the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
this was put together to use in a classroom of mixed ability youngsters in order to provoke light-hearted discussions and some art work. the first section is really to be read to a group whilst the 'dr seuss' bit is for everyone to have a crack at. i wouldn't call it literary, and i don't know if it's worth reading on its own but... it was fun to do!
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose:
for d'arcy and aliasse
If, like me, you are starry eyed as the big dark sky and spend nights dreaming or searching for magic strangeness, planets and comets and alien stuff - well, this story is for you and every word of it true, crossed fingers, honest!
Up in the left corner of the universe, and flashy with it, is the purple planet Ondaloose - that’s right, the one with yellow spots, have you seen it before?
Well Mickey and Tam had - and lots of times, in fact they claimed to be the very two discoverers of that mystifying world. Apparently the amazing discovery was made as they waved at each other from the windows of their homes one evening after school. School had been fun that day, they had learned all about Pirates. In class the children had made eye patches and parrots and telescopes out of bright coloured paper and glitter and silver stars.
”What’s that?” They asked each other now as they noticed a splotchy splat of purple and yellow above their heads and probably a long way off.
“An aeroplane? A helicopter? A funny reflection? A smudge?”
Quickly Tam and Mickey put their new cardboard telescopes to good use and bouncing up and down they danced the dance of discovery for a new and special planet. “We’ll have to think of a name for it,” they both agreed.
It took a little while to find a suitable name but they did it. Nobody else believed their excited reports of planet Ondaloose, but the children didn’t mind too much because that meant Ondaloose was not only their discovery, it was their secret too.
………………………
Of course you might be asking some questions now, the children certainly were. What sort of a planet might Ondaloose be? What was there? What sort of strange alien monster friendly beasties?
And did they have to go to school too?
Mickey thought the planet was probably very energetic and that the creatures on it went around together in dancing herds. That made sense because Mickey and Tam loved dancing, so perhaps that was why they had been the only ones to notice the alien world.
Tam thought the yellow spots might be flocks of birds that followed the herds about. Birdsong is a sort of music after all, perhaps the other Ondalooseans danced to that.
But herds and flocks of what exactly?
Something like a cow, something like a moose?
Something like an owl, something like a goose?
“A moose?”
“A goose?”
“A moose-goose from planet Ondaloose?”
That had to be the answer!
…………….
The next day at school, Tam had painting in the afternoon and she talked to her teacher about the planet Ondaloose. Her teacher did not seem convinced. “Oh really,” she said with rolling eyes, “a new planet, how very exciting.”
“But it was!” Tam decided to prove it, “I can show you.” She gathered up some paper and crayons and paints. Purple with yellow spots, just you wait! She thought. It barely seemed five minutes later that the bell rang for the end of class and the paining was finished. “There you are Miss,” Tam waved her painting triumphantly, “the planet Ondaloose!”
The teacher smiled. “Yes, very pretty,” she said.
Tam knew the teacher still didn’t understand, but out in the corridor Mickey was waiting so she hurried out of the class. “Look,” she said to her friend, “Ondaloose!”
Mickey looked at the paining. He was impressed and said so. “Yes, that’s exactly right!”
Tam was very proud of her painting and she held it very carefully on the way home. Mickey looked thoughtful as he walked beside her and when the two children reached their front doors, one green and one brown, he turned and said, “Well, we have an exact image of Ondaloose Professor Tam - but what about a moose-goose?”
“A scientific problem” agreed Tam.
“I’ll put my best man onto it,” Mickey nodded determinedly, “me!” he grinned.
………….
That evening before bed Tam was in her room when she saw a signal from Mickey’s torch. She went over to the window but his room was in darkness, she couldn’t see into it at all.
She could hear though, as Mickey yelled across the narrow gap between their houses, “Look, a moose-goose!”
As he said this, a light came on in Mickey’s room, flat and white almost like the moon. He must be using his torch, thought Tam. She was right.
