• The gates they creak or so they say
    Like an old dame’s joint
    And the rust they say is dried-blood red
    Dulling the spike’s point

    With this ominous sign we know
    Most venture on with fear
    And fewer now dare venture past
    Since the Harkencrack did appear

    A giant it was, or so they say
    With fangs as long as steel
    It crept about with shadowy stealth
    Only it’s hot breath one could feel

    Its eyes, they glowed like burning coals
    Its scream would split the sky
    When it killed enough or not at all
    It gave its horrid cry

    It let none live or so they say
    But everyone does fail
    To tell how so much is known
    If no one lived to tell the tale

    But the cry is heard, that much is known
    And the Harkencrack is seen
    Once a month in silhouette
    Bathed in the moon’s fine sheen

    For many years the tales were told
    And memorized front and back
    And mothers told their children
    Beware the Harkencrack

    But one fine day (around the noon)
    A boy no more than twelve
    Found the gates of the monster’s lair
    And past them he did delve

    His mother searched and called in vain
    But it was not ‘til two o’clock
    That the boy came running home
    In between he would not stop

    “He has seen the beast!” his mother wailed
    “The monster has sprung the first attack!”
    And the people gasped in horror
    And decided to strike back

    They armed themselves with forks and knives
    And donned their boots and hats
    For protection they took along their dogs
    For companionship, their cats

    At the monster’s gate the group did meet
    Their number was seven (for luck)
    An even number to help each one
    An extra in case one was stuck

    The Leader was a fine man
    Strong and brave and true
    The Bootmaker was
    In leather skilled
    And could fix most any shoe

    The Philosopher was a thinking man
    Who pondered the entire day
    The Scientist thought plenty too
    But in a much different way

    The Carpenter could build with wood
    And could saw a tree in two
    The Artist painted and sculpted things
    To say “I love you”

    The final member knew no trade
    Why he was there, no one was sure
    Yet he told the stories of the Harkencrack
    As if he were there before

    The Leader spoke loud and clear
    “Now the time has come!
    The Harkencrack must be slayed!
    Let us advance as one!”

    And so the gates were wrenched apart
    And so they entered the monster’s lair
    The grounds crunched from leaves and bones
    And damp was in the air

    The Scientist scrawled his notes
    And said “Oh dear me now!”
    At the rate we’re going
    How will we beat it, how?

    The Philosopher turned up his nose
    And said with a little smile
    “When one sets their mind on something
    It takes but just a little while.”

    The Leader called for quiet
    As they strode on down the path
    But the road could not make up its mind
    And soon it split in half

    “We must decide the road to take,”
    The Leader said “But wait!
    We might miss the Harkencrack
    And then it’d be too late.”

    “We shall split into groups of two”
    So the Leader did decide
    “And thus we shall find the beast
    Wherever it may hide”

    But the Seventh member did cry out
    “Please everyone beware!
    The Harkencrack is deadly
    And never will it scare!

    When I was twenty years of age
    I ventured past the gate
    And nearly was devoured
    By the monster lying in wait

    Even as I ran quite fast
    And though the gate was near
    The Harkencrack did gain on me
    And for my live did I fear

    But on that day I do recall
    I dug into the ground
    As I scrambled to escape
    And an odd plant root was found

    Though know not I the plant
    Or what properties it did hide
    The Harkencrack did race back to
    His lair and lodged inside”

    The Leader nodded and warned them all
    “Take his warning to your mind
    And dig if the monster does attack
    And see what you can find”

    The groups then split and they did part
    One to left and one to right
    They wished luck and waved goodbye
    ‘Till no longer in sight

    The first group was a sturdy kind
    The Carpenter with his nail
    The Boot maker with his leather
    And the Leader, how could they fail?

    The second group was thoughtful
    The Philosopher strong in mind
    The Scientist scribbling away
    The Artist drawing all that they could find

    The second group was followed
    By the Seventh man last
    And he shivered and he shook
    From the memories of his past

    “Keep up my friend!” the Artist called
    “Lest you be left behind!
    I know you fear the Harkencrack,
    But please keep peace of mind.
    For if we panic and if we fight
    And if we lose ourselves to fear,
    We will never find the Harkencrack
    And lose the way out of here.”

    “Such silly talk! I do declare,”
    The Scientist said
    “The way we traveled is quite fixed.
    Please don’t lose your head.”

    “The way we walk and the way we choose
    Are not the same at all!”
    Cried the Philosopher. “Or else,
    How does one ever fall?”

    “By gravity, my good friend,”
    Said the Scientist, ever snide
    But the answer was lost in a scream
    And both looked for a place to hide.

    “Oh what was that? Oh saints alive!”
    The Philosopher did cry.
    And the Scientist said “It’s surely danger!
    Oh, I do not wish to die!”

    And the Artist cried, “It’s far away,
    Down the path the others did walk
    They found the Harkencrack they did!
    Forgive me, I think I’m in shock.”

    When they turned to see the Seventh Man
    Who seemed so oddly still
    He was beside them no longer, no,
    He was racing down the hill

    Towards the screams he made his way
    His face cold and white
    The other three followed in hot pursuit
    Lest he fall out of sight

    ‘Lo! There it stood! The Harkencrack!
    Its fangs were wet and red.
    The Leader held it off with a sword
    He was bleeding from the head

    Of the Carpenter, nothing was heard
    So they learned not if he lived or did die
    The Boot maker’s leather harmed the creature not
    To survive, he was forced to fly.

    The three who arrived did wring their hands
    And scream and throw rocks and sticks
    They hollered and teased to distract the beast
    And used every one of their tricks

    The Seventh Man dropped to the ground
    “Dig, dig at once!” the Leader did cry
    He needed no prompting. He quickly stood up
    And threw something small at the sky

    Where there object passed, a stink filled the air
    And the Harkencrack shrieked and fell with a start
    Before it could organize a retreat
    The leader impaled it through the heart

    As it floundered and gasped the great monster
    Did finally breathe its last
    And the five remaining (who once were seven)
    Could finally feel free to relax

    Their triumphant return and hero’s welcome
    I’ll leave to the readers to think
    There was much laughter and plenty of food
    And all had their fill to drink

    Perhaps you might wonder, as you should,
    What was the object in the ground?
    Elementary my dear, so simple!
    It was a garlic root that was found.