by Sandra Rippetoe © 2022

One warm summer day Moo-vetta was chomping on grass
and chewing it slowly (cows don’t do things fast),
when a long truck arrived with a magic box on the back
that fell to the ground with a thud and a whack.

The truck driver yelled as if to a crowd
(Moo-vetta was alone . . . there was no need to be loud),
“C’mon one and all! – Step through this box!
You’ll be a new shape – not the size of an ox!”

She thought, “Well, why not? I’m no special cow.
A new shape is welcome. This box must know how.”

Moo-vetta sauntered in flicking flies with her tail.
The box was a tight fit – she hoped it wouldn’t fail.

She slithered out! Moo-vetta was a spotted snake
making moo-hisses ‘til the farmer got his rake!

She crawled quickly to the box and went through it again.
She looked down at her feathers. “I’m a polka dotted hen!”

She tried a hen’s job but had rotten luck,
with no eggs to lay. You could hear her moo-cluck.

With unbalanced skinny legs, she waddled towards the box.
Since she couldn’t be a hen, maybe she’d turn into a fox –

A tuxedo cat strutted out, sleek and full of grace.
“I’ll be the winner at last – first place in a race!
Wait – I can’t eat yucky mice! Who cares if I’m fast?!
I’ll starve! This can’t work! I love to eat grass!”

She dashed back to the box with a moo-meow and sigh.
Out she then twirled – a ‘light as a feather’ butterfly.

Moo-vetta loved flying till a hungry bird swooped down.
“I almost got eaten!” she mooed with a frown.

She flew into the box and scampered out as a squirrel.
Moo-vetta gathered nuts with her bushy tail furled.

“But I’m afraid of heights! Just look at that tree!”
she moo-chattered loudly, “No climbing for me!
I’ll go through this box – just one more last time.
If I’m still not happy, that’s the end of this rhyme.”

Moo-vetta jumped out – – a koi fish as big as a whale,
splashing the farm pond with her shiny speckled tail.

It was a terrible crisis since Moo-vetta couldn’t swim!
She moo-gurgled, “Help!” The situation was grim.

The magic box flew in the air right over the fish.
It pulled Moo-vetta through – swishy, swash, swish.

Moo-vetta was dropped with a ‘plop’ on a large pile of hay.
She loudly moo shouted, “What a way to end my day!
But, I’ve learned my lesson. I do understand.
moo, moO, mOO, MOO! My cow-ness is grand.
Take away that box!” Moo-vetta took a deep bow,
“I’m glad to be me. . . a big beautiful cow!”