Hekyll, Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde,
Went to school and learned some pride.
They studied art, they studied fence.
Ran out of food, had only pence.

They went to the corner market store,
The keeper there was such a bore.
They ordered milk and bread and meat,
But the keeper there was such a cheat.

He charged them twice
For the foods they chose,
And tried to sell others,
But they didn’t want those.

“No, no!” they cried out,
With desperation in their voices.
“We want only these,
We have made our own choices!”

The argument raged and became quite heated,
Til the manager appeared to see what was needed.
He separated the arguers and asked for an explanation,
But what he got was a full confession.

The keeper confessed to all the proceedings,
And his shady, shameful dealings.
“But they were so gullible,”
he said then, without feeling.

The manager’s eyebrows rose,
but he remained quite composed.
He opened his mouth to speak,
To give the keeper til the end of that week.

But the keeper beat him to it,
His resignation he turned in,
Then he turned to the fellows
With an angry grin.

“I know the rules,” he said with spite.
“The customer, sirs, is always right!”

copyright © 2001 Celia Tracy