As Tam watched a black shape appeared against the screen of light, a beak it looked like opening and closing its mouth. And then behind the beak and wiggling slightly appeared four or five long horns, like antlers on reindeer - or on a moose!
“Well Professor?” called out Mickey, “What do you think, is it a moose-goose?”
“Yes,” called Tam through her window, “yes 100 percent!” She looked suddenly around her room, there was something she needed. “Wait a minute,” she shouted to Mickey and went to fetch her mum.
It took a big promise, a great big “Oh Mum do I have to, gulp! Alright…” promise of going straight to bed and tidying her room up on Saturday, but Tam got her mother to come and look - and to bring a camera. Mum’s camera was in a mobile phone and she held it up and managed to snap a picture. It was blurry but you could see the shape, the moose-goose caught on camera!
“Thanks mum,” said Tam. She yelled out to Mickey, “We’ve got the proof!”
“Bedtime now,” Tam’s mother drew the curtains firmly.
…………………………
The next day was a Saturday and at 10 o’clock, even before the cartoons had finished on the telly, Mickey heard a knock at the front door of his house and the sound of someone giggling outside.
I know that giggle, he thought. It was no surprise when he opened the door and saw Tam grinning back at him from the steps. He was a little surprised though when he saw what was in her hand. Tam was holding a long kite string, holding it like a dog lead - and at the end of it, where the diamond shaped kite was, Mickey could see great big marker pen eyes, some cotton wool antlers and a stick-on beak.
“Look,” giggled Tam, “look what I’ve caught - isn’t it the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose?”
Mickey stared down at the spot next to his friend. “Yes,” he smiled - and a big smile it was too - “that’s it exactly!”
Quickly he pulled on his favourite green boots and a duffle coat. These actions, naturally enough, caught the attention of his parents.
“What?” asked his Dad, “Where are you going?” asked his Mum.
“We’ve got to walk the moose-goose,” Mickey replied.
“What?” asked his Dad and so did his Mum! “There’s nothing there” they both said at once.
Mickey sighed. Clearly the moose-goose could only be seen by expert scientists like him and Tam.
“Won’t be long!” he called out, and “won’t go far!”
“Come on,” Tam was impatient to start, in fact she was half way down the steps and on to the pavement already. “Hurry”, she said, “this is a very fast moose-goose!”
It was true - Mickey had to jog to keep up with his skipping friend. There were puddles from the rain and the two children enjoyed jumping in them with as big a splash as they could manage. And they nodded to each other because the moose-goose of course didn’t mind the puddles at all, not at all, not one tiny bit… and oh dear and yes, because that meant trouble…
Half way to the shops and Mickey and Tam could see the bus stop and a long queue of people doing their best to stand straight and clutching at the coats and clothes in the strong wind and trying very hard not to get splashed by passing cars - which was not as easy as you might think because next to the bus stop and just near the kerb was a huge black lake of a puddle.
Oh that was too much for the moose-goose from Ondaloose! With a sudden leap the creature tugged free from Tam’s grasp and sailed up into the air and span around happily before diving back down towards the line of people and the tempting, tempting, puddle.
“Look out!” cried somebody.
“Is that a kite?” “Hey -Watch it!” People began to grab at the over enthusiastic moose-goose, arms and hands flailed about and waved this way and that and then - oh no! - somebody slipped, somebody right at the end of the queue… and down they went clutching onto the next person as they did so. That person clutched desperately too and the person behind them started flapping their arms as if they wanted to fly like the wild moose-goose from Ondaloose and down, down, one two three four five six seven people down like dominoes one after the after into the puddle and KERSPLOSH!! SPLOSH! SPLOSH!
“AAAGH!” yelled Mickey.
“AAAGH!” yelled Tam.
“AAAGH!” yelled the people.
But two late and tut, tut, tut, one two three four five six seven wet people with wide blinking eyes and soggy bottoms; OOooops!
Tam and Mickey blushed from their cheeks all the way down to their wellington boots. “Sorry!” they cried.
