THE ROMANCE OF BUBBA

Spring had bloomed and hearts were ripe
With Love's enchanted fruit
And so the air smelled sweeter to
Dear Bubba's little snoot.

All the day the birds did sing
And woodland creatures played.
Everything was peaceful here
In Nature's grand parade.

But then a sound caught Bubba's ear
Discordant with the rest
Which made his heart beat just a little
Faster in his chest.

And so to seek this trouble,
This commotion to resolve,
He quickly flew, his task to do
What e'er it may involve.

Onto the source he sped his flight,
He had not long to search.
Once there, unseen, he landed on
A nearby leafy perch.

There before him lay a fox,
As red as red could be.
Though Bubba saw no scars on him,
He whined incessantly.

"M'lady, dear Elizabeth,"
The fox cried like a whelp,
"I'm in great pain, as you can see,
And really need your help!"

"The peasant man misunderstood
To find me with his hens.
I only meant to socialize,
They are my oldest friends!"

"A sliver bit me in the tail
As I escaped the barn,
I barely left there with my life.
Please trust this is no yarn."

"And now the shard of wood digs deep;
I fear it's struck a vein.
Would you please, with your strong white teeth
Extract from me this pain?"

Then Bubba saw a nose peek from
A nearby shadowed hole,
And from the burrow lilt a voice
That chimed within his soul.

"Reynard," The voice sang sweetly,
"You conniving, crafty fox!
What makes you think I'll trust you?
Is my head made out of rocks?"

"Still," she sighed, "I see your pain.
Of that you do speak true.
I know I may regret this
But for now I shall aid you."

"But only if your nose stays far
From where your tail now lies.
And keep your teeth within your mouth.
And close those shifty eyes!"

This agreed, she ventured out
Into the morning sun.
Bubba 'bout fell off his branch -
The world around him spun.

He never thought he'd see his kind,
In Wyewood of all places.
She must have been a transplant
From the European races.

Still here she was -such lovliness
That played his fair heartstrings.
He barely saw her handicap
(She hadn't any wings).

She carefully crept to the tail
And working silently
Took the sliver twixt her teeth
And quickly yanked it free.

Reynard now had another thought
As pain began to pale.
Before the hamster loosed her grip
He flicked his mighty tail.

Elizabeth sailed through the air
Toward a toothy grin,
But what Reynard saw next began
To make his head to spin.

Another hamster did he spy
A wing-ed golden blur
Who caught the maiden in mid-air
Yet ruffled not his fur.

Once Bubba saw his love aloft
And safely out of reach,
He turned his gaze upon the fox,
A lesson for to teach.

"I only tossed her in great joy!"
Reynard began to plead,
"I wished to give a gracious kiss
To thank her for her deed!"

These pleas fell on deaf ears for then
The mighty hamster dove.
The battle which ensued shook up
The whole, entire grove.

But still Bubba was kind,
Excessive harm he could not bear.
Reynard escaped alive and with
One third of his red hair.

And when the fox was out of sight
Bubba returned to her
To find their feelings mutual.
The pair began to purr.

So here it's best to end this tale
And leave them on their own
To do what little hamsters do
When hamsters are alone.