The Cane Break

Don’t ever go into the cane break at night

When the wind is wild and the moon shines bright.

When the birds are still and the river moans,

And the cane stalks rattle like old, dry bones.

You might encounter an Anjeofust,

A strange, weird critter the color of dust,

Or a Benleeb or Click-Click or Dubblemesat,

Or an Ejob and nothing could be worse than that.

Fickenworts, Gingazees, Hepnowires too

Crouch in the cane break just waiting for you.

An Iddlewit lives there and he looks quite tame,

But he is the fiercest of all you could name.

A Jinjibub, Katamurt, Liliparane

Are varmints whose home is the thick river cane.

Muddleworts, Natails and Opamaroo

Are things that you’d never find in a zoo.

I once saw a man who had met with a Phlet,

And he looked as scared as a human can get.

He said he’d escaped by climbing a tree,

But a Quydell lived there and had bitten his knee.

Razzamagoogles and Symelogkats,

Tomzells, Ugeemas, and Vakoodlerats,

All wait for a full moon when, without doubt,

They all will decide to be up and about.

Wickleworts, Xemaroos, Yazees, and Zorn

Are the ugliest creatures that ever were born,

But, please do not worry; there’s no need to fear

For now that you know of the time they are near,

You simply stay out of the cane break at night

When the wind is unruly and moonlight is bright.

Stay safely at home, tucked up in your bed

Then there’ll be no danger and nothing to dread.