My Grampy

A long time ago
When ships had sails
My Grampy was a sailor
Sailing from Wales

His father before him
Sailed the wide blue
In ships full of young
Enthusiastic crew

My grampy sailed to the African Coast
And picked up an animal
That was finer than most

He was oh so tiny
His fur was so black
His eyes were so doleful
Nothing he lacked

My grampy brought home
That beautiful boy
Nurtured and cared for him
Like a really special toy

But that tiny monkey
Just grew and he grew
Until he was so big
My grampy didn't know
What to do

So he put round his neck
A thick steel chain
To stop him from running away
In the rain

But the creature grew so strong
It snapped every link
And bit my dear grampy
Oh! What to think!

My great-grandmother cried
"This thing is a killer!
How could you bring home
A massive gorilla?

"You must let him go
I can bear it no more
Please take this animal
Out of the door!"

"OK dearest mother!"
My Grampy replied
"I will send him off!"
"Oh good!" she sighed

"But please do not hurt him
I don't want him to be
In terrible pain because of
Your foolery!"

So great granny went out
To bring in provisions!
My grampy had to make
An important decision.

How to get rid of that
Creature so black!
To Africa he couldn't
Take him back

So he went to a neighbour
And borrowed a gun
And shot that poor creature
From the land of the sun

The moral of the story is
Do not bring back
Cute little creatures
So tiny and black

They may not be what you expected at all
Like the big black gorilla - who was 6 foot tall...


Apparently so the story goes - my grampy DID bring back what he thought was a cute little monkey who grew up to be a massive male gorilla. He did bite my Grampy (in the neck), broke his chain etc! My grampy and is brother did apparently shoot the poor thing while their mother was out - they cleaned up the house where they shot him before their mother came home and told her the gorilla didn't feel a thing! Whether this was just an adventure story made up for his kids and grandchildren, I don't know - my grampy was a character - he died in 1990!

He used to play for Shirley Bassey in the pubs before she became famous! He played banjo (and I think guitar)! Cool guy with a great sense of humour!