by Alfred Noyes
"I want to be new," said the duckling.
"Oho!" said the wise old owl,
While the guinea hen cluttered off chuckling
To tell all the rest of the fowl.
"I should like a more elegant figure,"
That child of a duck went on.
"I should like to grow bigger and bigger,
Until I could swallow a swan.
"I won't be the bondslave of habit,
I won't have these webs on my toes.
I want to run around like a rabbit
A rabbit as red as a rose."
"I don't want to waddle like mother,
Or quack like my silly old dad.
I want to be utterly other,
And frightfully modern and mad."
"I want to be new," said the duckling.
"Oho!" said the wise old owl,
While the guinea hen cluttered off chuckling
To tell all the rest of the fowl.
"I should like a more elegant figure,"
That child of a duck went on.
"I should like to grow bigger and bigger,
Until I could swallow a swan.
"I won't be the bondslave of habit,
I won't have these webs on my toes.
I want to run around like a rabbit
A rabbit as red as a rose."
"I don't want to waddle like mother,
Or quack like my silly old dad.
I want to be utterly other,
And frightfully modern and mad."
