The Four Friends

Ernest was an elephant, a great big fellow,
    Leonard was a lion with a six-foot tail,
  George was a goat, and his beard was yellow,
      And James was a very small snail.

  Leonard had a stall, and a great big strong one,
    Ernest had a manger, and its walls were thick,
  George found a pen, but I think it was the wrong one,
      And James sat down on a brick.

  Ernest started trumpeting, and cracked his manger,
    Leonard started roaring, and shivered his stall,
  James gave the huffle of a snail in danger
      And nobody heard him at all.

  Ernest started trumpeting and raised such a rumpus
    Leonard started roaring and trying to kick,
  James went a journey with the goat’s new compass
      And he reached the end of his brick.

  Ernest was an elephant and very well-intentioned,
    Leonard was a lion with a brave new tail,
  George was a goat, as I think I have mentioned,
      But James was only a snail.