im and was headed right his way.

"Oh Mister Subbalubble, please don't eat me up for lunch,
I'll bring a yummy plant instead, for you to sit and munch?"

"I've never seen a gnarble try to swim this high before.
What is it, little fishy, that you're up here looking for?"

"If I could see the sky just once, I'd be a happy fish.
To do one flip above the waves would be my only wish."

"Well sorry silly gnarble, but I cannot let you go.
It's subbalubble dinner time--you should've stayed below."

The gnarble cowered back in fear and shook from fin to fin,
But then he saw a school of fish called shiny glimmy glin.

The glimmy glin swam right past the subbalubble's face,
And the gnarble grabbed a glimmy fin and quickly left that place.

The gnarble swam up higher still, until he saw some light.
He knew it had to be the sun and, Oh was it a sight!

Closely by a plink was sleeping, lying on his back.
He rubbed his giant belly as he dreamed about a snack.

The gnarble smiled happily and set his fins a swimming
But he didn't see the plink wake up, for he was busy grinning.

The gnarble almost made it to the surface of the sea,
But the plink chomped down and swallowed him as if he were a pea.

The gnarble sat inside the plink and started softly crying.
He'd never make it out, so was there any point in trying?

But the Gnarble knew he'd come too close to quit and give up now,
"There must be someway out of here. There's got to be somehow."

So the gnarble swam around inside, trying very hard to think,
And while he did, his floppy tail was tickling the plink.

The plink was very ticklish and he couldn't hold it in.
He tried to cover up his laugh with his giant plinkish fin.

But his mouth was open long enough for the gnarble to swim free,
He swam so fast the hungry plink did not have time to see.

Far above the ocean floor, above the gnarbles' homes,

Above the blyfish families and dancing water-gnomes,

Above the swimming gungaloo and slimy dundledun,

A gnarble flipped above the waves and smiled at the sun.

XXII

ODE TO BURPING

My name is Tyler, King of burping,
Champion of stomach chirping.
No one else can belch like me--
A mouth explosion symphony.

When I start a burping session,
It sounds just like a bear impression.
Sometimes I can shake the room
With my burping bellow boom.

I'm famous for my great technique,
But, mind you, it's not for the meek.
Some tips when burping for a crowd,