“What - what was that?” the soaked and soggy people asked.
“That,” said Mickey slowly, “was the moose-goose from Ondaloose!”
“Ondarampage more like!” complained a man trying to put a rain filled hat back on his head.
“Sorry,” said Tam again, “We had no idea it was so naughty!”
Saying this, Tam realised the moose-goose was getting away! “Quick Mickey,” she yelled, “we have to catch it!” and the two children dashed off along the pavement in pursuit of the wayward (which is another word for naughty) and wind powered moose-goose.
It took them all the way to the shops before the children caught up with the alien again, and they were both doubled up and panting really hard from running so fast. But there it was, wrapped round a lamppost, and Tam grabbed the lead and this time she was not letting go!
“What have you got there?” asked a woman coming out of the post office.
“The moose-goose,” said Mickey.
“From the planet Ondaloose!” said Tam.
The woman raised her eyebrows, first one and then the other and really very high. “Well I never!” she said.
The moose-goose waggled its antlers politely.
The woman ignored the moose-goose, which the children thought was very rude behaviour. As they went around the shops together they discovered that most people reacted in the same odd fashion - some even pretended there was nothing there. This didn’t bother the children much though because they didn’t really talk to strangers anyway.
On the other hand it was a little frustrating not to have people at least acknowledge their fantastic discovery. So, as scientists, they decided to put together a thorough report which would go with the rest of their evidence. The evidence might be very useful in the future. After splashing and running and jumping and doing as much in town as they could Tam and Mickey went back to work on their report. It took a long time and the children realised they had many more questions than they had answers but they felt the questions were big enough and important enough to note down - and perhaps the answers would be revealed in time.
“After all, every investigation has to start with a question,” said Tam knowledgably.
“Very true,” Mickey waggled a pen in agreement.
With furrowed looks of concentration the two scientists busied away the rest of the afternoon, writing on big pages of coloured paper and using a pencil and a pen. By the time they finished there were long shadows in the front room of Mickey’s house whilst outside the wind was still whirling the leaves into spirals of gold and crimson and brown. The sound the wind was making made them both yawn and think of comfortable beds and sleep.
But the children were very pleased with their report and after reading it through to themselves they placed it carefully in the box along with Tam’s painting, the disc with the photograph on it and the kite string. “One day the world will know the truth” announced Mickey solemnly.
Tam clapped her hands. “Yes! We’ll be famous, with awards and prizes and medals and a gold star at least!”
I wonder if you would feel the same way.
Here is a copy of their report. Perhaps it will inspire you to investigate for yourself, remember if you discover anything new about the moose-goose or find fresh evidence of this astonishing alien animal, Mickey and Tam will be delighted to add your findings to their big box of Ondaloose.
…………………………
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose:
Now here’s a creature, what a face!
The sort that comes from outer space,
Send for Dr Who, call for Dr Seuss
It’s the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Are those antlers? Is that a beak?
Does it cackle, moo or squeak?
Are there stripes or are there spots - just the one or maybe lots?
Does it bang on pans and pots?
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it furry, scaly - bald? Does it come back when it’s called?
Is it green or blue or red?
Does it have a giant head?
Or a giant bum instead!
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it common, is it rare? Are there fangs or horns or hair?
Is it curly, round or square?
It could be almost anywhere…
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it big or is it small? It could be invisible!
Then it wouldn’t be seen at all
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it near or is it far?
Can it hide under your car?
Is it narrow, is it wide? Are you better off inside?
Here comes the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose…
Does it roar and growl and bark? Is it glowing in the dark?
Does it flip, or flap and fly? Can you see it in the sky?
Tell me what, where, how and why?
Is the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Does it jump and dance and sing?
We really don’t know anything
About the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it friendly, like a pet?
Just how many can we get? Should we take it to the vet?
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose
Wait a minute - where did it go?
I think you made it up you know…
Perhaps it will be back tomorrow
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose…
But now it is bedtime, sleep and dream
All the strange things that you’ve seen
A moose-goose playing with a human being
Imagination is a wonderful thing
No wonder that you’re smiling!
