The Isle of Figgamaroo
by
Will Wright
’Twas
my first voyage
And
a fine voyage too
Bound
with six others
For
Figgamaroo
There
was Narli and Parlie
And
Otter and Barry
Gastro,
the ship’s cook
And
old Captain Harry
With
me as their seventh
A
cabin boy true
In
search of the island
Of
Figgamaroo
Our
cargo was taffy
And
three kinds of jade
Fish
hooks and teacups
That
we hoped to go trade
For
the finest of riches
That
your thoughts could construe
Found
no-where on earth
But
Figgamaroo
Gastro
would serve us
Goose
eggs on a platter
Which
he’d cook mixed with shell
Said
the Captain, “No matter
For
there’s oat-cakes and gumbo
With
jelly-drop goo
When
we get to the Island
Of
Figgamaroo”
Thin
Parlie, our lookout
With
knots was quite handy
To
the deck he’d drop wrappers
From
sugar-free candy
To
the captain he shouted
(Quite
a hullabaloo)
“There’s
a storm lies between us
And
Figgamaroo”
So
Barry struck mainsail
While
Narli checked jump
And
Otter went ’lo decks
To
clean out the sump
And
Gastro, now queasy
Cried,
“What shall we do?”
“Sail
through her,” said Harry
“To
Figgamaroo”
I
admit that I doubted
As
I tied myself fast
The
winds were so calm
Not
a creak from the mast
Then
the softest of whispers
Like
an eerie preview
Made
me wish for the safety
Of
Figgamaroo
The
change was so sudden
A
bare minute was all
From
the lightest of breezes
To
a full-blown sea squall
There
was thunder and lightning
As
our deck was blown skew
I
despaired ever seeing
Fair
Figgamaroo
The
waves were so mighty
That
they fell from the sky
Dropping
down a great sea bass
Looking
me in the eye
The
wind tore from us flotsam
Even
my own left shoe
I
clung to rope, and to hope
Of
Figgamaroo
The
salty spray whipped us
Making
everything wet
From
the top of the mainmast
To
the cook’s shell omelet
But
Narli stood bravely
Tight
the sheet line she drew
As
our ship struggled onward
To
Figgamaroo
Just
as I figured
Our
ship couldn’t last
The
waves ceased to tip us
As
the storm rushed on past
And
I saw Barry dancing
As
the bowline he threw
To
the merry inhabitants
Of
Figgamaroo
The
natives, Trifoggles
Saw
with three eyes apiece
Their
pets, furboggles
Had
luxuriant fleece
They
handed us shells
Full
of mackarine stew
They
treat sailors kindly
On
Figgamaroo
There
was bo-bread with berries
And
fru-fruit, cut fine
And
we washed it all down
With
cocopop wine
“Not
nearly,” griped Gastro,
“As
good as shell almondu”
But
no one agreed
There
on Figgamaroo
They
gave us dessert
Parlie
his stomach pattening
Asked
wasn’t there something
A
little less fattening?
The
Trifoggles looked puzzled
The
Furboggles barked, “Woo?”
They
like their sweets rich
There
on Figgamaroo
Barry
went hopping
Through
the tickle-me heather
Narli
twisted a headdress
Made
of fling-a-bye feather
“Now
to business,” said Harry
As
he put down his brew
“Will
you trade with me here
On
Figgamaroo?”
They
showed us nuzguzzles
And
twoops of laparnet
And
intricate cozmulles
Encrusted
with garnet
For
this they asked taffy
That
they so love to chew
For
taffy, they’re daffy
On
Figgamaroo
A
groan came from Otter
Whose
job was to save
Our
cargo from damage
From
leak or from wave
For
the taffy was sodden
’Cause
the sea had soaked through
“It’s
great,” said the natives
Of
Figgamaroo
Now
I’ve been all over
By
boat, ship and liner
And
I’ve always loved travels
But
there never was finer
Than
that trip of discovery
When
Harry’s old crew
Traded
salt water taffy
On
Figgamaroo.
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