{"id":166,"date":"2003-02-20T22:30:56","date_gmt":"2003-02-21T06:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=166"},"modified":"2007-01-18T09:25:53","modified_gmt":"2007-01-18T17:25:53","slug":"bad-childrens-fantasy-from-my-writing-past-4-gregor-the-griffin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aprilgem.com\/log\/?p=166","title":{"rendered":"Bad [Children’s Fantasy] From My Writing Past #4: Gregor the Griffin"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a land full of mystery, magic, and mist,
\nIn a time oh so long, long ago,
\nThere were creatures like unicorns, ogres and trolls.
\nThere were creatures above and below.<\/p>\n

Below, there were brownies and fairies and elves,
\nTiny people with magic for might.
\nThere were dwarves who worked mines in the deepest of caves.
\nThere were zombies who walked through the night.<\/p>\n

In the forest were nymphs who were souls of the trees,
\nRunning naked like babes when they danced.
\nThe trunks ‘neath the leaves of the trees were their home,
\nAnd they served as the nymphs’ underpants.<\/p>\n

In the sky up above were the dragons and ghosts,
\nNightmare steeds flying high through the air.
\nThere were creatures of flight, and those of the night,
\nAnd balahas, too, which were rare.<\/p>\n

Yes, all through the land and the sky were these creatures,
\nAs strange and as grand as they seem.
\nThey were all quite content, when there weren’t any wars,
\nFamines, plagues, or a drought in their streams.<\/p>\n

There was someone, however, who was sad as can be.
\nHe was different in shape, size, and form;
\nFor this he was taunted and daunted and teased,
\nJust because he was not like the norm.<\/p>\n

His name, my dear children, was Gregor the Griffin,
\nA creature quite strange to the sight:
\nTail and legs of a lion in back, and in front—
\nAn eagle, with wings made for flight.<\/p>\n

His ma was a lion, an eagle his pa,
\nSo he looked kind of odd so to say,
\nAnd the nemean lions and ‘manthian boars
\nAll made fun of him e-ve-ry-day.<\/p>\n

This made Gregor the Griffin as sad as a kitten
\nCub lost in the woods without aid,
\n‘Til Gregor the Griffin got mad as a spittin’
\nHag cursin’ with potions she’s made.<\/p>\n

For “Lookee you-hoo,” they would say with a sneer.
\n“Ain’t like us all who know who we are.
\nWith those wings like your pa and a tail like your ma,
\nYou’re as mixed up as all those cen-taurs!”<\/p>\n

Then Gregor the Griffin was always a-bitten
\n‘Til he cried out “Ow!” or “Hey-you!”
\nHe’d get down to fightin’ and bitin’ and clawin’
\n‘Til all of the others cried, too.<\/p>\n

So Gregor the Griffin was always a-tiffin’
\nWith other young creatures his age.
\nHe did quite a-lot-in of bitin’ ‘n’ clawin’
\nAs though fightin’ was all the new rage.<\/p>\n

To tell you the truth, he was sadder than sad
\n‘Cause no matter the place he was at,
\nHe was different as different; that’s plain as can be,
\n‘Less of course, you’re as blind as a bat.<\/p>\n

On the ground were the nemean lions, of course.
\nStrong and black, and all lions so pure.
\nErymanthian boars were boars to the core—
\nOf their heritage, all was so sure.<\/p>\n

And up in the sky were the dragons and eagles
\nAnd rocs, those immense birds of prey.
\nAll had sisters and brothers, who looked like the others.
\nThey had such fun whenever they played.<\/p>\n

Those gnomes, and trolls, and yetis, oh my!
\nAll were terrible, terribly so.
\nYet they had their families; they fit in so nicely.
\nDid Gregor the Griffin? Oh, no!<\/p>\n

His pa was an eagle; he kept to the sky.
\nHe flew all around and around.
\nHis ma was a lion who loved her son’s father,
\nBut always kept close to the ground.<\/p>\n

So Gregor the Griffin was always a-snifflin’
\n‘Cause nobody liked him too much.
\nHe was part of one world and yet part of another,
\nThus part of no<\/i> world then as such.<\/p>\n

And Gregor the Griffin set his mind to a-thinkin’
\n‘Bout leavin’ his strange cave-nest home.
\nMa’s friends didn’t like him, and neither did Pa’s,
\nSo he thought he’d just go out and roam.<\/p>\n

He discovered a place called Antlantis, and there
\nHe met tritons—half fish and half man.
\nThere were makaras, mermaids, and nagas, too.
\nMany lived half in sea, half on land.<\/p>\n

Then Gregor the Griffin met Mick Manticore,
\nWith a lion-like torso like his.
\nBut Mick had big wings like a bat, and a tail
\nThat was spiked, and a face just like this—GRRR!<\/p>\n

He met Chickie the Chimera, who was stranger than Mick,
\nWith forelegs and head like his ma.
\nHe had Mick’s bat-wings and a long serpent’s tail,
\nAnd some hooves to add to his paws.<\/p>\n

The hooves were like goats’ hooves, but that isn’t all;
\nThere’s something much odder than that.
\nChuckie, how lucky, had a couple more heads,
\nWhich is great if you like wearing hats.<\/p>\n

So Gregor the Griffin, he learned a strange lesson:
\nThere were others much stranger than he.
\nLike him they were outcast for not fitting in,
\nOn land, in sky, or in sea.<\/p>\n

So he made many friends with the creatures who felt
\nOh, so lonely, as lonely can be,
\nThe satyrs, the centaurs, and malataurs, too,
\nThe zephyrs, and all the were-beasts.<\/p>\n

And after much searchin’, our dear little griffin,
\nHe even found someone like him,
\nA beautiful young’un named Glenda the Griffin,
\nWho kissed him one day on a whim.<\/p>\n

So don’t you go thinkin’ that Gregor the Griffin
\nDied a lonely old creature one day,
\nFor Gregor the Griffin was soon quite a-smitten
\nWith Glenda the Griffin in May.<\/p>\n

The two happy griffins were wed, and the fixin’s
\nWere handled by all their new friends,
\nAnd all of their children were griffins, of course,
\nSo no one was lonely again.<\/p>\n

[N.B.—Human Encyclopedia actually likes this piece a lot and is somewhat dismayed that I would post this online, so he would like for me to stress that this is copyrighted material. Yes, that’s right. Copyright © 1996-2003 by April Garnett E. Martinez, but you already knew that. So… link to it if you like it, but don’t copy it; H.E. is very large, has a lot of lawyer friends, and is super-duper-protective of me and my creative work. There. I hope that makes him happy. Don’t piss him off, okay? Thanks.]<\/i><\/p>\nShare this post:

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In a land full of mystery, magic, and mist, In a time oh so long, long ago, There were creatures like unicorns, ogres and trolls. There were creatures above and below. Below, there were brownies and fairies and elves, Tiny people with magic for might. There were dwarves who worked mines in the deepest of caves. There were zombies who walked through the night. In the forest were nymphs who were souls of the trees, Running naked like babes when…<\/p>\n

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