ONE-O-ONE-O
of Avery Hill

Many wild folk live about the woodlands, and streams at Avery Hill
From housecats to alligators to the elusive whippoorwill
There are pigs, cattle, dogs, rodents and feathered fowl
And of course in the rafters of the barn sleeps Ol' Who the Owl

And then there is a little fellow ...One-O-One-O is his name
Who crept from obscurity and soared into fame
NOT that he's ever gone out looking for trouble
But should a friend call ... he comes on the double

He lives in a snug little den lined with fresh straw
Beneath an old feed trough that was chunked in a draw
And what better place for a fellow like he
Than a pile of junk where no others might be

Of course nearby lives the cottontail clan
But when he ventured near they had always ran
NOT that he'd ever done anything wrong
It was just that One-O-One-O was ever so strong

"Keep away from him!" Momma Cottontail said
And that is exactly what the little bunnies did
Day after day, until there came ... Percival Hawk
Who swooped down among them and let out a "SQUAWK!"

"RUN MY CHILDREN!" Called Momma Cottontail
But the little bunnies couldn't ... they were under his spell
They huddled together and cried: "SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE US!"
And Percival mocked them: "Oh pweese ... won' sumbody save us?"

"I will save you," answered One-O-One-O as he sauntered near,
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop ... but I chanced to overhear
Did I hear a call for help ... did someone ask for me?"
And the little bunnies shouted: "YES ... IT WAS WE!"

"Oh My!" Laughed Percy Hawk. "Do we have us a hero?"
"I dunno about that," said our champion, "What you've got is One-O-One-O"
"And just so you'll know ... When you pick on my friends, you are picking on me."
'I'm not scared of you," said Percy. "You are much smaller than me"

"As a matter of fact," resumed Percy, "here's what I'll do"
"I will eat these bunnies and then I will eat you."
That's when One-O-One-O said: "Everybody cover your noses"
"I am a polecat and I'm not packing roses"

He then lifted his tail and hoisted about
And sprayed Percy with a stench that knocked the hawk out
When Percival awakened the bunnies were gone
And he needed a bath badly so he ambled off home

Now that was enough to make a momma rabbit and all of her little bunnies laugh
To know that Percy Hawk would smell like a skunk for three weeks and a half
That was the start of One-O-One-O's sudden rise to fame
And from that day forward, things would not be the same

Only by the bad beasties and the Boogy Man was he ever again shunned
For they soon realized he had them outgunned
It's true he is small ... but he is ever so strong
And if you call him your friend ... you will never go wrong

All the small children of Averyhill now know
They have a friend in One-O-One-O
And NOT that he ever goes out looking for trouble
But should a friend ever call ... One-O-One-O comes on the double

THE END

Written By: George Lewis Avery
06/26/00


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