Sleep tight. x
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose:
for d'arcy and aliasse
If, like me, you are starry eyed as the big dark sky and spend nights dreaming or searching for magic strangeness, planets and comets and alien stuff - well, this story is for you and every word of it true, crossed fingers, honest!
Up in the left corner of the universe, and flashy with it, is the purple planet Ondaloose - that’s right, the one with yellow spots, have you seen it before?
Well Mickey and Tam had - and lots of times, in fact they claimed to be the very two discoverers of that mystifying world. Apparently the amazing discovery was made as they waved at each other from the windows of their homes one evening after school. School had been fun that day, they had learned all about Pirates. In class the children had made eye patches and parrots and telescopes out of bright coloured paper and glitter and silver stars.
”What’s that?” They asked each other now as they noticed a splotchy splat of purple and yellow above their heads and probably a long way off.
“An aeroplane? A helicopter? A funny reflection? A smudge?”
Quickly Tam and Mickey put their new cardboard telescopes to good use and bouncing up and down they danced the dance of discovery for a new and special planet. “We’ll have to think of a name for it,” they both agreed.
It took a little while to find a suitable name but they did it. Nobody else believed their excited reports of planet Ondaloose, but the children didn’t mind too much because that meant Ondaloose was not only their discovery, it was their secret too.
………………………
Of course you might be asking some questions now, the children certainly were. What sort of a planet might Ondaloose be? What was there? What sort of strange alien monster friendly beasties?
And did they have to go to school too?
Mickey thought the planet was probably very energetic and that the creatures on it went around together in dancing herds. That made sense because Mickey and Tam loved dancing, so perhaps that was why they had been the only ones to notice the alien world.
Tam thought the yellow spots might be flocks of birds that followed the herds about. Birdsong is a sort of music after all, perhaps the other Ondalooseans danced to that.
But herds and flocks of what exactly?
Something like a cow, something like a moose?
Something like an owl, something like a goose?
“A moose?”
“A goose?”
“A moose-goose from planet Ondaloose?”
That had to be the answer!
…………….
The next day at school, Tam had painting in the afternoon and she talked to her teacher about the planet Ondaloose. Her teacher did not seem convinced. “Oh really,” she said with rolling eyes, “a new planet, how very exciting.”
“But it was!” Tam decided to prove it, “I can show you.” She gathered up some paper and crayons and paints. Purple with yellow spots, just you wait! She thought. It barely seemed five minutes later that the bell rang for the end of class and the paining was finished. “There you are Miss,” Tam waved her painting triumphantly, “the planet Ondaloose!”
The teacher smiled. “Yes, very pretty,” she said.
Tam knew the teacher still didn’t understand, but out in the corridor Mickey was waiting so she hurried out of the class. “Look,” she said to her friend, “Ondaloose!”
Mickey looked at the paining. He was impressed and said so. “Yes, that’s exactly right!”
Tam was very proud of her painting and she held it very carefully on the way home. Mickey looked thoughtful as he walked beside her and when the two children reached their front doors, one green and one brown, he turned and said, “Well, we have an exact image of Ondaloose Professor Tam - but what about a moose-goose?”
“A scientific problem” agreed Tam.
“I’ll put my best man onto it,” Mickey nodded determinedly, “me!” he grinned.
………….
That evening before bed Tam was in her room when she saw a signal from Mickey’s torch. She went over to the window but his room was in darkness, she couldn’t see into it at all.
She could hear though, as Mickey yelled across the narrow gap between their houses, “Look, a moose-goose!”
As he said this, a light came on in Mickey’s room, flat and white almost like the moon. He must be using his torch, thought Tam. She was right.
As Tam watched a black shape appeared against the screen of light, a beak it looked like opening and closing its mouth. And then behind the beak and wiggling slightly appeared four or five long horns, like antlers on reindeer - or on a moose!
