The People of Tun

This story is set in the tawdry town of Tun.

Its inhabitants were sundry good-natured fellers,

ranging from the grass-eater to the admirer of the sun,

but amiss from the roll-call was the storyteller.

Nowhere to be found.

So in his stead

they choose to propound

the cutting and spread-

ing to each citizen of a word

they had to learn by heart.

Anon they forgot

which word went with what yarn.

Had they set fire to the library barn

they hadn't done so much damage

in this year and age.

In time they compiled each citizen's treasure

and to add to this disaster

came up with a book of verse

that ranged from very bad to worse.

The storyteller is fated one day to come back to this place.

Let's picture his disgusted face

when he'll learn of the people of Tun's disgrace:

my hunch is that he'll retrace

his steps and go back whence he came

for there he had earned fame.