Once upon a midnight dreary,
While I was fast asleep in my library,
I was awakened suddenly by a tapping beneath the floor.
I scurried down the stairs in three seconds or maybe four.
I stopped and stood there a second to listen.
The rapping, tapping came from my kitchen.
I crept into the kitchen as to not creak the floor.
The knocking came from the refrigerator,
Only this and nothing more.
Ah, distinctly I do remember,
It was in that late November.
It was nearly Thanksgiving, just a day before.
The whole family was coming, even Uncle Taylor.
I looked at the refrigerator and began to wonder
What was that knocking getting as loud as thunder?
It sounded as though it came from inside the refrigerator.
Maybe, I thought, it is only the motor,
Maybe that and nothing more.
I decided to peer into the fridge to see
If there was anything to eat, for I was getting hungry.
I slowly walked over to the refrigerator
And ever so carefully opened the squeaky door.
The darkness was so great there wasn’t a thing to see.
Then – slowly flickering – the light came on and there was a fat, featherless turkey smiling at me.
Then, in a big flutter, he flapped and squawked and out he did soar.
He circled the room then flew out the kitchen door,
Then perched and sat and nothing more.
Then to my amazement he opened his beak!