“Well Professor?” called out Mickey, “What do you think, is it a moose-goose?”
“Yes,” called Tam through her window, “yes 100 percent!” She looked suddenly around her room, there was something she needed. “Wait a minute,” she shouted to Mickey and went to fetch her mum.
It took a big promise, a great big “Oh Mum do I have to, gulp! Alright…” promise of going straight to bed and tidying her room up on Saturday, but Tam got her mother to come and look - and to bring a camera. Mum’s camera was in a mobile phone and she held it up and managed to snap a picture. It was blurry but you could see the shape, the moose-goose caught on camera!
“Thanks mum,” said Tam. She yelled out to Mickey, “We’ve got the proof!”
“Bedtime now,” Tam’s mother drew the curtains firmly.
…………………………
The next day was a Saturday and at 10 o’clock, even before the cartoons had finished on the telly, Mickey heard a knock at the front door of his house and the sound of someone giggling outside.
I know that giggle, he thought. It was no surprise when he opened the door and saw Tam grinning back at him from the steps. He was a little surprised though when he saw what was in her hand. Tam was holding a long kite string, holding it like a dog lead - and at the end of it, where the diamond shaped kite was, Mickey could see great big marker pen eyes, some cotton wool antlers and a stick-on beak.
“Look,” giggled Tam, “look what I’ve caught - isn’t it the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose?”
Mickey stared down at the spot next to his friend. “Yes,” he smiled - and a big smile it was too - “that’s it exactly!”
Quickly he pulled on his favourite green boots and a duffle coat. These actions, naturally enough, caught the attention of his parents.
“What?” asked his Dad, “Where are you going?” asked his Mum.
“We’ve got to walk the moose-goose,” Mickey replied.
“What?” asked his Dad and so did his Mum! “There’s nothing there” they both said at once.
Mickey sighed. Clearly the moose-goose could only be seen by expert scientists like him and Tam.
“Won’t be long!” he called out, and “won’t go far!”
“Come on,” Tam was impatient to start, in fact she was half way down the steps and on to the pavement already. “Hurry”, she said, “this is a very fast moose-goose!”
It was true - Mickey had to jog to keep up with his skipping friend. There were puddles from the rain and the two children enjoyed jumping in them with as big a splash as they could manage. And they nodded to each other because the moose-goose of course didn’t mind the puddles at all, not at all, not one tiny bit… and oh dear and yes, because that meant trouble…
Half way to the shops and Mickey and Tam could see the bus stop and a long queue of people doing their best to stand straight and clutching at the coats and clothes in the strong wind and trying very hard not to get splashed by passing cars - which was not as easy as you might think because next to the bus stop and just near the kerb was a huge black lake of a puddle.
Oh that was too much for the moose-goose from Ondaloose! With a sudden leap the creature tugged free from Tam’s grasp and sailed up into the air and span around happily before diving back down towards the line of people and the tempting, tempting, puddle.
“Look out!” cried somebody.
“Is that a kite?” “Hey -Watch it!” People began to grab at the over enthusiastic moose-goose, arms and hands flailed about and waved this way and that and then - oh no! - somebody slipped, somebody right at the end of the queue… and down they went clutching onto the next person as they did so. That person clutched desperately too and the person behind them started flapping their arms as if they wanted to fly like the wild moose-goose from Ondaloose and down, down, one two three four five six seven people down like dominoes one after the after into the puddle and KERSPLOSH!! SPLOSH! SPLOSH!
“AAAGH!” yelled Mickey.
“AAAGH!” yelled Tam.
“AAAGH!” yelled the people.
But two late and tut, tut, tut, one two three four five six seven wet people with wide blinking eyes and soggy bottoms; OOooops!
Tam and Mickey blushed from their cheeks all the way down to their wellington boots. “Sorry!” they cried.
“What - what was that?” the soaked and soggy people asked.
“That,” said Mickey slowly, “was the moose-goose from Ondaloose!”
“Ondarampage more like!” complained a man trying to put a rain filled hat back on his head.
