My little poem inspired by The Gruffalo
(Check out my YouTube reading here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6txw7_9-nk )
Olaf Furg
At the top of a mountain,
In a far north land,
Stood a furry, grey creature
With a jar in his hand.
He was about to embark
On a grand, long tour,
Down the mountain, through a forest,
Over fjord and moor.
He took a long look
At the star filled night,
And the thick, deep snow
Sparkling crisp and white.
Then taking both the reins,
He hopped on his wooden sleigh,
Pushed off with both feet
And headed on his way.
The sleigh picked up speed,
And the mountain flashed by,
And the northern lights danced
In the indigo sky.
Twisting and turning
Down the winding path
Olaf Furg cried out “Wheee!”
And he laughed and he laughed.
“This journey’s so much fun,
I’ll be there in a flash,
But, wait, who is that standing there
Across my path?”
He slowed to a halt
Where the snow began to melt,
And before him stood a large
And rather elegant elk.
“Well, hello” said the elk
In a deep, mellow tone
“Where are you travelling to,
All alone?”
“I’m delivering a gift
Of cloudberry jam so sweet.
It’s for someone very special
For a birthday treat.”
“You may pass through my forest
If you can answer my riddle -
What is hard on the outside,
Yet sticky in the middle?”
Olaf Furg through hard
And his heart beat fast,
Then he jumped up and down,
“A jar of jam!” he cried at last.
So, through the elk’s forest
He passed without delay,
Until he came upon a clifftop
At the break of day.
It was as steep and as high
As the fjord below was deep.
How would he ever make it safely
To the land beneath?
A puffin perched up high,
Was peering curiously at him.
He had a bright coloured beak,
Full of fish from his swim.
“Where are you travelling to, all alone?
You can’t climb down this cliff,
You’ll have to turn back home.”
“I’m delivering a gift
Of cloudberry jam so sweet
It’s for someone very special
For a birthday treat.”
“Well, to pass you’ll have to answer
My riddly rhyme –
What grows on the ground but
sounds like it grows up high?”
Olaf Furg thought hard
And his heart beat fast,
Then he jumped up and down and
Shouted “Cloudberries!” at last.
The puffin pointed to a slide
That spiralled round and down,
And Olaf chuckled with glee
As he whizzed to the ground.
He flew right off the end
Landing splash! in the fjord,
And enjoyed an icy dip
Before heading to the moor.
But before he got too far
He heard a Thud! Thud! Thud!
And he saw a troll ahead standing
Knee-deep in thick mud.
He was banging two big sticks
Against a drum shaped stone
And he growled
“Where are you travelling to, all alone?”
“I’m delivering a gift
Of cloudberry jam so sweet.
It’s for someone very special
For a birthday treat.”
“If you want to cross my moor
First solve my mystery –
What shimmers in the dark sky
Over northern lands and sea?”
Olaf Furg thought hard
And his heart beat fast,
Then he jumped up and down,
“The Northern Lights!” he cried at last.
Olaf Furg went on his way
And finally reached the wood,
Where his brother would be waking
With a very rumbly tum.
He arrived at a cave,
Put down that jar of his
And called out “Happy birthday!
Can you guess who this is?”
A cheery voice cried out,
“Why, is that Olaf Furg?
Oh my, the best surprise
in the whole wide world!”
And emerging from the shadows
Came…the Gruffalo!
And he greeted his big brother
With a jolly “Hello!”
They hugged and they laughed
And they danced with joy.
They had always had such fun since
They’d been cheeky little boys.
Then Olaf gestured back
Towards the jar of jam,
“I have a gift for you,
Made by my own fair hand.”
But, alas, the jar was open
Half the jam was gone!
A little mouse was sitting by it
Looking rather smug.
The Gruffalo looked scared.
Oh yes, he had quite a fright!
But the mouse held out a sandwich
With a candle burning bright.
“This sandwich filled with jam
Is for your birthday treat,
Because although you look quite scary,
You’re actually rather sweet.”
“So now it’s time to sing
And wish a happy birthday
To our dear old friend the Gruffalo.
Hip, hip, hipperty hip – hurray!”