The Little Naughty Girl

Once upon a time there lived a little girl;
whose hair fell to her shoulders in little brown curls.
She had a funny giggle and wild wild eyes;
to the people around she was anything but nice!


She braided her hair with ribbons pink and yellow;
in the park she cross tied the shoe laces of every poor fellow.
"Naughty girl! Naughty girl!" the people said;
little did she care and she jumped on the bed.


She loved to startle the strangers with a prank,
and in the zoo she teased the crocodiles in the river bank.
"Naughty girl! Naughty girl!" the people cried ,
and this time nobody took her side.


At school she turned into a walking talking questionnaire
so much that the teacher, intimidated had to step out to get some air!
"Questioned the teacher, did she?" fumed the people
"But it was just a question" she shrugged and flashed her best smile with a dimple.


"That impertinent naughty girl!" the people cried
and this time conspired against her side.
The teachers decided to give her four sharp blows,
they didn't let her friends come remotely close.


The girl who knew nothing but freedom got a mighty jolt
when they put her in a dark cellar and shut the bolt!
"Discipline is success" explained they
"Laughter is simply not the way!"


Fear set its dark shadow on her trail,
The men put her smile and brain on sale.
The brain tried reasoning with its kind "Listen up!"
But hey, theirs were already eaten up!


"This is for her good" the women said
"someday she will have to be wed!"
Her parents refrained from putting up a fight
so many people think it is, it just must be right.


She stopped wearing yellow, she stopped wearing pink,
 she forgot her smile and felt her eyes sink.
The people were happy, their lips turned up in a curl,
she is one among us; no more the little naughty girl.


If you don't believe me, then very well,
beyond that river bank, this is a story that still sells.
The heroic tale of how they straightened out that girl,
about how you cannot tell apart who was that little naughty girl.