BERYL’S READING SNACKS

SHIP OF FORTUNE

John lived in a house overlooking the sea,

perched on a cliff as high as could be

and every morning at quarter to two,

he woke from his sleep wondering what to do.

Should he tell Mum or pretend to sleep

as the ghost ship ‘Fortune’ passed beneath.

Billowing sails, cannons primed and ready

with a man at the wheel holding her steady.

A pirate flag fluttering to and fro,

timbers creaking and the crew on board,

drinking from tankards and singing songs,

the cabin boy and monkey dancing along.

Lanterns swaying and in the crow's-nest

a man keeping watch for unwelcome guests.

John peered through the window

and knew he'd been seen

when a man on the deck started to lean

over the ship for a better look,

a gold-ringed hand, the other a hook.

Pearly smile and hair jet black,

young John waved

and the Captain waved back.

The ship started to sail back into the mist

and John saw the Captain flick his wrist.

Something landed on the beach below,

what it was, he didn't know.

At crack of dawn he searched the place

and in a little hidden space,

he found a coin, many years old

sprinkled with seaweed and very cold.

John polished the coin until it was gleaming,

thrilled to bits that he hadn't been dreaming

ROUND IN CIRCLES

The wobbly cat wobbled round

sniffing as he went.

He found a trail, followed it

and it sent him round the bend.

THE MONKEY RAP

The baby monkeys started a group

with two guitars and a drum.

They banged and twanged all through the night

and then up came the sun.

‘Oh do belt up!’ the lion roared

with his paws clapped over his ears.

‘I didn't get a wink of sleep

you’re driving me to tears!^’

‘Hey, hey, we’re the monkeys,’

they laughed and joked

and started to play again.

‘Come on jungle!’ they shouted and yelled.

‘Why don’t you all join in?’

DISASTER

The liquorice ship set sail at three

with a crew of fifty nine.

They ate the mast and decking too

so it sank at half-past five.

WHY?

‘Why are you wearing cabbage leaf shoes?’

Michael said to Jasper.

‘Well they say that veg is good for you

so my feet should go much faster.’

JEN

Jen was our cat, a trifle fat,

she used to catch mice and that was that.

Some were too big, some too small,

some were really no use at all.

Day by day her stockpile grew,

how many she had, she hadn't a clue.

All was well ’til the fateful day

that Tabitha cat came to play.

One by one she pilfered the mice

leaving the ones that weren’t very nice.

Jen came back and gasped in horror.

'I’ll have to start again tomorrow!

It’ll take me ages to find some mice.

Tabitha stole them all in a trice!’

Down in the meadow sat Tabitha cat

where all the grass was nice and flat.

She’d put up a sign saying: ‘Bargain Sale,

half-price mice complete with tails.

by BERYL LOMAS

   Beryl's Reading Snacks        click play button for streaming audio