There was a balloon man who lived in Balloon Land
and said, “I’ll have a circus if I can.
With some animals I made I will have a parade
with the funniest balloons ever made.
     I made me a bear balloon and then blew it up,
and also a hare balloon and also a pup,
a cat which chased a rat and a bat which chased a hat.
I laughed so much at that, that on the ground I sat.
     Now when the crowds spy and see the elephant fly,
they’ll look way up high and say, ‘My my!’
The parrots are so proud, eat carrots and talk loud,
and laugh at the giraffe with his head in a cloud.
     I blew up a tiger balloon who can do tricks.
He growls and he howls and he plays fiddle sticks.
The skunk’s white stripe made the hyena laugh
but the calf ran a mile and a half.
     I made some monkeys too like you see at the zoo.
One monkey climbed a tree and he hung by his knee.
Then he jumped down, guess he thought he was a clown,
while the others swung around and around.
     But now I must go, get some signs for the show.
What a great parade this will be!”
He put signs around, “A BIG PARADE DOWNTOWN!
CLOWNS AND ANIMALS ABOUND! COME AND SEE!”
     But there’s something I fear, that you ought to hear.
The balloon man himself was a balloon. It is queer!
When he got thin, he’d huff and puff then,
and blow himself up fat again.
     At last the day came. They were glad it didn’t rain
for the crowd stretched for mile after mile.
The sunny rhinoceros and the funny hippopotamus
made the children laugh and play all the while.
     The loud trumpets blew and the proud balloons flew
and at last the circus parade was on its way.
First came the kangaroo, which all the children knew,
and next they watched the monkeys swing and play.
     Then the unicorn, would warn them of his horn.
What’s more the dinosaur, would lower his head and roar.
They saw the bulls a butting and the majorettes a strutting.
As the band came marching by it played a score.
     A rare bear ate molasses while a mare there wearing sashes
saw a snake go wriggling by in quite a rage.
Two clowns with long mustaches and blue hounds who ran fast dashes,
caught the snake and put him back into his cage.
     The gorilla looked so big as he stopped to eat a fig.
Then he beat his chest, guess he thought he scared the rest.
And dig the little pig that came by and danced a jig.
but the penguin in his vest thought he was best.
     The zebra came by just playing his pipes
while the dodo would try to count all his stripes.
They looked high and low for the old buffalo
but I know that he will show although he’s slow.
     A clown they found turned upside down.
They laughed when the loon balloon passed.
The big baboon balloon jumped to the moon soon.
The dragon swung his tail with a thrash.
     So on the sound wound all around downtown
and the balloon man waved to each in his parade.
They all gave a cheer to the man of the year
for the children loved the circus he had made.
     Everything was fine as they heard the organ grind.
They had a fun time and how the sun shined!
But trouble was dancing like ten tigers prancing
and trouble sometimes gives no sign.
     Bang! A balloon popped and the whole parade stopped!
Then, pop pop pop, pop pop pop, pop pop pop!
All the balloons burst, but I think what is worst,
it scared a slim cop and made him hop.
     So nothing lasts forever son. The game cannot always be won.
But do your best. Yes don’t do less and you will have some fun.

Copyright © 2005 PicturesRhymes.com

To the Garden of Slumber each evening at eight
Comes the Dream Basket Boy to stand at the gate.
And over his arm there’s a basket that streams
with hundreds and hundreds of beautiful dreams.
     Some are like bubbles. Some are like bells.
Some are like shadows. Some are like shells.
Then there is one like a drop full of dew.
And one like a nice little Dutch boy’s shoe.
     And one like a poppy so flaunting and proud.
And one like a pink little piece of a cloud.
And one like a feather and one like a flag.
And one like a puppy dog’s tail with a wag.
     To the Garden of Slumber each evening at eight
comes the Dream Basket Boy to stand at the gate.
And over his arm there’s a basket that glows
with even more dreams than the Basket Boy knows.
     And all those who enter the Garden of Sleep
may lift up the lid of the basket and peep.
And draw from the depths of its glittering gleams
just one of the Basket Boy’s beautiful dreams.

Copyright © 2005 PicturesRhymes.com

     Note: This poem is an old forgotten anonymous poem for which I drew the picture.
All the other pictures and rhymes you see here were drawn and composed by me, Ted Alva Reilly.

I went to the pet shop one fine day and bought myself a rabbit.
I never did buy one before. It certainly was no habit!
I put it on the kitchen floor and watched it hop around.
It was like any other rabbit, didn’t make a sound.
     I asked if it was hungry and, then to my surprise,
it said, “I want some lettuce please and carrots for my eyes.”
Up I jumped on the kitchen chair! I couldn’t believe my ears!
This rabbit really talked to me! I almost was in tears!
     “Show me to the garden friend. I want to scratch a bit.
And if there are no carrots there I’ll really have a fit.”
It talked and talked for hours and hours. I could not make it stop!
I said, “Quit talking please for now or I will call a cop.”
     I took it round to show my friends, showed it off with pride!
But the rabbit wouldn’t talk for them. “Will you please talk,” I sighed?
I tried and tried to find a way to make the rabbit speak.
But all this silly hare would do was eat and eat and eat.
     The question was should I tell them this rabbit talked to me?
I knew they wouldn’t believe it and a fool I’m sure I’d be.
Many a laugh I’ve had with him. This rabbit should be in show biz!
But no one else will ever know. Gee whiz! Gee whiz! Gee whiz!

Copyright © 2005 PicturesRhymes.com

I asked a honey bee one day, “Why is it you’re so busy?”
“Because I have to work this way. I’m really in a tizzy.
A mean old clown comes round I found
and takes away our honey.
And then he takes it into town and sells it all for money.
     We just cannot get rid of him. He’s really quite a pest.
He’s got me way out on a limb. I really need a rest.
I fly from flower to flower,” said he,
“and work from morn till night.
I got some pollen all over me. I guess I look a fright.
     A great big bear came by today to steal the food we make.
A great big sting made him go away. He jumped into the lake.
Now I must go. I am too slow! The queen will have a fit.”
So off he flew. Poor bee! Boohoo! Now for some honey, just a bit.

Copyright © 2005 PicturesRhymes.com