BEASTLY TALES

THE BALLOONIST

In those days, such balloons they did fill,
With hydrogen, yes that was the drill.
But hydrogen is highly flammable now,
Known to explode and singe eyebrow.
And that, unfortunately, did happen when,
The Hindenburg reached it’s mooring pen.
A terrible conflagration occurred.
The hearts of many deeply stirred.
Everyone understandably making a fuss,
Over the fate of this airship omnibus.

Early aviators went up in hot air balloons,
Much safer provided they weren’t flown by hoons.
But safety, we must confess,
Didn’t follow through to their dress.
They, perhaps, thought it quite uncute,
To have to wear a parachute.
So if the balloon fabric caught on fire,
They were instantly in a situation dire.

One aviator was Algernon Clune,
Who manufactured his own hot air balloon.
He had a basket to carry just four,
(It would take two trips to carry more).
One summer’s day he did take off,
His passengers were a Tart and a Toff.
It was idyllic, no fear of rain,
They even brought some cold champagne.
Take-off was an affair to applaud,
Airmanship at a pinnacle to laud,
And soon they were up, so very high,
Sailing gaily, right up in the sky.

All went well until the gas ran out,
And then the Toff gave a great shout,
“We’re going to crash, can’t you tell?”
And then the Tart, too, began to yell.
Our intrepid aviator Algernon,
Looked back along the course they had gone.
“We’re over a very nice flat field”.
“And so as our altitude we do yield”,
“We’ll gently descend this very day”,
“To fly again, safely, to be on our way”.

The Toff sang out, “Hip Hip, Hooray!”
The Tart said, “You’ve forgot to pay”,
“For my company, and it’s not cheap!”
The Toff thought the rate rather steep.
Well, soon they were down on the ground,
Celebrating their friendship, quite new-found.
Is there anything to learn from such a strange tale?
Well, perhaps there is, if you do not fail,
To take note of romance high up in the sky,
Cemented more firmly when they thought they might die.
For her beauty it was that attracted the Toff,
While his title and money attracted the Tart!