This is a tale of a Castor Canadensis
who, as most beavers, was built for life in the water
North America's largest rodent by the name of Mr. Memphis
was skilled in swimming and an amazing doctor.

Although his webbed hind feet were not at all dandy
to propel underwater they were quite handy

An additional appendage which to Mr. Memphis did please
was his large, flat and nearly hairless tail
his balance it maintained when gnawing on trees
never a moment to him it did fail

Now Otter and Memphis were really good friends
together they spent all their weekends

His dams and habitats identified as lodges
they built when necessary hand in hand
all the way articulating clauses
until them both were suntanned

Memphis had always told his friend Otter
"Don't try to do what's not natural to you"
silly Otter, however, wouldn't even bother
he would just declare the famous "pooh, pooh!"

Then came a day when there was no worse a bad luck
Otter, conquered by his emotions and trying to be smart
did an experiment so a fire had struck

"Memphis, oh Memphis!" Otter did cry
"My timber house has collapsed so much that
I'm helpless, trapped and scared that I'll fry
to dash and escape before the fire consumes all my silk fat!"

Scurrying under the thunder and darting trhough the ashes and flames
came Memphis the Beaver to the rescue before you can say "Henry James!"

He used his large tail that was bushy
to uncover his poor and frightened friends
from under the ashes and all that was rubbishy
and prayed for sunshine God would send

With his mighty strong claws on his short front legs
he pushed away logs and realized how helpful were breakfast's ham and eggs

Thunder roared louder, his vision was blurred
when all of a sudden, lightning struck and downhill came a huge boulder
Memphis tried to get away but because of the rain he blundered
"Oh no!" cried he, escape for Otter was impossible for he was much older

To free Otter, captured for thinking he was safe in his house of timber, was one of his choices
or escape to his home and ignore his heart's voices

Good ol' Memphis knew he was not that strong
as to stop the massive stone from crashing his poor buddy
to be as Hong Kong he would not pretend
for he would allow his death to arrive quickly

From the crush of stupefied Otter Memphis did rescue
unfortunately to his shaggy tail he had to bid an "adieu"

His tail the weighty rock did flatten
as he jumped in front and shoved Otter out of the way
perhaps, he thought, it would expand by the cure of a chaplain
or maybe by a special concoction or spray

Although his tail was now flat
it could now signal danger or warn predators by going this way and that

As Memphis lay on the muddy and ashy ground
Otter limped to his good ol' hero
apologized for his uncustomary desires he did drown
and asked that Memphis' forgiveness on him he would bestow

"Otter, Otter, when will you eve learn?
Just be yourself and you will be happy
even though in life it is impossible to make a u-turn
listen well, for I'll say this quite bluntly:

No matter the reason, whether it be false or true
don't try to do what's not natural to you"