Most everybody likes ketchup - but what happens if you like it too much? This is a story about a little boy who just loved ketchup until ---

Alex And The Ketchup Bottle

To Alex, ketchup was more than a treat.
And unless he had it - he just wouldn’t eat.
His parents weren’t sure if this habit was good
And sighed as they watched him smother his food.

He ate it on cereal, toast and ice cream
He’d eat it on anything - or so it would seem.
Apples and oranges, bananas and rice
Ketchup made everything taste twice as nice.

He ate it on cake, popcorn and pie
And put it in juice though he didn’t know why.
It didn’t matter what food he'd eat
Ketchup changed it into a treat.

His parents thought this habit quite odd
But he asked so politely they gave him the nod.
Always passing him ketchup to cover his food
Even though they weren’t sure it really was good.

One day in the kitchen to his joy and delight
He spied on the table a wonderful sight.
A bottle of ketchup someone had left out
As a present for him. He hadn’t a doubt.

He climbed up on a chair and reached out his hand
The whole bottle was his now - wasn’t that grand!
Then down he climbed and rushed off with a zoom
He just couldn’t wait till he got to his room.

He squeezed it hard and out it rushed
It didn’t just trickle but actually gushed!
So creamy and smooth, a beautiful red
That painted the walls and covered his bed.

He laughed and giggled aloud in his joy
Jumped up and down - he loved his new toy!
He squeezed it again and it covered his nose
And slowly dribbled right down his clothes!

His elbows and feet, his ears and his knees
He covered them all and shrieked with glee.
Well, soon he discovered that spinning around
Caused it to splatter all over the ground!

Circles and splashes, dribbles and dots
Shiny red spirals and tiny red spots.
Soft and squishy it flew through the air
Dressing in red his brown teddy bear!

Then down the hall he slowly did travel
Dispensing with pride this absolute marvel.
A bright red trail he left on the floor
And tiny red roses he left on the door.

He aimed for the ceiling as he bounced on the couch
‘Till His mother came in and started to shout.
"Oh no, Oh stop!" she yelled in a panic
Waving her arms and looking quite frantic.

His mother was really quite terribly mad
And told him he’d been most horribly bad.
When his father came home and heard what he’d done
His face got all red and he said "Come here son"

"That’s it, I’ve had it and for this bad deed,
"There’ll be no more ketchup" his father decreed.
"For making a mess like this isn’t proper"
Then he sent him to bed without any supper

As he lay in his bed hungry and sniffling
He decided the matter of ketchup was trifling.
"It seems to me that ketchup’s too sweet
I really think mustard would be better to eat."

Mustard is hot and tangy and yellow
I bet it tastes yummy mixed in with jello.
He closed his eyes most pleased with his scheme
Then drifted asleep on a bright mustard dream!

Copyright © 1996 by Kip Winsett - all rights reserved