Come, gather round young mateys,
And hear a tale I'll tell,
Of pirates brave and daring,
And creatures known so well.

There was a mighty pirate ship,
With sails as black as night,
And aboard the ship were pirates,
Who loved to fight and bite.

They searched for treasure far and wide,
Through stormy seas and sun,
With a parrot on the shoulder,
Squawking loud for fun.

One day they saw a peacock,
Strutting in the sand,
Its feathers shining bright and bold,
Like a rainbow in the land.

The pirates captured this fine bird,
And took it to their ship,
But soon they found a penguin,
Who gave them quite a slip.

The penguin had a secret map,
To treasure on an isle,
So the pirates and their parrot,
Sailed on for many a mile.

But on the way they found a pine cone,
That a piglet held so dear,
So they shared their biscuits and their rum,
And made a friend so near.

Now this merry band of pirates,
With their parrot, peacock and pig,
Found the treasure they were seeking,
And danced a merry jig.

And so the tale of pirates ends,
Of friendship, fun and glee,
Where a peacock, penguin, parrot, piglet,
And a pine cone brought harmony.

Reflections

Here are a few questions to ask kids to think about the poem:

1. Who were the characters in the poem?
2. What kind of ship did the pirates sail on?
3. What was the role of the parrot in the story?
4. Why did the pirates capture the peacock, and what happened to it later?
5. What did the pirates find on the island?
6. How did the piglet become friends with the pirates?
7. What do you think the pirates learned from their animal friends?
8. How did the poem make you feel?
9. Would you like to go on an adventure like the pirates in the poem? Why or why not?