"And so," said Harry Hippo, "that's the tale of Neville Gnu."

his audience of scouts all clapped and cheered;

"But that is only one," John Jackal said, "you promised two -

and Harry, could you make it something weird?"

"We want a scary story," Peter Puma said, "so black-

with death and ghosts and skeletons and blood;

I still recall the one about the demon in the yak

who fell into the witch's evil mud."

"Oh yes," cried Billy Bison, "I remember that one well,

the witch was really bad, the Devil's bride,

she trapped the yak with haunted mud she'd brewed up down in Hell,

the creature went quite crazy, then he died."

"Insane," said Larry Lion, "all his brains began to leak,

the demon turned his tail into a snake,

he tried to bite its head off but it bit him on the cheek,

the venom made his body start to shake!"

"He shook so much," said Willy Warthog, "both his eyes fell out,

his face became a thing from Halloween,

his teeth went next and then his lips and finally his snout,

the maddest, foulest thing you've ever seen."

"He died in pain so bad," said Robbie Rhino, "so severe

the jungle echoed to his ghastly screams,

and now the yak returns to haunt on this night every year,

you'll see him in the shadows of your dreams."

Old Harry Hippo chuckled. "Camp Fire Night" was going great,

and now the scouts were talking up a fright,

tomorrow's jungle hike, however, that may have to wait -

'cause none of them would sleep a wink tonight!

more of my KIDS' POEMS here