High School:  First Place

 

The Ballad of Ricky Shamoose

Hear ye, hear ye, great and small!

Listen up, ‘cause this is a great ballad, y’all!

The Ballad of Rickie Shamoose

And the great terror that he set loose

Upon the Russian warlords

Once upon a time, in the great halls of King Peeagled

A great evil twisted and finagled.

Yes, my friends, even great Kingdoms are corruptible

And this was true even for the kingdom of Smuptible.

An evil man, who was one of the courtiers,

(who happened to go by the name of Fortiers)

Got himself the position of Grand War Lord.

Fortiers was in charge of the huge Smuptible Hoard.

What remained unknown to the king

Was that Fortiers was in charge of a Russian fling!

Indeed, the Russians wanted to take over the kingdom of Smuptible

And Fortiers was the head honcho of the whole entire thing!

However, a forgotten Royal Pastry Chef

Who everyone had thought was deaf,

Got wind of this diabolical news!

But instead of saving country and king,

He sat down and got a case of the blues!

The apprentice poultry cook,

Saw his friend’s sad, sad look.

“Oh my friend!” cried Rickie, for that was the poultry cook’s name,

what is the matter.  Is it your insurance claim?”

“No, dear Rickie!” cried the Royal Pastry Chef.

I heard the most awfulest news, because Fortiers thinks I am deaf!”

And the Pastry Chef related the entire scheme.

“Fear not, my incompetent friend!

I’ll beat that Fortiers, and again, and again!”

And with that, Rickie gallantly rushed off

To save king and country (despite his wheeze and his cough.)

He rode to the great Wise Old Man

And shouted, “I need a plan!”

The Wise Old Man, with eyes atwinkle, said, “Never fear! Here’s one.” And he handed him a

paper.

He proceeded to tell Rickie, “You must hurry; go as quick as you can!”

Rickie read the paper as he rushed into the distance,

“I can do this without any assistance!”

He thought proudly as he read the instructions.

“I just hope there’s not much resistance.”

The instructions on the paper did not say much

“You must hurry to the Great Valley and find there a rock

Take that rock and tap it with a gentle touch.

Then, at exactly nine o’clock

Throw it at that horrible Fortiers’s bonce!

Rickie hurried to the Great Valley

And said to himself, “Well, here’s the finale!”

At precisely 8:59, the Russians rushed over the hilltop

Rickie waited till he could see Fortiers’s mop,

He threw that rock, and suddenly, POP!

The rock exploded right in the middle of the Russian mob.

The Russians were routed; the kingdom was free!

All of the people of Kingdom Smuptible

Ran around Rickie, shouting, “We thank thee, we thank thee!”

Rickie got a great big medal from the king

Oh Rickie, Peace and hope do you us bring!

 

by

Hannah Cochran