The Poetry Corner

What Grandpa Mouse Said

By Vachel Lindsay

The moon's a holy owl-queen. She keeps them in a jar Under her arm till evening, Then sallies forth to war. She pours the owls upon us. They hoot with horrid noise And eat the naughty mousie-girls And wicked mousie-boys. So climb the moonvine every night And to the owl-queen pray: Leave good green cheese by moonlit trees For her to take away. And never squeak, my children, Nor gnaw the smoke-house door: The owl-queen then will love us And send her birds no more.