Passing It Along

The elephant he started in and made tremendous fuss
Alleging he was crowded by the hippopotamus;
He entertained misgivings that the earth was growing small,
And arrived at the conclusion that there wasn't room for all.
Then the hippo got to thinking and he was frightened too
And so he passed the word along and sassed the kangaroo.
The kangaroo as promptly took alarm and talked of doom
And ordered all the monkeys off the earth to give him room.
And the monkeys jawed the squirrels and the squirrels jawed the bees,
While the bees gave Hail Columby to the minges and the fleas,
--In the microscopic kingdom of the microbes,
I will bet
That word of greedy jealousy is on its travels yet;
All just because the elephant got scared and made a fuss
Alleging he was crowded by the hippopotamus.