The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Lucky Pete

We got a new pet donkey,
We called him Lucky Pete,
We put him in the garden,
With a bale of hay to eat.

We stood and watched our donkey,
While Pete just watched us back,
Dad said he might want privacy,
To eat his little snack.

But when we went back out there,
We stopped in stunned surprise,
To see the mess that Pete had made,
Laid out before our eyes.

He’d eaten the tomatoes,
He’d gobbled all the beans,
He’d munched on all the carrot tops,
And all the other greens,

He’d feasted on the fence posts,
He’d chewed through Dad’s new hat,
He’d pulled the washing off the line,
And nibbled most of that!

He’d gorged on Mum’s gardenias,
Devoured the roses too,
He’d even chewed the chilli plants,
And left a pile of poo.

Mum sobbed, “We must return him,”
Dad fumed, “He just can’t stay,”
But I felt bad for Lucky Pete,
And pleaded, “One more day!”

We stood and watched our donkey,
While Pete just watched us back,
Dad sighed and said that Pete could stay,
And try a different snack.

But then I noticed something …
He’d scoffed my favourite coat!
“That’s it!” I said, “Let’s send Pete back,
And swap him for a …
goat.”

About the Writer


Pamela Jones

Pamela lives in Melbourne Australia. She writes stories and poetry for children and homeschools her two sons. Her poetry has appeared in The NSW School Magazine and The Australian Children’s Poetry website. Her debut picture book will be published in 2023.