Raised By

You’ve heard all the tales of the boy raised by wolves,

Or that girl who was raised by the camels.

And everyone knows of a family or two

Who behave like a pack of wild mammals.

But chances are good that you’ve not heard the story

Of two most unusual girls.

Twin sisters got lost, so they say, in the yard,

And were found by a pack of wild squirrels.

Well the squirrels were quite kindly—they took the girls in

And they raised each one up like a daughter.

They showed them which trees had the tastiest nuts

And which rain spouts gave off the best water.

The girls caught on quickly and loved the squirrel life.

It’s paradise up in the trees!

They snuggled, munched acorns, and screamed at the cat,

And leaped to the rooftop with ease.

Then one fateful day they were up in the tree

While the squirrels were off raiding the trash.

They leaped to the roof but, alas, were so big

That they busted right through with a crash!

They fell to the room where they’d lived long ago.

Going back to their kid-life was hard.

So they kept building nests and they kept hoarding food

Like they learned from their friends in the yard.

And that’s why our room is a mess, don’t you see?

For a squirrel, it’s in tip-top condition!

It’s not that we’re slobs, we just think it’s our duty

To honor our squirrely tradition!