On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
A cat saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come and join me for a snack in my cosy house.”
“It’s terribly kind of you, Cat, but no –
I’m going to play games with a gruffalo.”
“A Gruffalo? What’s a Gruffalo?”
“A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?
He has spiky horns and a very long tail,
And when he stomps, the whole forest quakes and wails.”
“Where are you meeting him?”
“Here, by this tree,
And his favourite game is chasing cats, you see.”
“Chasing cats! I’d better flee!”
“Goodbye, little mouse,” and away ran she.
“Silly old Cat! Doesn’t she know,
There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo?”
On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
A hedgehog saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Would you like to play with me, just for a little while?”
“It’s terribly kind of you, Hedgehog, and so –
I’ll play with you, and forget the gruffalo.”
“A Gruffalo? What’s a Gruffalo?”
“A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?
He’s a creature with features quite fearsome and grim,
But the truth is, dear friend, I just made him up on a whim.”
The hedgehog laughed, “Oh, that’s quite a tale!
Come along, little mouse, let’s play in the dale.”
So, the mouse and the hedgehog played games all day,
And the Gruffalo was forgotten, as they scampered away.
“Silly old creatures! Don’t they know,
There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!”
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