This poem is a humorous and satirical take on the hippopotamus's supposed ferocity and its actual habits. It describes the hippopotamus as a fearsome creature that can be found in rivers, but notes that it spends most of its time sleeping or eating grass. The poem also highlights the hippopotamus's tendency to attack humans when surprised or threatened, but ultimately concludes that it is not as ferocious as popularly believed.
By Hilaire Belloc · First published 1907 · Genre: Poetry, Humor, Children's Literature