Don’t Bother any Butterflies
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
Don’t bother any butterflies.
Give ladybugs no grief.
Don’t irritate the inchworm
as it strolls along the leaf.
Do not besiege the bumblebee
or set upon the fly.
If a spider walks beside you
let the spider sidle by.
Try not to plague the locust.
Let the caterpillar pass.
Investigate no anthill
with your magnifying glass.
Don’t terminate the termite
or antagonize the flea.
If a beetle is before you,
let it be, yeah, let it be.
If you should come across a bug
you now know what to do,
for if you do not bug the bug
the bug will not bug you.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Animal Poems
Word Count: 109
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
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