One day in early May
The Trout Lily was heard to say
Why are my leaves dappled this way?
The Spring Beauty nearby replied with a sigh
The answer lies in the meadows green
Where the wily fox cannot glean
Beyond the valley and in a stream
Are fish so dark they are seldom seen
One day a wise owl flying by
Observed them with his studious eye
They are brown and spotted from what I see
So he whispered these words to a passing bee
Let’s sprinkle these spots on the Trout Lily
With a magic wand which he waved to and fro
Tiny spots fell on the lily row by row
So this is the reason Spring Beauty replied
Why all of your leaves are so dappled outside
The Trout Lily thanked his flowery friend
And the mystery of the spots came to an end.
By Darryl T Davies
