Quarter Past Two

Deep in the jungle, a tiger’s fear grew.

He sat wondering, with no clue what to do.

He had gone to bed sleepy, under stars that shone bright, But when he woke up, he had quite a fright!

He looked down at his body, once yellow with stripes, But now it was just yellow; the stripes had been wiped!

“Yikes!” yelled the tiger, “I must find my stripes!” He ran to see Cheetah; he knew what he was like. “Cheetah, what were you doing at quarter past two?” “I was stalking a gazelle, what is it to you?”

So off Tiger ran to a hive in a tree.

He poked his head inside, looking for a bee. “Bee, what were YOU doing at quarter past two?” “I was making sweet honey, what is it to you?”

Now Tiger’s heart was heavy, no sign of an end.

He was blaming striped animals and losing his friends.

Wise Owl softly told him, “Tiger, calm down.”

“Someone must have them!” Tiger exclaimed with a frown.

“Wait, Tiger…” Owl hooted, but Tiger couldn’t hear.

Tiger went on searching, too wrapped up in fear.

Hmm, thought the Tiger, where are my stripes now? He ran to see Gazelle, as fast as his legs knew how. “Gazelle, what were YOU doing at quarter past two?” “I was chomping on green grass, what is it to you?”

Then Tiger remembered Frog and ran to the lake. He swam and he swam until his legs started to ache. “Frog, what were YOU doing at quarter past two?” “I was out catching flies, what is it to you?”

Tiger’s fear turned to anger; now he shouts when he speaks,

Owl was nearby tweeting, but his voice was too weak.

Tiger could have counted, from ten down to one,

His anger may have got better, it may even have gone!

Now Tiger was cross; he felt himself shake.

He raced through the muddy green grass to find Snake.

“Snake, what were YOU doing at quarter past two?”

“I was chasing a mouse, what is it to you?”

Then Tiger was raging, his cheeks had turned red. He raced across the plains to see Zebra ahead. “Zebra, what were YOU doing at quarter past two?” “I was taking an afternoon nap, what is it to you?”

Now Tiger let out a giant old roar,

So loud that it made Zebra’s ears sore.

He roared and he roared, and when he calmed down,

He looked left and right to see nobody around…

Except a little wise owl with a smirk for a beak.

“I tried and I tried, but you wouldn’t let me speak.

Now I will tell you what happened at quarter past two.

Silly old Tiger… I was with YOU.

We were at the jungle party, monkeying around,

Having lots of fun and making quite a sound.

Then we had a paint fight; it was a right laugh,

And before we knew it, you’d had a yellow bath.

So there you have it, it was you!

YOU were the culprit at quarter past two!”

— The End —