Lily Puffin sat on a rock,
Looking out to sea.
Her red feet stuck out
On both sides,
Her wings flapped happily.
"I am a Puffin bird," she said,
"But I strongly disagree;
That I must fly, just cause I can,
When walking pleases me."
"My red feet stretch from heel to toe.
They take me where I want to go!
And I much prefer to use them.
Than let my wings do all the work,
Carrying me here and there,
Over seas and trees and cows,
What are feet for, anyhow?"
"This year when all my Puffin chums
Fly off to warmer lands and suns;
I'll click my heels and stretch my toes,
And WALK there, following my nose."
Well, this just would not do, y0u see.
Lily Puffin's friends did not agree!
SILLY LILY! SILLY LILY!
She CAN'T fly!
That's why she says that walking is better.
She's afraid to fly, but we won't let her
Think that she can walk instead.
Birds are made to fly and glide
Up in the clouds where they can hide.
Inside and outside and upside and downside,
Behind and in back and in front of again.
What a disgrace not to be
A proud flying Puffin!
"Oh Lily!" said Hortense, her Puffin bird friend.
"Oh please Lily don't ever say that again!
That you won't fly up in the sky like we do,
Your feet were not meant to walk in a shoe.
Or go on a trip such as you want to do."
"Why, just think, Lily," Hortense began,
"If you walk all the way like you think that you can.
All the dangers that wait for a Puffin bird who,
Wants to walk on the land with red feet, like you do."
"There are creatures that eat little Puffins, and then;
There are creatures who are even bigger than them!
There are creatures who sneak through
The dark woods at night,
They can gobble you up with just one big bite!
And then there won't be a trace left of you,
If you try to do what birds shouldn't do!"
"Oh hush Hortense, really! You're being quite silly!
And to show you how wrong you all can be,
I'll fly around so you can see,
That I CAN fly, just like a bird,
Although I think that it's absurd.
Flying is silly and foolish to me,
I take my red feet and my walking
Quite seriously!"
And with that, up up in the sky Lily flew,
Until only two red feet were in view.
Around and around, she did her best trick,
She flew to the sun and then gave a kick.
And down Lily came, with a slight bow.
All the other birds yelled
"See Lily, see how,
Much more fun to fly than to walk on the ground?"
But Lily just listened to them with a frown.
"Don't you see that just cause I can do such a thing,
Doesn't mean that it makes me happily sing.
Because I don't have to
Walk or run,
I just WANT to do it, because it's such FUN!"
"Nothing you say will change my mind.
Tomorrow I'm leaving, who knows what I'll find!
Don't try to change my mind, cause it's made.
I'll be there before you, lying out in the shade
Of the old brown rock by the sea by the shore,
Thinking about my adventures galore!
Now not another word about
Silly flying flight!
I need my rest, walking is hard,
So good night!"
WELL!!
Would Lily Puffin make it?
Would Lily Puffin win?
Would something eat her on the way,
Or would she live another day?
No one seemed to think she could,
Except for Lily, she KNEW she would!
Next morning all the Puffins hid
Behind the rock where Lily lived.
To watch her leave her summer home
To follow the shore to a warmer dome.
She kicked her heels and bent her toes,
She combed her feathers and blew her nose.
She put her suitcase under her wing,
She turned and looked without saying a thing.
And waved farewell to her friend Hortense,
Who cried in the corner with sad intense.
"Now I am ready to walk all the way,
But before I leave I want to say:
I know you think that I'm a nut
Because I love to walk and strut.
But remember this, ANY bird can fly,
But none can do the same as I."
Will she do it?
Will she win?
Will Lily be there to greet her friends?
At the end of their journey
They rushed up to see
If Lily was there by the rock, by the sea.
They looked and looked, oh could it be?
Yes, yes, two red feet sticking out of the sea!
It was Lily, yes Lily, she had done what she said,
And oh, what adventures that she had led!
But now she is busy, too busy to talk,
She is teaching her Puffin friends how to walk!
Someday if you see lots of Puffins stroll by
All in a line with their heads held up high,
Go over and talk to Lily a bit,
She'll be glad to tell you about her trip!
