BEASTLY TALES

THE SHARK FEEDER

In the clear, placid waters of the Caribbean,
Harper Handout had never thought of fleein,
From any shark he saw,
In fact, he’d often shove food in it’s maw.
One day, deep down in the ocean,
He came up with a new business notion.
“Why not bring people here for a lark”,
“So that they can hand feed a shark!”
Now it’s true in that part of the sea,
It’s reef sharks that you mainly see.
These are fast and feisty creatures,
But man-eating, is not one of their features.
Of course, inadvertently,
Your hand could be part of their tea.

Now Harper advertised his business plan,
It was to be something thought up by an also-ran.
The thought of respectable, mostly sane folk
Feeding sharks by hand, seemed a bit of a joke.
But, as time would tell, some merit it had.
After all, hungry sharks can’t be all bad!
Extreme sports and experiences are all the go.
Favoured by many, so adrenalin might flow.
So it didn’t take very long,
Before Harper received a throng,
Of shark feeders waiting in line,
They thought the concept to be very fine.

Soon Harper had a group of a dozen or more,
Kneeling on the lagoon’s sandy floor,
Handing out popsicles of frozen fish,
By all indicators, a most delectable dish.
Just then a large shadow from above,
Caused them to, more rapidly, shove,
Fish popsicles into the reef sharks maws,
For there above them was a shark with much larger jaws.
A hammerhead was cruising along,
Attracted, no doubt, by the fishy pong.
Harper signalled that they should swim to the boat.
That to their careful exit, their time they should devote.
The Hammerhead, at least twenty foot long.
Finished off the frozen fish that did pong.
Then with a supreme flick of it’s tail,
Off into the ocean blue it did sail.

Harper thought it had gone rather well.
He determined that to his customers he’d tell,
“Since you have had such an exciting lark”,
“Swimming with what might be a man-eating shark”
“It is only fair that I charge you more”,
“Than that involved with just being on the lagoons floor.”