Early Eocene Poem - Eohippus


                                            There was once a little animal,

                                            No bigger than a fox,

                                            And on five toes he scampered

                                            Over Tertiary rocks.

                                            They called him Eohippus,

                                            And they called him very small,

                                            And they thought him of no value --

                                            When they thought of him at all;

                                            For the lumpish old Dinoceras

                                            And Coryphodon so slow

                                            Were the heavy aristocracy

                                            In days of long ago.


                                            Said the little Eohippus,

                                            “I am going to be a horse!

                                            And on my middle finger-nails

                                            To run my earthly course!

                                            I’m going to have a flowing tail!

                                            I’m going to have a mane!

                                            I’m going to stand fourteen hands high

                                            On the psychozoic plain!”


                                            The Coryphodon was horrified,

                                            The Dinoceras was shocked;

                                            And they chased young Eohippus,

                                            But he skipped away and mocked.

                                            Then they laughed enormous laughter,

                                            And they groaned enormous groans.

                                            And they bade young Eohippus

                                            Go view his father’s bones.

                                            Said they, “You always were as small

                                            And mean as now we see,

                                            And that’s conclusive evidence

                                            That you’re always going to be.

                                            What! Be a great, tall, handsome beast,

                                            With hoofs to gallop on?

                                            Why! You’d have to change your nature!

                                            Said the Loxolophodon.

                                            They considered him disposed of,

                                            And retired with gait serene;

                                            That was the way they argued

                                            In the early Eocene.