Bugging You From San Juan Island

I came across this photo today.  Took it over the summer from my front porch.  My daughter laughingly reminded me of a poem she remembered reading long ago about a fox.  She said the poem had lyrics that went something like “they chewed on the bones-o!” I remembered then…a sing-song that certainly appealed to the imagination of a yong child.   A quick Google search found just the one.  It’s an old folk song that was in one of her homeschool poetry books.  There were several versions out there so you can find one that you enjoy and sing it along with your child….or NOT 🙂

 

           Little fox went out on a chilly night.

 

        He prayed to the night to give him light.

 

        He had many a mile to go that night

 

        Before he reached the town oh,

 

        Town oh, town oh.

 

        He had many a mile to go that night

 

        Before he reached the town oh.

 

 

 

        He ran and he ran till he came to a pen.

 

        The ducks and geese were kept therein.

 

        He said, “A couple of you are gonna grease my chin

 

        Before I leave this town oh,

 

        Town oh, town oh.

 

        A couple of you are gonna grease my chin

 

        Before I leave this town oh.”

 

 

        He grabbed the grey goose by the neck

 

        And flung a duck across his back.

 

        He didn’t mind the “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

 

        And the legs all dangling down oh,

 

        Down oh, down oh.

 

        He didn’t mind the “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

 

        And the legs all dangling down oh.

 

 

 

        Old Mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed.

 

        Up to the window she cocked her head.

 

        She cried, “John! Oh John! The grey goose is gone

 

        And the fox is on the town oh,

 

        Town oh, town oh.

 

        “John! Oh John! The grey goose is gone

 

        And the fox is on the town oh.”

 

 

 

        John, he ran to the top of the hill

 

        And blew his horn loud and shrill.

 

        The fox, he said, “I’d better flee with my kill,

 

        Or they’ll soon be on my trail oh,

 

        Trail oh, trail oh.

 

        The fox, he said, “I’d better flee with my kill,

 

        Or they’ll soon be on my trail oh.”

 

 

 

        He ran till he came to his cozy den.

 

        There were the little ones: eight, nine, ten.

 

        They said, “Daddy you’d better go back again

 

        It must be a mighty fine town oh,

 

        Town oh, town oh.

 

        Daddy you’d better go back again

 

        It must be a mighty fine town oh.”

 

 

 

        Little fox and his wife, without any strife,

 

        Cut up the goose with a carving knife.

 

        They never had such a supper in their life

 

        And the little ones chewed on the bones oh,

 

        Bones oh, bones oh.

 

        They never had such a supper in their life

 

        And the little ones chewed on the bones oh.

 

 

 

What do you think happened the next night?

 

 

 

Guitar:  C  C  C  G  C   F  C-G7  C  G  C  F  C  G  C

 

   

 

Old versions of the song:

 

Fox Went Out

A hungry fox jumped up in fright
And he begged for the moon to give him light,
For he had many miles to trot that night,
Before he reached his Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, for he had many miles to trot that night
Before he reached his Den-o.

So he cocked up his head and out went his tail
And off he went on the long, long trail
Which he done many times in calm and gale
But he always got back to his Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, (repeat last two lines).

And soon he came to the old farm yard
Where the ducks and geese to him were barred
But he always got one by working hard
To take back to his Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, (repeat last two lines).

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck
And slung her right across his back
And the old grey goose went quack, quack, quack
But the fox was off to his Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, (repeat last two lines).

Ol’ Mother Slipper Slopper jumped out of bed
And out of the window she poked her head,
Oh, John, John, the grey goose has gone
And the fox is off to his Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, (repeat last two lines).

John went up to the top of the hill
And he blew a trumpet loud and shrill
Said the fox, that’s very pretty music, still
I’d rather be in my Den-o.
Den-o, Den-o, (repeat last two lines).

