All the Forest Creatures

All the forest creatures, 

     small and great,

          held their furry or feathery breath

as Prince Franklin hovered

     over the tranquil, nubile waif on her mossy bed,

          still asleep despite the lightning and thunder,

and with his trembling, noble hands, 

     descending like parachutes toward her snow-white 

          (actually off-white, yet still virginal) bosom -- 

Franklin suddenly pushed the buttons on the paddles

     that he had wired to a tin-foil kite,

          and authoritatively yelled “Clear!”,

scaring the droppings 

     out of all the forest creatures, 

          small and great.