Yertle the Turtle by Dr Seuss

On a faraway island of solemn songs, Gertrude the turtle was king of the ponds. A nice little pond, it was clean, it was neat, The water was warm, there was plenty to eat. The turtles had everything turtles might need, And they were all happy, quite happy indeed. They were until Yertle, the king of them all, Decided his kingdom was just a bit small. I'm ruler, said Yertle, of all I can see, But I don't see enough, that's the trouble with me. With a stone for a throne I look down on my pond, But I cannot look down on the places beyond. This throne that I sit on is too, too low down, I ought to be higher, he said with a frown. If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be, What a king I'd be, ruler of all that I see. So Yertle, the turtle king, lifted his hand, And Yertle, the turtle king, gave a command. He ordered nine turtles to swim to his throne, And using these turtles he built a new throne. He made each turtle stand on one another's back, And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack. Then Turtle he climbed up, he sat down on the pile, What a wonderful view he could see most amiles. All mine, Yertle cried, O the things I now rule, I am king of a cow and king of a mule. I am king of a house, and what's more beyond that, I am king of a blueberry bush and a cat. I'm Yertle, the turtle, O marvellous me, For I am the ruler of all that I see. And all through the morning he sat up there high, Saying, over and over, a great king am I. Till long about noon that he heard a faint sigh, What's that? snapped the king, and he looked down the stack, And he saw at the bottom a turtle named Mack, Just a part of his throne, and this plain little turtle. He looked up and he said, beg your pardon, King Yertle, I have pains in my back and my shoulders and knees, How long must we stand here, your majesty, please? Silenced the king of the turtles, barked back, I am king, and you're only a turtle named Mack. You stay in your place while I sit here and rule, I am king of a cow, I am king of a mule, I am king of a house and a bush and a cat, But that isn't all, I'll do better than that. My throne shall be higher, his royal voice thunder, So pile up more turtles, I want about two hundred. Turtles, more turtles, he bellowed and prayed, And the turtles way down in the pond were afraid. They trembled, they shook, but they came, they obeyed, From all over the pond they came swimming by dozens, All families of turtles with uncles and cousins. And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack, One after another they climbed up the stand. Then Yertle the turtle was perched up so high, He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky. The ray shouted, Yertle, I am king of the trees, I am king of the birds, I am king of the bees, I am king of the butterflies, king of the air, Ah me, what a throne, what a wonderful chair. I am Yertle the turtle, oh marvellous me, For I am the ruler of all that I see. Then again from below in the great heavy stack, From the groan from that plain little turtle named Mack, Your majesty, please, I don't like to complain, But down here below we are feeling the pain. I know up on top you are seeing great sights, But down here at the bottom we too should have rights. We turtles can't stand it, our shells will all crack, Besides we need fruit, we are starving ground, Mack. You hush up your mouth, how the mighty king Yertle, You've no right to talk, pious turtle. I rule from the clouds over land and sea, There's nothing, oh nothing, that's higher than me. But while he was shouting he saw with surprise That the moon of the evening was starting to rise. Up over his head in the dark and mean skies, What's that snorted, Yertle? Say, what is this thing That dares to be higher than Yertle the king? I shall not allow it, I'll go higher still, I'll build my throne high, I can and I will. I'll call some more turtles, I'll stack them to heaven, I need about five thousand six hundred and seven. But as Yertle the turtle king lifted his hand And started to order and give the command, That plain little turtle below in the stack, That plain little turtle whose name was just Mack, Decided he'd taken enough and he had, And that plain little lad, well, he got a bit mad, And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing, He burped and his burp shook the throne of the king. And Yertle the turtle, the king of the trees, And the king of the air and the birds and the bees, The king of a house and a cow and a mule, Well, that was the end of the turtle king's rule. For Yertle, the king of all Salomason, Fell high off his throne and fell plump in the pond. And to say that great Yertle, that marvellous he, Is the king of the mud and that's all he can see, And the turtles, of course, all the turtles agree, As turtles and maybe all creatures should be. And the turtles, of course, all the turtles agree, As turtles and maybe all creatures could be.