I had a tiny little dream
Where I was being followed
By a tiger, gray and black
Hiding in my shadow
At first I thought – ignore him.
That ghastly looming sight
Of a silent tiger
Trailing me by night.
But as we rambled onward
I hastened up my pace –
First a walk and then a jog –
A run and then a race!
He never ran, my tiger,
But he never fell behind
And so we rushed together
In a single little line.
And while I raced on, panicked,
A big hawk swooped down low
A great rock in its talons
Which at me it did throw
With a cry, I threw myself
Deep within the ground
When beside me came a roar
With a most amazing sound.
The tiger sprang up at the rock, and
With a mighty padded paw,
The rock burst into a million stars –
The tiger opened up his jaw…
He leapt up higher, higher still
And swallowed up the hawk –
Feathers tumbling from his mouth –
He smiled and then he dropped.
Out of the sky and onto the land –
I was very much afraid
Still, I crept close to the tiger
And saw him where he lay:
His eyes pulled shut, his paws outstretched
His body gleaming red
And as I walked up closer still,
I thought that he was dead.
My heart felt sick, my body shook
And as I began to weep
His yellow eyes blinked open,
And with a tigery creep:
He stood up and winked at me
Before running in the night
And the last thing I saw of him
Was his tail holding high.
