With the masquerade ball in full swing.
A quartet of crickets played for the crowd
Under the full moon soft and glowing. On a thin, small branch above the rest
The ant host smiled wide
To see the costumes on all the guests
Like a dream come awake in the night. Down on the thickest of branches,
Where the revelers danced in pairs,
Was the squirrel dressed up like a peacock
With his date, who attracted stares. And beside them, two sparrows danced
One with eight sticks tied to his back
The other had a tail, much like a fox
Made of pine needles and white lilac. Far below, on the forest floor
The deer and the rabbits were left out.
Even the bear got a peek of the fun,
When the rabbits sent them up to scout. But hooves are no good for climbing
And rabbits claws are not strong enough
So, on the ground they sat in a circle
With their necks bent up toward the mischief. “I bet it’s beautiful,”
One of the rabbits sighed.
“I’m sure it’s a spectacle,”
One of the deer replied. A bear shimmied down from a forest tree
With a crown of feathers on his head.
“The birds are offering free costumes!
Just ask one of them!” He said. “I can carry a rabbit up to the main limb,
But I don’t have space for a deer.”
The rabbits all leapt for joy at the thought,
But the deer did not cheer. Just then, an eagle and an owl fluttered down.
“We heard that the deer wanted in.
Alone, we are not strong enough
But together, it’s a snap,” they grinned. One deer at a time, the two raptors carried
Until the tree branches began to bend.
And all the animals continued to dance
As the night blushed to an end.
Bringing Out the God-Colors in the World 