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seuss_1937_mulberry-street.md

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+---
+id:
+aliases: []
+title: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
+tags:
+  - exclude-from-word-count
+  - type/media/poetry
+author: Dr. Seuss
+date: 1937
+---
+# And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
+
+When I leave home to walk to school, \
+Dad always says to me, \
+"Marco, keep your eyelids up \
+And see what you can see."
+
+But when I tell him where I've been \
+And what what I think I've seen, \
+He looks at me and sternly says, \
+"Your eyesight's much too keen.
+
+"Stop telling such outlandish tales. \
+Stop turning minnows into whales."
+
+Now, what can I say \
+When I get home today?
+
+\
+
+All the long way to school \
+And all the way back, \
+I've looked and I've looked \
+And I've kept careful track, \
+But all that I've noticed, \
+Except my own feet, \
+Was a horse and a wagon \
+On Mulberry Street.
+
+\
+
+That's nothing to tell of, \
+That won't do, of course . . . \
+Just a broken-down wagon \
+That's drawn by a horse.
+
+That _can't_ be my story. That's only a _start_. \
+I'll say that a ZEBRA was pulling that cart! \
+And that is a story that no one can beat, \
+When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street.
+
+\
+
+Yes, the zebra is fine, \
+But I think it's a shame, \
+Such a marvelous beast \
+With a cart that's so tame. \
+The story would really be better to hear \
+If the driver I saw were a charioteer. \
+A gold and blue chariot's _something_ to meet, \
+Rumbling like thunder down Mulberry Street!
+
+\
+
+No, it won't do at all... \
+A zebra's too small.
+
+A reindeer is better; \
+He's fast and he's fleet,
+
+And he'd look mighty smart \
+On old Mulberry Street.
+
+\
+
+Hold on a minute! \
+There's something wrong!
+
+A reindeer hates the way it feels \
+To pull a thing that runs on wheels.
+
+He'd be much happier, instead, \
+If he could pull a fancy sled.
+
+\
+
+Hmmmm . . . \
+A reindeer and sleigh . . .
+
+Say---_anyone_ could think of that, \
+Jack or Fred ог Joe or Nat--- \
+Say, even Jane could think of _that_.
+
+But it isn't too late to make one little change \
+A sleigh and an ELEPHANT! _There's_ something strange!
+
+I'll pick one with plenty of power and size, \
+A blue one with plenty of fun in his eyes. \
+And then, just to give him a little more tone, \
+Have a Rajah, with rubies, perched high on a throne.
+
+Say! That makes a story that _no one_ can beat, \
+When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street.
+
+\
+
+But now I don't know... \
+It still doesn't seem right.
+
+An elephant pulling a thing that's so light \
+Would whip it around in the air like a kite.
+
+But he'd look simply grand \
+With a great big brass band!
+
+\
+
+A band that's so good should have someone to hear it, \
+But it's going so fast that it's hard to keep near it. \
+ГІЇ put on a trailer! I know they won't mind \
+If a man sits and listens while hitched on behind.
+
+But now is it fair? Is it fair what I've done? \
+I'll bet those wagons weigh more than a ton. \
+That's really too heavy a load for one beast; \
+I'll give him some helpers. He needs two, at least.
+
+\
+
+But now what worries me is this . . \
+Mulberry Street runs into Bliss.
+
+Unless there's something I can fix up, \
+There'll be an awful traffic mix-up!
+
+\
+
+It takes Police to do the trick, \
+То guide them through where traffic's thick--- \
+It takes Police to do the trick.
+
+They'll never crash now. They'll race at top speed \
+With Sergeant Mulvaney, himself, in the lead.
+
+\
+
+The Mayor is there \
+And the Aldermen too, \
+All waving big banners \
+Of red, white and blue.
+
+The Mayor is there \
+And he thinks it is grand, \
+And he raises his hat \
+As they dash by the stand.
+
+And that is a story that NO ONE can beat \
+When I say that I saw it on Mulberry Street!
+
+\
+
+With a roar of its motor an airplane appears \
+And dumps out confetti while everyone cheers
+
+And that makes a story that's really not bad! \
+But it still could be better. Suppose that I add . . . . . . .
+
+\
+
+A Chinaman \
+Who eats with sticks. . . .
+
+A big Magician \
+Doing tricks . . .
+
+A ten-foot beard \
+That needs a comb. . . .
+
+No time for more, \
+I'm almost home.
+
+\
+
+I swung 'round the corner \
+And dashed through the gate, \
+I ran up the steps \
+And I felt simply GREAT!
+
+FOR I HAD A STORY THAT **NO ONE** COULD BEAT! \
+AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET!
+
+But Dad said quite calmly, \
+"Just draw up your stool \
+And tell me the sights \
+On the way home from school."
+
+There was so much to tell, I JUST COULDN'T BEGIN! \
+Dad looked at me sharply and pulled at his chin. \
+He frowned at me sternly from there in his seat, \
+"Was there nothing to look at . . . no people to greet? \
+Did _nothing_ excite you or make your heart beat?"
+
+\
+
+"Nothing," I said, growing red as a beet, \
+"But a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street."