The Tale of Hopalong Warren

Now this here’s the story of Hopalong Warren
A timid young buck who found fearlessness foreign
A farmer by trade, he grew lettuce and carrots
When he wasn’t hiding from weasels and ferrets
They ravished his radicchio, kidnapped his kale
So much that he barely had food left for sale
One day he said “Dang it! I’ve had quite enough!
“If I had a horse, then I’d look mighty tough.”
But fear overtook him. He laid down and cried.
“Those horses are tall! I’m too timid to ride!”
But his friend Leo Toll had an old hobby horse
Warren asked “Can I borrow it?” Leo said “Of course.”
And on it he sat in the midst of his field
With a gunslinger’s gaze that said “I shall not yield.”
From then on the raids from the varmints did cease
And that’s how Leo Toll’s toy brought Warren peace.

Yippie-kai-yay, comrade.

Via Imgur.

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32 thoughts on “The Tale of Hopalong Warren

  1. Nancy August 20, 2017 / 8:06 am

    NTMTOM, you have outdone yourself……!

    • Meleo1 August 20, 2017 / 9:47 am

      Eyup, podner.

      • BB/VA August 20, 2017 / 1:12 pm

        No words…

  2. Dubravkamcvmd August 20, 2017 / 8:12 am

    Mike you have to leave your brain to science

  3. gail pierson August 20, 2017 / 8:17 am

    I love you more and more with each posting! 🙂

  4. Patris August 20, 2017 / 8:23 am

    ???????????????

  5. Luv Bunny August 20, 2017 / 8:33 am

    Another, A-one clever, NTMTOM tale. Almost made me want to get back in the saddle, especially with that adorably cute cowbunny. That hat is too precious on him/her. Wish I had 1/10 th of NTMTOM’s wit and imagination.

    • Nancy August 20, 2017 / 8:57 am

      Oh my yes, the hat. The HAT!!! ?

  6. 6rabbits August 20, 2017 / 8:59 am

    ?

  7. Ricky's Mom August 20, 2017 / 9:20 am

    NTMTOM winz teh intarwebz!

  8. Dana August 20, 2017 / 9:38 am

    I agree wth Nancy. Mike, you’ve outdone yourself! Brilliant!!!!!

    And, love the cherub bunny with the darling little hat!

  9. JenDeyan August 20, 2017 / 9:58 am

    Cowbuns and Aliens! That is 2018’s Summer Blockbuster.

  10. Faye August 20, 2017 / 10:46 am

    Hop-A-Long Cutesiddy!

    • Faye August 20, 2017 / 10:48 am

      Howdee Dooo Mr. Mike. Best saga yet.

  11. allein ? August 20, 2017 / 10:48 am

    In the sequel, he goes rogue and takes out Mr. McGregor’s garden once and for all…

  12. Mal August 20, 2017 / 10:56 am

    That pun is epic

    • allein ? August 20, 2017 / 11:15 am

      Agreed.

  13. Smartypants August 20, 2017 / 10:57 am

    That last line – yep, I gasped out loud. Totally didn’t see it coming! Bravo!

    • Duckie ? August 20, 2017 / 11:14 am

      I agree. That pun was awful! I loved it. I had to read it out loud just to get the pleasure of actually saying the words.
      Mike, you win the interwebs today.

  14. Murray C August 20, 2017 / 11:11 am

    A Shaggy Bun tale!

  15. Mal August 20, 2017 / 11:22 am

    Interestin’ that Leo was such a good rider. Must be because he was always rushin’.

    • allein ? August 20, 2017 / 11:40 am

      Groan. 😛

  16. Flowerfanatic August 20, 2017 / 11:27 am

    I just KNEW when I saw Leo and Toll early on there to be a ‘Tolstoy’ in there and YUP there it was at the end. Great story telling, Mike. Even better than usual (if that’s possible)!! How many books have you published? If none, GET BUSY!! There’s a fortune out there waiting for you. I’m sure glad you created this site when CuteOverload folded. We’d sure be missing out on some wonderful ‘stuff’.

    • allein ? August 20, 2017 / 11:41 am

      Seconded.

    • Luv Bunny August 20, 2017 / 1:03 pm

      I reread it again, and now I get the last stanza, missed the pun, the first time. As I wrote and will add from prior comment, I’d like just a fraction of NTMTOM’s ability to think up his tales and rhymes and use of clever wit, with submitted photos. How does one think that way?

  17. debg August 20, 2017 / 12:38 pm

    NOMTOM, I’d be lost without you. Fabulous story with plenty of giggles.

  18. Lauren August 20, 2017 / 6:04 pm

    I can only add to the heaps of praise for this, your latest triumph. Well done, sir.

  19. N. Fritz August 20, 2017 / 6:58 pm

    Bravo!!

  20. Sowmya August 20, 2017 / 9:36 pm

    In Soviet Russia, bunnies disapprove of YOU!

    • allein ? August 20, 2017 / 9:41 pm

      Um…I thought that was everywhere…

  21. Michael August 21, 2017 / 3:48 am

    Brilliant, and like many others, I did not see it coming (and congratulations to FlowerFanatic, who did). It took me completely by surprise. I never let myself look at the photo when there’s a poem, because I figure the photo is the surprise, so I was bopping along, expecting a bunny on a rocking horse, but then as I read the words “Leo Toll’s toy” I thought, “That reminds me of something.” Until that moment I thought it was merely a very clever poem setting up a photo. Then I realized it was an epic, epic play on sounds. Congratulations.

    I do have one question, though. Are the weasels and ferrets the ones stealing the radicchio and kale? If they aren’t, who is the “they” who ARE stealing it? If they are, why? They don’t want veggies. I’d think weasels and ferrets, far from wanting Hopalong to go hungry, would want him fattened up until they decided to eat HIM. However, notwithstanding that one logic bobble (if it even is one; if there’s not a simple explanation I’m missing), just brilliant.

  22. Birdcage August 21, 2017 / 10:09 am

    Warren peace! Leo Toll’s toy! You, sir, are astounding.

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