Big Blue Mug

A dear friend has brought this to the attention of the Elephant:
http://forargyll.com/2012/02/dermot-oleary-backs-marys-meals-big-blue-mug-campaign/
There is no apology for the change of style and mood.

AnElephantCant contain his excitement
About the charity that’s called Mary’s Meals
No jokes this time
But a cheery wee rhyme
To tell everyone just how he feels

Mary’s Meals started feeding 200
Now it is 600,000 children each day
There is only one rule
They feed them in school
They never turn one child away

This Elephant does not usually do serious
He is aware that he sounds like a bore
But the laughs are adjourned
Where kids are concerned
He knows that he could and he should do much more

Please buy a mug which will help save these children
It’s quite big and it’s a shiny bright blue
AnElephantCant
Eliminate want
But he is trying and asks you to do too

http://www.marysmeals.org.uk/

Tongue Tied

AnElephantCant praise this too highly

He hopes you don’t find it too boring

He thinks it is cool

That at primary school

They will teach our kids two kinds of foreign

AnElephantCant speak very good German

When he greets you it sounds like a sneeze

When he’s in Deutschland

With phrase book in hand

He says Ich spreche nur Schottisch

AnElephantCant converse in Italian

He just doesn’t find it so easy

He feels quite at home

In Milan or Rome

But says Parlo solo Scozzese

AnElephantCant pronounce Chinese Mandarin

He can’t get his tongue to do tricks

Confucius say Why

Not give it a try?

But he can’t even eat with chopsticks

AnElephantCant be charming in Spanish

There’s no way he is smelling like roses

In Madrid or Tenerife

He just grits his teeth

Saying lo siento hablo solamente escocés

AnElephantCant parle the old Francais

Though he has been there more often than Rothesay

He has mastered one phrase

This Elephant says

Ooh la la Je ne parle qu’Ecossais

AnElephantCant grasp Hindi or Urdu

Is he too old to learn a new tongue?

He may not be bright

But he knows it is right

To teach our children while they are still young

So AnElephantCant claim he’s a linguist

He can’t even claim that he’s clever

But please rest assured

Whene’er he’s abroad

He can trumpet Bonnie Scotland For Ever!

On the news that the Scottish Government has announced ambitious plans to teach all primary pupils at least two modern languages:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/modern-languages-target-1.1117552