A modern cautionary tale
As he walked his dogs each day
It was always Johnny’s way
To be looking at his phone
And the current playing tune;
But what just before him lay,
In his way,
Johnny never thought about;
So that every one cried out
“Look at Johnny, all alone,
Little Johnny Head-In-Phone!”
This morning, eyes immersed as ever,
Johnny walked beside the river.
Johnny read the emails flying
To see which merited replying.
Oh just a look
Johnny read the bright FaceBook
Who was in or coming out;
This was all he thought about.
So he strode on, only think!
To the river’s very brink,
Where the bank was high and steep,
And the water very deep;
And the fishes, in a row,
Stared to see him coming so.
He did not see it – cold and dark.
He did not hear his doggies bark.
(For being dogs they could not scream
“You are heading to the stream.”)
One step more! oh! sad to tell!
Headlong in poor Johnny fell.
And the fishes, in dismay,
Wagged their tails and swam away.
There lay Johnny on his face,
With his nice red iPhone-case;
He was in a sorry plight!
Dripping wet, and such a fright!
Wet all over, everywhere,
Clothes, and arms, and face, and hair:
Johnny never will forget
What it is to be so wet.
And the fishes, one, two, three,
Are come back again, you see;
Up they came the moment after,
To enjoy the fun and laughter.
Each popped out his little head,
And, to tease poor Johnny, said
“Silly Johnny, we have seen
That you’ve smashed your iPhone screen!”
after Struwwelpeter
The name of the individual and the brand of the mobile device have been changed for poetic effect and to protect my anonymity.