The jumbug and the gnu

The jumbug jummed on a hickory stump.
He jummed out a June-time tune.
He jummed at the sun,
And he jummed for fun,
And he jummed by the light of the moon.

Now a jumbug's jumm, to a jumbug's ear,
Is like honey to the bear.
But the thumm he blew,
To quote the Gnu,
“T’was an awful, mislodeous fare."

Still, the jumbug jummed to the stary sky,
He jummed out the joy in his soul
And he jummed with glee
At all he could see
There on the top of his knoll.

While his everlove, with satisfied sighs,
Gazed up at the jumbug moon.
And her heart beat sweet
With the jumm-jumm beat
'Till she fell at his feet in a swoon.

But, the nearby Gnu with a heady ache,
Tried to plug his ears with sap,
While the steady thrumm
Of the jumm, jumm, jumm,
Sent sharp shivers up and down his back.

Then, with a frightful cry, "Tis 'nough quoth I."
He snatched the jumm jumbug up
And, with thumb to nose,
And with curled toes
He commenced a most grisly sup.

Now, the jumbug's jumm is evermore lost.
And still his everlove morns,
Sighing so sad sighs,
With tears in her eyes,
Her love gone, and her life so forlorn.

And Mrs. Gnu, and all her children too,
Toil beneath the hot, hot sun.
For daddy Gnu died,
The jumbug inside
Its razor-sharp shell cutting his tum.