At last he got back to his den
To his dear little foxes eight, none, ten
And they’ve had many fat geese since then
And sometimes a good fat hen-o
Hen-o, Hen-o, (repeat last two lines).

from the Copper Family

 

 

The Fox (2)

The old fox stepped out one moonshining night
Stood upon his hind feet just about right I’ll have
some meat for my supper this night
Before I leave this townee (townee, townee)
I’ll have some meat for my supper this night
Before I leave this townee

He went on down to the blacksmith’s gate,
There he saw an old black drake
Come on along old drake and go along with me
You’re the finest old fellow in this townee
(REPEAT AS PER FIRST VERSE)

The old drake sat still and the word cried NO
Just sat still ’cause he didn’t want to go
If you eat no meat ’til you eat meat of mine
You’ll eat no meat in the townee (REPEAT)

He went on down by the farmer’s gate
These he swa an old grey goose
Come along old goose and go with me
You’re the finest old fellow in the townee (REPEAT)

The old goose sat still and the word cried NO
Just sat still ’cause he didn’t want to go
If you eat no meat ’til you eat meat of mine
You’ll eat no meat in the townee (REPEAT)

He went on home to his den
Out come the young ones 8-9-10
O father, O father when you again
You’ve had no luck in this townee (REPEAT)

He went on back on his back track
He took the old grey goose by the neck
Her wing went flip-flop over his back
Her feet went dingle dangle down-ee (REPEAT)

Old mother tipped up in the bed
Out of the window she poked her head
Old man, old man the grey goose is gone
I thought I heard her go quack, quack-eo (REPEAT)

The old man jumped up in his shirtail
And with toe dogs on the trail
They caught the fox at the end of the trail
And that was the end of the fox-e-o (REPEAT)

 

‘TWAS THE NIGHT…”

‘Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the dark,

 

THAT ranger was stalking around in the park.

Tearing down forts the kids built that day…

 

On the beach, out of driftwood, when they were at play.

The foxes and rabbits were hiding with fear,

 

Afraid they’d not make it to see the New Year.

Grownups were home lamenting the fact,

 

That the tickets he gave out were beginning to stack…

Up so high, in a pile they could never be paid,

 

And they wished all along that at home they had stayed,

Instead of taking the dog for a run,

 

On the beach, sans the leash, so he could have fun.

But Santa was watching it all from afar,

 

And sent out his elves to sneak “Ranger’s” car.

They locked it inside the bathroom that night,

 

And in exchange they left this note in plain sight.

It said:  Be nice to the islanders’ or you will get coal in your stocking this year!

 ***Text and drawings copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

And just for the record, I had to add this……

I hope the ranger knows this is all just in jest

Because I don’t want him to put me under arrest

It’s all in good fun and no harm intended

The dog isn’t dead, so that’s not how things ended!

***Text and photographs copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

Last night I couldn’t fall asleep.  Maybe it was the almost full moon outside  There was a glow on the trees that cast shadows in my room.  I believe that’s when the Sandman snuck in and sprinkled rhyming dust on my head.  Whatever the case, it got the verse going and the words started flowing.

So this verse is in jest, as you all might have guessed. Not meant for offense, just good humor at best.  The sandman has gone, so maybe now I can rest 🙂

Enjoy!  xx

 

Be wary of Barry
He’s out on patrol,
Looking for people
With their dogs on a stroll.

You better have leashes
Attached to your pet,
Or he’ll give you a ticket
But that’s not all you’ll get.

Hands up in the air
Face down on the ground,
You better not move
And don’t make a sound!

Or out come those handcuffs
He’ll take you to jail.
You’ll have to call up your friends
To get you out on bail.

But the al-ter-na-tive
Is much worse you know,
He has a gun on his hip
And it’t not just for show.

If you make Barry mad
And you argue instead,
He might pull the trigger
And shoot your dog dead.

