Hilaire Belloc’s cautionary verses inspired me to write my own cautionary tales.


Sid
(Who watched too much TV and became square-eyed)

Some years ago there was a kid
Age: eleven, name was Sid
See Sid he loved to sit all day
He hated working, hated play
The only thing he daren’t avoid
Was TV which he so enjoyed
For hours and hours he’d watch the screen
That life consuming huge machine
His poor mum often did despair
When all he did was sit and stare
She feared for her precious son
Hoped he’d stop have some fun
So one day tired of finding him
Sitting in a room so dim
That all that you could really see
Was that wretched old TV
She turned it off, a daring move
Of which he’d surely disapprove
He turned around, completely mad
This made his mum extremely sad
She realised that she just had to
Find something else for him to do
But first she had to find a way
To stop him wasting every day
She did what every mum would do
And told the tale we think’s untrue
That if you watch TV beware
That too much makes your eyes turn square
And everywhere you go you’ll be
Mocked and treated wretchedly
Sid never even tried to hear
Instead watched more TV I fear
And when he next got up to eat
His mum’s prediction was complete
His eyes were square and looked so odd
‘Twas like he had been cursed by God
He did make quite funny sight
Much to his evil friend’s delight
He’d been punished but been warned
A warning which he’d simply scorned
And now he wears the shame all day
He cannot hide his eyes away
He’s laughed always in the street
And that’s the thing that you will meet
If you laugh off all advice
And watch TV (Although it’s nice)