The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Three French Hens

Once upon a time
(Don’t ask me when)
lived Nettie McIver
and her three French Hens!
Madame Clementine, Madame Florentine
and Madam Egglentine
(Enchante!)
laid the freshest eggs
you've ever seen.

Cluck cluck cluck,
or as French hens say,
Cot cot cot cot cot codet.

Nettie McIver loved to bake.
She was famous for her Christmas cake.
But Christmas cake needs lots of eggs,
and Christmas cake needs lots of stirring,
and as the tick tock hands of time went whirring
Nettie’s arm grew tired,
and Mesdames Clementine, Florentine
and Egglentine retired.
(Well, they were no spring chickens)

Cluck cluck cluck,
or as French hens say,
Cot cot cot cot cot codet.

But Nettie was a baker
and bakers need to bake,
But what sort of cake
would not make Nettie’s poor arm ache?
And would not need eggs?

Cluck cluck cluck,
or as French hens say,
Cot cot cot cot cot codet.

Nettie made a cup of tea,
to help her think.
And as she drunk
and as she.. thunk.
And as she rummaged in her biscuit tin
for something to dunk…

Voila!
She was filled with inspiration.
Shortbread would be her new vocation!
And her three French hens
would have a part to play...
Cot cot cot cot cot codet

You my fine feathered friends, she said,
Shall peck the holes in my short bread!

Cluck cluck cluck,
or as French hens say
Cot cot cot cot cot codet.






* Can you come up with a fun an idea for some of the other 12 Days of Christmas?

About the Writer


Stewart Ennis

Stewart lives in Glasgow. He writes books, plays, stories and poems, and takes quite a lot of photographs. His work has been widely performed and published on a variety of stages and pages. Most recently he wrote Yoyo and the Little Auk for the RSNO (Royal Scottish National Orchestra).