watching from the end,
Everyone’s wise old friend,
Norby Nofuss, clearly as big as a bus,
Who was happily eating,
But whinnied to them in kind greeting.
Then the rest ate their hay,
With no further delay,
That’s Betty the beaut — she’s scruffy but cute,
Tomboy the toughie — he’s cute but scruffy,
There’s Tickly Tig — she’s ticklish, round and big,
And Maurice McMorse — the wee Scottish donkey as strong as a horse,
Nextdoor live Johnny and Joanie Fame — the ginger twins both the same (and each as red as a flame),
Their neigh-bour is Knobbly O’Knee — the Irish racehorse as tall as a tree,
And Pauly Pee — he’s as small as you and me,
And still watching from the end,
Is everyone’s wise old friend,
Norby Nofuss — he’s clearly as big as a bus!
They all live here in Bill and Ed’s yard,
It’s close to you, to find it’s not hard.
And all agreed the best place was right under their noses,
And they’d never ever listen to any more silly “supposes”…
Copyright © EM Hunt 2009.