My daughter, Amanda gave me my birthday present today…about a whole month early!  Not complaining here at all though…I LOVE it!  This is what I worked on this evening to incorporate into my Wildlife Management Plan I have to write for my graduate class.  It was a perfect evening to stay indoors and doodle and with this headache I’ve had for about 4 days and counting now, everything rhymes, so I wrote a poem to go with my picture.  Enjoy!

There was a bird dressed in feathers of blue

That sang in the morn when the day was new

It feasted on insects

that ate the weeds

or pollinated flowers

so they’d have seeds

~

But that day they sprayed

The weeds all died

The insects went hungry

And the bluebirds tried

~

To find food for their young

But there was none to be had

They searched high and low

But the outcome was bad.

~

The foodchain was altered

With herbicide

The insects left

And the baby birds died.

~

The birds of blue

Didn’t come the next year

For fear that their food

Would all disappear.

~

Improving the prairie

Is a very good goal

But the point here to learn

Is that all things have a role

~

To play in the food web

They all interact

Survival of species

Depends on that fact.

***Text and photographs copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

The goblins came, the witches too

And all the little spooks

They danced around the graves that night

Like crazy island kooks.

~

Cow and pig down underground

Got tired of all the scream’in

It was giving them a headache –

 They were missing trick or treat’in.

~

The fairies came and sprinkled dust

o’er the graves of our fair friends

and cow and pig were uninterred

to rise and feel the wind.

~

The wind did blow away the goblins,

The witches and the spooks.

All Cow and Pig have to deal with now

are all those island kooks!

 ~ 

 ***Text and photographs copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

 

Here lies Cow & Pig

Underneath a mound

Of blackest dirt piled up so high

O’er their bodies upside down.

~

It’s Halloween tonight and all

The spooks come out they’ve said,

To dance ‘round under the moon

And celebrate the Dead.

~

Check back tomorrow to find out

For this is what I’ve heard…

That Cow & Pig will rise again

From where they’ve been interred!

~

Happy Halloween San Juan Island!                  

~~~

~

  ***Text and photographs copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

                                                                                     

They came to get him in the night

When everything was black

A lantern cast an eerie glow

Down from the horse’s back

~

They said he was a wanted man

Guilty of the crime

The rope they held for all to see

He had but little time.

~

No judge or jury to advocate

Against the angry mob

There was nowhere for him to run

His wife began to sob.

~

The man he kneeled to pray to God

“Save my eternal soul…

Help my family when I’m gone

It’s all in your control.”

~

He kissed his wife and son goodbye

And then he stepped outside

To face his fate from the angry men

About him who had lied.

~

They led him to the rounded knoll

Where the gallows stood

The rope was slipped around his neck

Over his head they placed a hood.

~

That night he left the home he’d known

And the family he had loved.

But God had heard his prayers that night

From heaven up above.

~

His family was provided for

God watched over them for him.

And promised that they would one day be

Together once again.                                      

 

 ***Text and photographs copyright 2011 by Cynthia Brast.  No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the author.

 

 

   

The Empty Barrels…a Halloween Poem

Have you ever seen this really interesting beetle that scavenges for carrion and buries it underground?  Here’s one I photographed at San Juan Island National Historical Park’s American Camp.  Traveling with a load of phoretic mites  (phoresy means to hitch a ride), he was following his fine-tuned chemo-sensors (located on his antennae) on the trail of a dead animal.

If he was lucky that day and found rotting “Vinny vole”, he’d dance around with his tail up in the air to attract a mate.  Lucky twice? The dance worked.  She was interested!  He’d then have her work to help him bury the “road-kill” underground.  Once interred, they’d shape the carcass into a brood ball (looks like a bird nest) and the female beetle would lay her eggs in it.

Even more fascinating, the happy couple stick around to feed the larvae after they hatch.  The parent beetles even play them lullabies!  They stridulate (visualize a violin with a bow) to call the young in order to regurgitate food into their mouths.  Curious to know more?  Read my graduate literature review and see how fascinating these insects can be.

A Literature Based Key to Silphidae-Nicrophorinae in Washington State-1