Private Pringle had a poster of a toasted roller coaster
on a fun farm in the fields of Fargo Flats,
so he made a little wager with the trendy Sergeant Major
when they met for one of many friendly chats.
"Well, you know it's wrecked and rusting, every rivet needs adjusting,
but I'll bet you I could fix it in a week!"
Sergeant Major was dum-founded at how silly this all sounded
so composed himself before he tried to speak:
"While I know you're quite ambitious, here's a wager too delicious,
so, your bet is on for, let's say, fifty grand?!"
Pringle never blinked or wavered in this moment he so savored,
and, accepting stated terms, held out his hand...
...As the pair of men were shaking, sure of fortunes they'd be making,
they were staring at each other, eye to eye...
so they packed up all their cargo, then set off for distant Fargo
on a plane which neither man knew how to fly.
Private Pringle said he'd pilot; thought he might as well just try it;
Sergeant Major settled in the other chair...
...with a bit of wit and cunning, Pringle got the engines running,
and with very little effort took to air.
Pringle's sense of navigation was a hazy inclination
which, in this case, seemed to get the duo through,
Sergeant Major said "Outstanding!" after Pringle greased his landing
on the field in Fargo Flats to which they flew.
On the stroke of midnight Sunday, as the clock ticked into Monday,
Pringle's bet was now official, under way.
He was at his motel dreaming, of a roller coaster gleaming
and a "fifty-grand" addition to his pay.
On the afternoon of Friday, Sergeant Major took the highway
out to see the progress Pringle made thus far,
but the ride was still a shambles in the tumbleweeds and brambles
so the Sergeant Major took off for the bar.
As he walked up, there was Pringle(!) so he thought he'd intermingle
with the other patrons knocking back their gin.
They were riding high, excited, for the wrong to soon be righted
when their roller coaster ride would work again.
Everybody's conversation seemed to praise the renovation
which was rumored to be ready in the morn.
Sergeant Major started chuckling at the logic which was buckling...
Pringle really must be honking his own horn!
~o~o~o~o~o~
In the morning tots were teeming to the supersonic screaming
of the roller coaster looking clean and new,
Sergeant Major's brain was frying, as his eyeballs were denying
what he knew his Private Pringle couldn't do!
Yet the thing was up and running... such a feat was simply stunning...
how on earth did Private Pringle win the bet?
When a dozen trucks were nearing, labeled "Pringle Engineering"
Sergeant Major felt obliged to pay his debt!
Author notes
Not exactly "bust a glute" funny, but just fun.
A contest entry
- ANYTHING GOES BUT YOU MUST MAKE ME LAUGH by Juno101.
460 points, ended November 20, 88 entries
• next poem in this contest, • Add to finalists list, or remove from contest
What did you think and why did you think it?
Comments
1 - 35 of 35
-
I had to read this one twice...once in my head, and after the roll on the floor laughing, once more out loud to myself. Now my neighbors think I've lost it permanently, thanks Jim, lol ... Gotta call this my new fave. = )
-
What a gloriously chucklesome piece of work. I was thoroughly entertained - thank you!
Mike -
Amusing fits of laughter still team within my overstimulated nose!
Engineers and O-rings.......I have heard is what has jacked the world to its lopsided spin today, not to mention left us wondering WTH????
Brother you always entice smiles with your writes. I simply marvel at the talent you so freely dot pages with, lending funny anecdotes hear and there at whim. Each time I stop back into AP I have to enjoy a few of your writes, and can honestly say that I always look forward to seeing what humor is now freely flowing from your mind.
Thanx for allowing me a brief interlude of chuckles and please continue to share the smiles.
HammeR
-
Too funny! Very well done!
-
-
Thanks Shel!
-
-
It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to read one of your always entertaining creations. Although I still haven't figured out what planet you are from, there is no doubt you are extremely talented.
Keep it up....the world needs more people with your wit and humor.
Drybones
-
-
re: "haven't figured out what planet you are from"
The universe is a big place... maybe there are inhabited realms somewhere that don't rely on balls of dirt revolving around burning gaseous spheres! Planets are becoming so passé!
(Thank you!)
-
-
Incredibly Fun to Read, New and Entertaining
This, whether entered for a contest or not, the fact that your imagination came upon this train of thinking, is absolutely amazing, and I loved reading every bit of it, that I did not stop to pause or look around, but at the proper moments when one should pause while reading such an intriguing piece that hasn't been constructed or read about in such a long time!
-Abbs
-
-
Abbs-o-lutely! Thank you! Best wishes!
-
-
My my what a saga this turned out to be and such an amusing one-this quite cheered me up-very very well worked!
Hilly
-
Wow!
