Baba the Elephant

I was asked to write this by a mum at work for her children.  It concerns the escapades of Baba the Elephant, a toy elephant they have and love with blue/grey skin, a tatty ribbon tail and a beanie botty.  It often goes missing.  This was the result.
     Nick x

Baba the Elephant

By Nick Mellish

In the Land of Rock and sparkling sun,

Lived an elephant named Baba with a beany bum.

He lived with Felix and Rafa, two boys,

and he happened to be their favourite of toys.

With his ribbonny tail and his bluey-grey hue,

Baba was happy, so what did he do…?

Rafa and Felix went to London city,

To look at the sights all-so built-up and pretty,

And Baba went with them but, oh! Mercy me!

He’s running! He’s scurrying! Watch Baba flee!

He’s gone to the sewers to dine with the rats,

He’s climbed on the rooftops to play with the cats,

He’s popped to the park to play fetch with the dogs,

He’s snouted out marshland to chill with the frogs!

And then, a day later, he toddles back home,

With mud on his trunk and an ache in his bones,

And Felix and Rafa ask, “Where have you been?”

But Baba says nothing, he silently beams;

He smiles and knows that he’s had lots of fun,

With his ribbony tail, blue/grey skin and bean bum.

In the Land of Rock and sparkling sun,

Lived an elephant named Baba with a beany bum.

He lived with Felix and Rafa, two boys,

and he happened to be their favourite of toys.

With his ribbonny tail and his bluey-grey hue,

Baba was happy, so what did he do…?

Rafa and Felix went on a boat,

To a faraway island where coconuts float.

And Baba went with them but, oh! Look at this!

He’s scuttled away with not even a kiss!

He’s eating bananas, swallowing whole,

He’s digging for treasure in large, sandy holes,

He’s swimming with fishes and floats real deep,

Then under the moony, he falls fast asleep.

And then, a week later, he toddles back home,

With sand up his trunk and sunburn on his bones,

And Felix and Rafa ask, “What did you do?

But Baba says nothing, he’s nothing to lose.

He smiles and knows that he’s had lots of fun,

With his ribbony tail, blue/grey skin and bean bum.

In the Land of Rock and sparkling sun,

Lived an elephant named Baba with a beany bum.

He lived with Felix and Rafa, two boys,

and he happened to be their favourite of toys.

With his ribbonny tail and his bluey-grey hue,

Baba was happy, so what did he do…?

Rafa and Felix went up in the sky,

In a plane gleaming white, watching films as they fly.

And Baba went with them but, oh! It’s not good!

He’s gone away: not as good elephants should!

He’s run up the aisles and sucked children’s sweets,

He’s put his large feet and large trunk on the seats,

He’s gone to the cockpit! He’s flying the plane,

Through snowstorms and sunshine and high winds and rain!

And then, a month later, he toddles back home,

With a trunk in his trunk and x-ray of his bones,

And Felix and Rafa ask, “Where did you fly?”

But Baba says nothing (he’s that sort of guy)

He smiles and knows that he’s had lots of fun,

With his ribbony tail, blue/grey skin and bean bum.

In the Land of Rock and sparkling sun,

Lived an elephant named Baba with a beany bum.

He lived with Felix and Rafa, two boys,

and he happened to be their favourite of toys.

With his ribbonny tail and his bluey-grey hue,

Baba was happy, so what did he do…?

Rafa and Felix went to the Moon!

They hired a spaceship and (3, 2, 1) Zoom!

And Baba went with them, but, oh! Watch the face

of Felix as Baba drifts off into space!

He space-walked to Venus: Venusian fun!

He bounded to Mars for the red Martian sun,

He went to black holes and he painted them purple,

And swam with space snails and alien turtles!

And then, a year later, he toddles back home,

Spacedust up his trunk and glow-in-the-dark bones,

And Felix and Rafa say, “It’s been a year!

Did you do much, Baba?” But it falls on deaf ears.

He smiles and knows that he’s had lots of fun,

With his ribbony tail, blue/grey skin and bean bum.

***

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