I Want to Be Somebody New! Read online

  Copyright © 1986 by Robert M. Lopshire and Selma D. Lopshire

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Lopshire, Robert. I want to be somebody new!

  Summary: Tired of doing tricks in a circus, a large spotted animal decides he wants to be something different such as a mouse, an elephant, or a giraffe.

  [1. Animals—Fiction. 2. Self-acceptance—Fiction. 3. Stories in rhyme.] I. Title.

  PZ8.3.L862Ib 1986 [E] 85-43098

  ISBN 978-0-394-87616-0 (trade) — ISBN 978-0-394-97616-7 (lib. bdg.)

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-385-75453-8 — Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-394-87616-0

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

  v3.1

  For Selma, with love

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  First Page

  Once I wanted

  to be in the zoo.

  And that was the day

  I first met you.

  You said that the zoo

  was not for me.

  The circus, you said,

  was where I should be.

  And so the circus

  is where I went.

  I did my tricks

  with spots on a tent.

  I put my spots

  way up in the air.

  I put my spots

  just everywhere!

  My tricks with spots

  were lots of fun.

  But no more spot tricks!

  I am done!

  Now I want to be

  somebody new.

  So here’s a new trick

  I’ll show to you!

  Ready! Get set now.

  One, two, three. . .

  Now look and tell me

  what you see.

  An elephant

  is what we see!

  Why, you are as big

  as big can be!

  But being that big

  cannot be fun.

  Say! You must weigh

  at least a ton!

  You cannot walk

  up on this fence. . .

  or squeeze between

  these circus tents.

  The door of your house

  is now too small.

  You can’t get through

  that door at all!

  You can’t go here.

  You can’t go there.

  You can’t go

  much of anywhere!

  You cannot sit

  in your old chair.

  Your new rear end

  won’t fit in there.

  You’re very big.

  You’re very fat.

  We do not care

  for you like that.

  Every word of what you say is true.

  Okay. So I’ll be someone new.

  Ready? Get set now. One, two, three. . .

  Now look

  and tell me

  what you see.

  A tall giraffe

  is what we see.

  You are as tall

  as tall can be!

  But being that tall can’t be any fun.

  You’re taller now than everyone!

  Your head is now so high in the air,

  it’s hard to see your face up there.

  And we can see

  from way down here

  a bird is flying in your ear!

  We do not like

  to see you tall.

  We do not like you

  tall at all!

  Every word of what

  you say is true.

  Okay. So I’ll be

  someone new.

  Ready? Get set now.

  One, two, three. . .

  Now look and tell me

  what you see!

  A mouse! A mouse!

  That’s what we see.

  You are as small

  as small can be.

  Well, what do you think?

  I’m asking you.

  Do I look good

  this way to you?

  We did not like you

  fat or tall.

  And now you’re

  very much too small.

  Your chair is now

  too big for you.

  And now your door

  is too big, too!

  You cannot

  open up your door.

  And that’s not all.

  There’s much, much more!

  A mouse cannot

  go out and play.

  A mouse must hide

  inside all day.

  And a mouse must never

  make a sound.

  Because that’s what brings

  the cats around.

  There are traps put out

  to catch a mouse

  because no one wants one

  in their house.

  We did not like you

  fat or tall,

  and now you know

  what’s wrong with small!

  Okay! Okay!

  Okay, you two.

  I’ll make myself

  be someone new.

  Ready? Get set now.

  One, two, three. . .

  Now look and tell me

  what you see!

  Oh, no you don’t!

  You stop right there!

  We like you

  and we really care.

  We liked you best,

  a whole, whole lot,

  when you were just

  our old friend Spot.

  So do your trick

  with your one, two, three. . .

  But show us what we want to see!

  Say! You are right!

  As right can be!

  And it does feel best

  to be just me!

 

 

  Robert Lopshire, I Want to Be Somebody New!

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