Frog and the Nightingale

The Frog and The Nightingale
Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, alas, they had no choice,
nd the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
t whose foot the frog each night
!instrelled on till morning night
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks"
#nsults or complaints or $ricks
%tilled the frogs determination
To display his heart&s elation"
But one night a nightingale
#n the moonlight cold and pale
'erched upon the sumac tree
Casting forth her melody
(um$struck sat the gaping frog
nd the whole admiring $og
%tared towards the sumac, rapt,
nd, when she had ended, clapped,
(ucks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded
nd a solitary loon
)ept, $eneath the summer moon"
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured*
+Bravo, + +Too divine, + +Encore, +
%o the nightingale once more,
-uite unused to such applause,
%ang till dawn without a pause"
Ne.t night when the Nightingale
%hook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and /u0ed a wing
nd had cleared her throat to sing
%he was startled $y a croak"
+%orry 1 was that you who spoke2 +
%he en3uired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the $og"
+4es,+ the frog replied" +4ou see,
#&m the frog who owns this tree
#n this $og #&ve long $een known
For my splendid $aritone
nd, of course, # wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then+
+(id you5 did you like my song2 +
+Not too $ad 1 $ut far too long"
The techni3ue was 6ne of course,
But it lacked a certain force+"
+Oh, + the nightingale confessed"
7reatly /attered and impressed
That a critic of such note
Had discussed her art and throat*
+# don&t think the song&s divine"
But 1 oh, well 1 at least it&s mine+"
+That&s not much to $oast a$out+"
%aid the heartless frog" +)ithout
'roper training such as #
1 nd few others can supply"
4ou&ll remain a mere $eginner"
But with me you&ll $e a winner+
+(earest frog+, the nightingale
Breathed* +This is a fairy tale 1
nd you are !o8art in disguise
Come to earth $efore my eyes+"
+)ell # charge a modest fee"+
+Oh, + +But it won&t hurt, you&ll see+
Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with con6dence, and 6red
)ith $oth art and adoration,
%ang 1 and was a huge sensation"
nimals for miles around
Flocked towards the magic sound,
nd the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission"
Though ne.t morning it was raining,
He $egan her vocal training"
+But # can&t sing in this weather+
+Come my dear 1 we&ll sing together"
9ust put on your scarf and sash,
:oo1oh1ah, ko1ash, ko1ash, +
%o the frog and nightingale
9ourneyed up and down the scale
For si. hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and 3uivering"
Though su$dued and sleep deprived,
#n the night her throat revived,
nd the sumac tree was $owed,
)ith a $reathless, titled crowd*
Owl of %andwich, (uck of :ent,
!allard and !ilady Trent,
!artin Cardinal !ephisto,
nd the Coot of !onte Cristo,
;adies with tiaras glittering
#n the interval sat twittering 1
nd the frog o$served them glitter
)ith a <oy $oth sweet and $itter"
Every day the frog who&d sold her
%ongs for silver tried to scold her*
+4ou must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger"
#n the second song last night
4ou got nervous in mid1/ight"
nd, my dear, lay on more trills*
udiences en<oy such frills"
4ou must make your pu$lic happier*
7ive them something sharper snappier"
)e must aim for $etter $illings"
4ou still owe me si.ty shillings"+
(ay $y day the nightingale
7rew more sorrowful and pale"
Night on night her tired song
=ipped and trilled and $ounced along,
Till the $irds and $easts grew tired
t a voice so uninspired
nd the ticket o>ce gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose 1
For her ears were now addicted
To applause 3uite unrestricted,
nd to sing into the night
ll alone gave no delight"
Now the frog pu0ed up with rage"
+Brainless $ird 1 you&re on the stage 1
?se your wits and follow fashion"
'u0 your lungs out with your passion"+
Trem$ling, terri6ed to fail,
Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
'u0ed up, $urst a vein, and died"
%aid the frog* +# tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature 1
Far too nervous, far too tense"
Far too prone to in/uence"
)ell, poor $ird 1 she should have known
That your song must $e your own"
That&s why # sing with panache*
+:oo1oh1ah, ko1ash, ko1ash, +
nd the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the $og"
@ikram %eth