Around the World in the Good Ship DOGGEREL, 42

A doggerel series about the countries of the world.

Cote d’lvoire.

West Africa—and there it sits,

Where it has sat for years.

And I now feel a bit ashamed—

In fact, a bit near tears

Because, you see, it’s happened now:

I feel so dumb (a bit),

Because until this moment now,

I have not heard of it!

And now I’m feeling even worse—

A bit like well-burned toast.

I realized (oh, duh! oh, duh!)
It is the Ivory Coast!

CHORUS: Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh.

Which I have known about since youth—

In school geography.

The French had been there (thus the name)—

And so it fooled poor me.

Since 1960 it’s been free—

An independent state,

A better way to live, we know—

There’s really no debate.

It's got some elephants, you know.

And even chimpanzees.

And other jungle creatures

And never has a freeze.

A shrew lives there, as well, I’ve read—

And that impresses you?

Tonight you should go see a play—

The Taming of the Shrew!