How to Tell Wild Animals



             This consists of poem with explanation


If ever you should go by chance

To jungles in the east;

And if there should to you advance

A large and tawny beast,

If he roars at you as you’re dyin’

You’ll know it is the Asian Lion…

Or if some time when roaming round,

A noble wild beast greets you,

With black stripes on a yellow ground,

Just notice if he eats you.

This simple rule may help you learn

The Bengal Tiger to discern.

If strolling forth, a beast you view,

Whose hide with spots is peppered,

As soon as he has lept on you,

You’ll know it is the Leopard.

’Twill do no good to roar with pain,

He’ll only lep and lep again.

If when you’re walking round your yard

You meet a creature there,

Who hugs you very, very hard,

Be sure it is a Bear.

If you have any doubts, I guess

He’ll give you just one more caress.

Though to distinguish beasts of prey

A novice might nonplus,

The Crocodile you always may

Tell from the Hyena thus:

Hyenas come with merry smiles;

But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.

The true Chameleon is small,

A lizard sort of thing;

He hasn’t any ears at all,

And not a single wing.

If there is nothing on the tree,

’Tis the chameleon you see.

BY CAROLYN WELLS

The poet describes the various wild animals. In the first stanza, the poet says to the readers, that if they go to the jungle, then how will they recognise the various animals of the jungle. The poet then starts describing the Asian Lion. She says that if an animal with yellowish-brown skin colour roars at you and you get so afraid that you die out of fear, it then means you have met with an Asian Lion.

In the second stanza, the poet describes a royal animal having black stripes on its yellowish skin and is roaming freely in the jungle. She says you will be certain that it is a Bengal Tiger if he starts eating you. But, there is no point in knowing the animal if you have to die to identify him!

In the third stanza, the poet describes an animal who walks in a slow, relaxed way, and his body is fully covered with small spots giving it a salt and pepper appearance. The little spots on the animal body seem like someone has hit his body with small objects. If that animal jumps on you, then you will get to know it is a Leopard. At that time, even if you cry, the leopard will not leave you. So, be careful and don’t allow him to jump on you.

In the next stanza, the poet says that if you are walking in a field and you see an animal who hugs you very tightly, then be sure that it is a Bear. If you still have some doubts, then you can confirm if it hugs you again. The poet conveys that when someone loves you and cares for you then they show their feelings and emotions by giving you a tight hug. However, when a bear hugs you in reality, then it will kill you with his tight hug.

In the fifth stanza, the poet asks the readers if they know how to recognise animals when they hunt their prey. She further elaborates that when hyenas kill their prey, they smile. Similarly, crocodiles have tears in their eyes when they eat their prey.

In the last stanza, the poet describes a small reptile that can change its skin colour. It looks like a lizard, but it does not have any ears or wings. When there is no one on the tree, then you will spot this Chameleon or garden lizard. The ability of the Chameleon to change its skin colour saves him from hunters and other animals.