“Sorry,” said Tam again, “We had no idea it was so naughty!”
Saying this, Tam realised the moose-goose was getting away! “Quick Mickey,” she yelled, “we have to catch it!” and the two children dashed off along the pavement in pursuit of the wayward (which is another word for naughty) and wind powered moose-goose.
It took them all the way to the shops before the children caught up with the alien again, and they were both doubled up and panting really hard from running so fast. But there it was, wrapped round a lamppost, and Tam grabbed the lead and this time she was not letting go!
“What have you got there?” asked a woman coming out of the post office.
“The moose-goose,” said Mickey.
“From the planet Ondaloose!” said Tam.
The woman raised her eyebrows, first one and then the other and really very high. “Well I never!” she said.
The moose-goose waggled its antlers politely.
The woman ignored the moose-goose, which the children thought was very rude behaviour. As they went around the shops together they discovered that most people reacted in the same odd fashion - some even pretended there was nothing there. This didn’t bother the children much though because they didn’t really talk to strangers anyway.
On the other hand it was a little frustrating not to have people at least acknowledge their fantastic discovery. So, as scientists, they decided to put together a thorough report which would go with the rest of their evidence. The evidence might be very useful in the future. After splashing and running and jumping and doing as much in town as they could Tam and Mickey went back to work on their report. It took a long time and the children realised they had many more questions than they had answers but they felt the questions were big enough and important enough to note down - and perhaps the answers would be revealed in time.
“After all, every investigation has to start with a question,” said Tam knowledgably.
“Very true,” Mickey waggled a pen in agreement.
With furrowed looks of concentration the two scientists busied away the rest of the afternoon, writing on big pages of coloured paper and using a pencil and a pen. By the time they finished there were long shadows in the front room of Mickey’s house whilst outside the wind was still whirling the leaves into spirals of gold and crimson and brown. The sound the wind was making made them both yawn and think of comfortable beds and sleep.
But the children were very pleased with their report and after reading it through to themselves they placed it carefully in the box along with Tam’s painting, the disc with the photograph on it and the kite string. “One day the world will know the truth” announced Mickey solemnly.
Tam clapped her hands. “Yes! We’ll be famous, with awards and prizes and medals and a gold star at least!”
I wonder if you would feel the same way.
Here is a copy of their report. Perhaps it will inspire you to investigate for yourself, remember if you discover anything new about the moose-goose or find fresh evidence of this astonishing alien animal, Mickey and Tam will be delighted to add your findings to their big box of Ondaloose.
…………………………
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose:
Now here’s a creature, what a face!
The sort that comes from outer space,
Send for Dr Who, call for Dr Seuss
It’s the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Are those antlers? Is that a beak?
Does it cackle, moo or squeak?
Are there stripes or are there spots - just the one or maybe lots?
Does it bang on pans and pots?
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it furry, scaly - bald? Does it come back when it’s called?
Is it green or blue or red?
Does it have a giant head?
Or a giant bum instead!
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it common, is it rare? Are there fangs or horns or hair?
Is it curly, round or square?
It could be almost anywhere…
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it big or is it small? It could be invisible!
Then it wouldn’t be seen at all
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it near or is it far?
Can it hide under your car?
Is it narrow, is it wide? Are you better off inside?
Here comes the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose…
Does it roar and growl and bark? Is it glowing in the dark?
Does it flip, or flap and fly? Can you see it in the sky?
Tell me what, where, how and why?
Is the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Does it jump and dance and sing?
We really don’t know anything
About the moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose!
Is it friendly, like a pet?
Just how many can we get? Should we take it to the vet?
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose
Wait a minute - where did it go?
I think you made it up you know…
Perhaps it will be back tomorrow
The moose-goose from the planet Ondaloose…
But now it is bedtime, sleep and dream
All the strange things that you’ve seen
A moose-goose playing with a human being
Imagination is a wonderful thing
No wonder that you’re smiling!
Sleep tight. x