Mulligatawny Owl

The Mulligatawny owl, went on its Mulligatawny prowl

Looking for the mice, with that curry spice

They had recently moved into the district

And brought their cooking and cultural instinct

And it was far from the Tawny owl's own taste

But then again he thought I do so like my mouse paste

He enjoyed spreading it on his bread at home

Up in the tree where he lived all alone

Apart from some squirrels

And a brace of rabbits

Who dug under the roots

As was their habit

And the squirrels always said how gross

That he eats these mice

Because they liked to boast

They only ate the finest acorn from the oak

And this they kept as their private joke

And the owl stayed at home

As he heard their chitter-chatter

He thought those pesky squirrels

What a clatter of skitter-scatter

They make as they scurry up and down the trunk

He wished he could sleep and that he were drunk

But he remembered the mice

And thought what paradise

For tonight when I awake, I'll go out and hunt

Meanwhile the mice were down in their holes

Cooking up something nice to share with the voles

And the word got around that some special creatures were in town

And the smell of their cooking it wafted on the coals

And oh what a hullabaloo it caused

When the mice came out with their mulligatawny soup in their paws

And fed the other rodents in kingly sized portions

Just as they would do on the Indian sub-continent

And everyone said: oh thank you so much

For this food you have prepared which we eat for our lunch

It is really more than a mouse should do

To prepare for ourselves such a delicious stew

So the Mulligatawny mice went home

All gleaming with pride and warmed to the bone

And it was getting late in the morning so they thought

Lets go to bed

So they did just that and went and rested their heads

But when the day began to turn into dusk

They awoke, inside them with a hungry lust

And looked in their cupboards and checked in their pots

But they were all out of their precious ingredients

What we need one said, named Meg, are some nuts

We could ground them like the almonds we brought with us

And add with them eggs from the chicken huts

Which we stole, said the vole, with a certain kind of distrust

I say what we need are some Lentils then said Jo, and Nel said

Lets try the Farmstead, I'm sure we could go

And inside the kitchen cupboards - I know a backdoor in - 

We will find jars of the stuff, though they're starting to thin

While others sourced the carrots and the onions from the field

They all went about preparing for their evening meal

And now for the spice, all the mice rejoined

You don't have to ask twice, that is one thing we purloined

Meanwhile the Mulligatawny owl, went out on his second Mulligatawny prowl

And he was quite peckish, infact a ravenous raptor was he

All tied up in his excitement, he quickly flew out of the tree

And he scanned all around the horizon and the field

Searching his line of sight, his eyes on his meal

There were foxes abroad, and hares boxing in furrows

And square looking toads, and rabbits peeping from burrows

And up in the sky the crows criss-crossed overhead, 

they were on their way to the parliament, like ministers of the dead

And the owl wandered on his path softly winding

His feather beat quiet, like raider in deciding

Cutting his way through the cool gloaming air

With his razor sharp claws, hanging like knives right there

I'm looking for a mouse, have you seen him? Who Who?

He lives in a house, like an underground zoo

And it's full of the vermin, the pests of the field

And I'm the pest controller come to pick up my meal

I'm looking for a mouse, have you seen him? You Hoo?

The type that is a louse, a degrader of twoo

And do you know him? Who who?

Do you know him? You Hoo?

If you see him, do let me know

Or next I'll be coming for you!

Quite unbeknownst to the terror from the air

The mulligatawny mice invaders were scouting their lair

And had found a few good portions of carrots and peas

And were carrying them back home, when who did they see?

But the little vole who came running up to them to plead

Please go home mice, before the Mulligatawny owl makes you bleed!

A Mulligatawny owl, how can that be?

Is he as fast as a fox or as quick as a crow

Is he as clever as a cat, or as slow as a cow

As dumb as a duck, up the top of a gum tree

Oh fee, fie fo fum

Who's afraid of this owl? How come?

Not me said Nel, not me cried Jo, well as you see said Meg

We aren't afraid so

Neither should you be, in the grand scheme of things

This owl is not a threat to us

He is but a nothing

Well the owl kept flying on his aerial comb of his surroundings

He was an ace pilot

Quick as a wink, if he spotted a mink, he swooped on lonely vole

But this doesn't make a meal he said as he swallowed him whole

No what I'm looking for I cannot seem to find

There is a scent of stewing, of the tempting kind

And If I should follow it back to its source

Surely then I'll make my meal full course

So with his eyes he scoured and with his nose he sniffed

And with all of these powers an owl knows what he's whiffed

A Mulligatawny mouse he cried, and his big eyes opened wide

A Mulligatawny mouse whoopy, A mulligatawny mouse I'll have for my tea

And the Owl swept down from the sky and landed near the house

Of the Mulligatawny mice pie, and he said to himself

What's that I can smell cooking

But a Mulligatawny sauce I know well without looking

And who's that I can hear with my great owl ear

But a Mulligatawny mouse tea party coming near

And just as he predicted the other mice of the field

Were trooping their way to their evening meal

Which they planned to share with their mouse pals

Well that was as near they got when they saw the owl

It swooped down upon them, a white flash from the air

And Nel was carried off, Meg cried where's Nel she's not there

She's not here either exclaimed Jo with a growl

Oh it was that pesky, white-winged, mulligatawny owl

Meanwhile Nel was being carried off into the night

When she came to, she saw white feathers and an imposing sight

The Mulligatawny owl's beak protruding in front

She wanted to cry, but then she thought up a stunt

From her mouse pouch, she brought a pawful of spice

And then she lifted it to her snout and blew on it twice

And the powder flew up into the owl's beak and nose

And he sneezed - "A mulligatissue!" and released his great toes

And as she did fall Nel felt with her paws

And brought out on top of her a pair of her draws

And so slowly she floated back down on to earth

With her knickers as a parachute she knew what brief life was worth

Slowly she looked around from her clump of nettles 

and could see nothing in the pitch black, but felt unsettled

What else could be lurking in this patch of ground?

Could it be a fox or a cat or even a hound?

And which way was home, oh what a curse!

But at least now alone, with the owl it was worse

And to come out-unscathed, wow it was true

She couldn't believe what she'd managed to do

Just then a shrew came up and sniffed

And said are you that Nel, who the mice all have missed?

Nel said why yes I am she, now show me the way home

For so grateful I'll be, now I'm not out here all alone

When they arrived, the Mulligatawny stew was cooked

The others in a search party had been out and looked

But they soon met the shrew and their beloved Nel

And they toasted her return and rang the homecoming bell

Well what a story Nel had to tell

As they ate Mulligatawny soup by the old bell

And the Owl who was angry and hungry what's worse

Had to go home to hear the Squirrels chat - his curse

And if there's a moral to this story then let it be

That Mulligatawny dinner with a mouse is not free

And every lunch must be paid for, every grain has a price

Whether eaten by Mulligatawny owl or by three blind mice