or over a wooded plain,
above the rooftops of a city,
up a mountain and down again.
I woke up one morn a tired man
and decided on a walk.
I went down through my valley
and ended in a swamp.
Around I looked that fine day
and gazed upon a tree,
then found a tiny little being
trailing after me.
“Who goes there!?” I called out,
fearing for my life,
imagining some evil thing
threat’ning with a knife.
But, lo and behold, truth be told
‘twas a gnome following me.
I looked at him and he looked back,
Then he began to flee.
I had no choice but to give chase.
What else was there to do?
He ran into a little field
and I, of course, ran too.
He panted as he caught his breath
and looked ‘bout to and fro.
Then he sat down on his feet,
not sure which way to go.
“Why’d you run?” I asked the gnome,
“Why’d you run away?”
He gaped at me quite silently
as I wondered what he’d say.
“Run away?” he asked, “Why,
I was giving chase!”
But I was right behind him,
so what had caused that race?
So I asked him what was on my mind,
and he started to explain:
“Once upon a grassy meadow,
or over a wooded plain…”