The Gludger

The Gludger is a merry beast,
It likes to sing and loves to feast
On slugs and bugs and moldy bread,
The kind you find under your bed.

Some say it's got the bulk of a bear,
Sharklike teeth and chimplike hair,
The tongue of a lizard and the hooves of a bull,
And its legs are covered in cozy, warm wool.

Just think how sweet its breath must be
If skunks steer clear of the Gludger's tree!
All creatures hide or run away;
Poor thing--it only wants to play!

But it doesn't trust the human race;
It almost never shows its face
Except to prank small girls and boys:
It buries baseballs and gnaws at toys.

I once saw the Gludger in the trees
Toasting toads and bumble-bees;
I thought I heard its merry song,
Then into the river--splash!--it was gone.