Beware the Dark

or, You're Likely to be Eaten by a Grue

By C. Chance Rose

Duncan was an iron miner,
Had been all his life,
He dug into the dirt all day
To satisfy his wife.

He’d break his back with pick and axe
To bring ore up from the mine,
And go back home with paltry pay
To listen to her whine.

One day while he was digging,
He thought he struck it rich,
He found a seam of golden ore
That could satisfy…her itch

He kept on digging in the mine,
Alone without a crew,
Now she owns the mine alone,
He was eaten by a grue!

Hey! Don’t go alone into the night,
Stay out of dark holes, too.
‘Cause if you leave behind the light,
You’re likely to be eaten by a grue!

Sasha was a roving spirit
That settled in St. Ives.
She was friends to all the men in town,
Though not so much their wives.

Her fiery hair was known
By every woman in the town.
And drew from them a frozen stare,
A sidelong glance, or frown.

She took to walking late at night
When most had gone to bed.
The women warned her to take care
Or she’d lose her pretty head.

The ladies of the town did say,
When it turned out to be true.
‘If you wander in the dark alone,
You’ll be eaten by a grue.’

Be careful where you go at night,
And who goes there with you.
For if you stray far from the light,
You’re likely to be eaten by a grue!

The kid who roamed the street at night,
Stolen goods he did accrue.
But he stayed too late to make it home,
And was eaten by a grue!

The taxman went from town to town
The bills, he said, were due.
But he never made his way back home,
He was eaten by a grue!

So listen to my words dear friends,
Don’t let it next be you.
Stay in the light, both day and night,
Or else you will be eaten by a grue!