I've neglected this site for too long, so I thought I'd give a little bonus. I just finished a new manuscript called Night at the County Fair. I thought I'd share it with you.
When night has arrived at the big county fair,
and all of the people who spent the day there
have headed back home in their trucks and their cars,
with headlights and taillights that twinkle like stars;
the only one staying is Mr. McCade,
who cleans up the messes the others have made.
He wipes off the counters, the tables and chairs,
and throws away half eaten apples and pears.
He sweeps up the wrappers, the cups and the spoons,
the napkins and cans and the broken balloons.
He takes all the trash and he throws it away,
then turns out the lights and he calls it a day.
But look in the shadows, who’s creeping about?
It looks like the pigs and the chickens got out.
And wait, there’s a goat and a cow and some sheep.
They’re sneaking around when they should be asleep.
And now there’s a horse, and a goose, and a duck.
They’ve turned on the lights and they’re running amuck!
They woke up the rooster, who crowed with a shout,
“You’re all in big trouble if someone finds out.
You shouldn’t be out here; the fairs not for us.
You know they won’t like it; they’ll raise quite a fuss.
If people should see us who knows what they’ll do?
With our luck they’ll ship us all off to the zoo!
We’ll end up in cages with lions and bears;
they’ll catch us and eat us, but nobody cares!
Well I’m not about to be some lion’s lunch;
I won’t get in trouble because of this bunch.
I’m riding the Ferris wheel right to the top
so they can all hear when I tell them to stop.
The Fun House won’t seem near as fun as you thought
when shrieking and shouting gets everyone caught.
Stop smudging those mirrors and making that face;
you’re leaving your hoof prints all over the place.
You take off that mask and stop chasing the duck;
I’m telling you now that you’re pressing your luck.
You pigs in the taffy, I see what you’ve done;
you take all that goop off that hamburger bun.
Get out of the ice cream and elephant ears,
stop eating the peanuts and licorice spears.
You’re spilling your pop and your chips and your fries,
and don’t even think about cutting those pies.
The Octopus spinner, the Space Graviton;
those rides are off limits, don’t even get on.
And so are the Zipper and bumper cars too,
the Rocket Ship Launcher, and Swing Spinneroo.
You all have to stop and get off of your ride,
the lights and the music are too much to hide.
Stop playing those games and get back to your pens,
stop throwing those rings ‘round the necks of my hens.
No popping balloons, don’t you dare throw that ball,
the shooting range shouldn’t be open at all.
Stop plucking those ducks and stop ringing that bell;
I’m taking down names and I’m going to tell.
“Hey Rooster,” said Goat, “you should leave us alone,
or come down and play for a prize of your own.
There’re whistles and rings and a motorized shark,
the swords and the necklaces glow in the dark.
They played and won plushies, a ball, and a flag,
and some of them even won fish in a bag!”
“I see a truck coming; it’s headed this way,
you’re in for it now is all I’ve got too say.
You’re all in big trouble, I’m glad I’m not you,
he’ll drive through the gate in a minute or two.
He’s going to catch you, and then you will see,
it would have been better to listen to me.
I’d like to get back to my nest on the ground,
So somebody please make this wheel go around.
You’ll all have to stay here to clean up your mess;
he’ll keep you up working all night I would guess,
then lock you in cages and throw out the key,
I’m glad I won’t be here, I’m glad it’s not me.
Hey, where are you going? You can’t run and hide!
He’ll think that I did this!” that old rooster cried.
“Get back here and help me, you can’t disappear.
He’ll come through the gate and he’ll see me up here!
I’ll get all the blame for what YOU did tonight;
that wouldn’t be fair, and it wouldn’t be right!”
But that’s just what happened that night at the fair,
when Rooster got caught on the Ferris wheel chair.
When night has arrived at the big county fair,
and all of the people who spent the day there
have headed back home in their trucks and their cars,
with headlights and taillights that twinkle like stars;
the only one staying is Mr. McCade,
who cleans up the messes the others have made.
He wipes off the counters, the tables and chairs,
and throws away half eaten apples and pears.
He sweeps up the wrappers, the cups and the spoons,
the napkins and cans and the broken balloons.
He takes all the trash and he throws it away,
then turns out the lights and he calls it a day.
But look in the shadows, who’s creeping about?
It looks like the pigs and the chickens got out.
And wait, there’s a goat and a cow and some sheep.
They’re sneaking around when they should be asleep.
And now there’s a horse, and a goose, and a duck.
They’ve turned on the lights and they’re running amuck!
They woke up the rooster, who crowed with a shout,
“You’re all in big trouble if someone finds out.
You shouldn’t be out here; the fairs not for us.
You know they won’t like it; they’ll raise quite a fuss.
If people should see us who knows what they’ll do?
With our luck they’ll ship us all off to the zoo!
We’ll end up in cages with lions and bears;
they’ll catch us and eat us, but nobody cares!
Well I’m not about to be some lion’s lunch;
I won’t get in trouble because of this bunch.
I’m riding the Ferris wheel right to the top
so they can all hear when I tell them to stop.
The Fun House won’t seem near as fun as you thought
when shrieking and shouting gets everyone caught.
Stop smudging those mirrors and making that face;
you’re leaving your hoof prints all over the place.
You take off that mask and stop chasing the duck;
I’m telling you now that you’re pressing your luck.
You pigs in the taffy, I see what you’ve done;
you take all that goop off that hamburger bun.
Get out of the ice cream and elephant ears,
stop eating the peanuts and licorice spears.
You’re spilling your pop and your chips and your fries,
and don’t even think about cutting those pies.
The Octopus spinner, the Space Graviton;
those rides are off limits, don’t even get on.
And so are the Zipper and bumper cars too,
the Rocket Ship Launcher, and Swing Spinneroo.
You all have to stop and get off of your ride,
the lights and the music are too much to hide.
Stop playing those games and get back to your pens,
stop throwing those rings ‘round the necks of my hens.
No popping balloons, don’t you dare throw that ball,
the shooting range shouldn’t be open at all.
Stop plucking those ducks and stop ringing that bell;
I’m taking down names and I’m going to tell.
“Hey Rooster,” said Goat, “you should leave us alone,
or come down and play for a prize of your own.
There’re whistles and rings and a motorized shark,
the swords and the necklaces glow in the dark.
They played and won plushies, a ball, and a flag,
and some of them even won fish in a bag!”
“I see a truck coming; it’s headed this way,
you’re in for it now is all I’ve got too say.
You’re all in big trouble, I’m glad I’m not you,
he’ll drive through the gate in a minute or two.
He’s going to catch you, and then you will see,
it would have been better to listen to me.
I’d like to get back to my nest on the ground,
So somebody please make this wheel go around.
You’ll all have to stay here to clean up your mess;
he’ll keep you up working all night I would guess,
then lock you in cages and throw out the key,
I’m glad I won’t be here, I’m glad it’s not me.
Hey, where are you going? You can’t run and hide!
He’ll think that I did this!” that old rooster cried.
“Get back here and help me, you can’t disappear.
He’ll come through the gate and he’ll see me up here!
I’ll get all the blame for what YOU did tonight;
that wouldn’t be fair, and it wouldn’t be right!”
But that’s just what happened that night at the fair,
when Rooster got caught on the Ferris wheel chair.
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