That is so incredibly stunningly GOOD! LOVED the rhythm! Made me feel like I could rap! (Which is something I could never do!) Awesome poem!
-
It is so incredibly refreshing to read something as up-beat, carefree, and genuinely entertaining as this. The style and ability is of an extremely high calibre as well. The very best of luck in this contest!
-
-
Thank you for the chuffadelic accolades! Be sure to stop by the homepage and download the rest of the entertainment package! My best to you!
-
-
Fantastic! This is truly fun to read; I found it totally captivating and a pleasure to recite aloud as well. Brilliant work my friend.
Love,
Amera
-
-
Thank you, Amera--here's a silly thing--I've watched your dancer avatar go through her routine 100,000 times and I'm still captivated by it. Best of luck to you in all of your future endeavors and adventures.
-
-
Missed you
And glad you're back... even if it's just one for now, I truly appreciate the work you put into your, um, work here. [see, that's what I get for checking the site while at work... all my good words are already being used in copy] I'll check your new author's page out straightaway! And again, thanks for the chuckles!
Write On!
jIM
-
-
Heh heh! Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment! Much appreciated!
-
-
Good to see you back Jim! Enjoyed this yarn, and the Kiplingesque rhythm and flavour of it.
-
A wonderful touch of the Moore Marriott's with -- as someone says -- impeccable rhyme and rhythm. An absolute joy to savour. Tiny thought: dumbfounded, dumfounded but not dum-founded. I think?
Oh, and a BIG welcome back!
-
-
Agreed... what I've been doing lately is adding hyphens (often, but not always) when a word gets pronounced out of its normal meter. In this case, the word DUM-foun-ded is supposed to get emphasis on the first syllable, but because I'm emphasizing the second: "ser-geant MAY-jer was dum-FOUN-ded at how SIL-lee this all SOUN-ded", I thought I'd throw in a dash to avoid a crash.
Good "seeing" you again as well
Jim
-
-
Fun is right and I've certainly missed it. Great write.
-
-
I miss this "joint" as well... unfortunately time doesn't permit me to do it justice. I've posted a link on the homepage to my new coverless monstrosity. I'll be back again if I ever get a decent idea for a cover figured out.
-
-
So much fun!
and written in a style and form that revives my sense for what I like in poetry! I'm pleased that you posted this and have truly missed your postings! Now I wonder what you'll do with the points when you win the gold? for surely there'll not be a funnier poem than this one! Please feel free to drop in more often! j
y
-
It appears American sergeants major are better paid than their British counterparts!!!
What a wonderful treat, a genuine Jim to brighten a Monday morning
Fantabuloso!
Jeff
-
-
Thanks Jeff, hopefully you stopped by the beleaguered homepage?
-
-
Oh, it's you!
-
-
Nyyyeh, what's up, Doc?
-
-
(Scwewy wabbit!)
-
-
-
A whole lot of fun actually! So great to see you here with a new write under your 'wing' for us to share.
My reading of this seemed to get naturally faster and faster as I read more and more. It was read with an enormous smile and genuine enjoyment.
You really do inspire me Sir... clever, funny, amazing rhythm, faultless flow and it seems you can just bend the meter to fit with your desired words and story to perfection. Where as I would feel limited or restricted by it.
Your really are an exciting and entertaining poet.
Standing for my applause.
-
-
Wow! Such accolades for such meaningless scribbles, but I'm happy you're happy!
Thank you for your kind treatment! -- Jim (um, you did stop by the homepage, right?) -
-
Nope! On my way now.
-
-
-
Ah...you're back ~ and with what a pearler!
Your meter is without rival. Quite amazing how you make every singel syllable work for you so well. BRAVO!!
It's so good to see you posting. Keep e'm coming!!!
Off to view your author's page now...
-
-
I see some new (to me) renovations on the site here! Sorry for not getting back to you about the nice quadreplegic(?) animal artist. That is some stunning work with gorgeous detail. I've had so many layers of interruptions get interrupted by new and more serious interruptions that I don't even know what I'm about anymore?! *** I doubt that I'll "keep 'em coming" as you suggest, but this thing has been six weeks or more in the making... just missing the last two verses... yeah, I'm guilty of finding a contest that fit, not fitting something to a contest, so should be disqualified on that alone! Well, the Topnotch has a question, so I'm off to his place for a bit, but thank you for keeping me in mind. Best to you always Lou, ------ Jim
-
-
Fun write and welcome back!!
-
-
Thanks for stopping in, both today and a while ago. Stop by the homepage again and see if you can snag a copy of my recent effort... I'm downloading right now to make sure everything's OK, but I'll be curious to get input from others.
-
Adding your comment:
1 - 35 of 35
