Hickory Dickory Dare (the pig) flew up in the air
The man in brown soon brought him down (Hickory Dickory Dare)
But he did not stay down, for he soon left the ground once again.
Now Hickory Dick, you see, had a very neat trick: he could fly!
He’d take to the air, and once up there would just watch the world go by
For the daring Dick Dare did not care to be kept in a pig pen.
With no feathers nor wings, he took off like springs were attached to his feet
And soared like a kite to a height that no other pig ever could beat.

Now when Hickory Dickory Dare took himself once again to the air
The man in brown said, “All right then, go ahead! You can’t very well stay up there!”
But to be a farm pig was, for him, quite a boar
And he knew that there just had to be something more
So he took off on a trip into town
Far from the farmyard of the man in brown.

Now can you imagine those townspeople’s utter surprise
To see this most unusual pig aloft in their skies?
The minute they saw him, some set out in rapid pursuit
And followed him, using the fastest available route.
As he flew overhead, many a little dog laughed at the sport
To see a pig fly without visible means of support!
Soon a procession, of snowballing size, followed his flight
As many more bystanders gazed on this wonderful sight.

Having surveyed a spectacular view from up in the air,
Hickory came down, and found himself near to a county fair.
Those who were following marked his descent and converged on the spot
But to the edge of the fairgrounds was just as far as they got
For people were charged, to enter the fair, a small fee
But animals, which were exhibited, got in free
And what was one pig more or less in a place like the fair?
Those who paid to get in searched high and low for him, trying to see
All through the livestock pens, among the cows and hens, where he might be
But the daring Dick Dare just was not to be found anywhere.

He had gone whole-hog out hunting for helpings of fabulous fair fare
Which he had found in abundance around on the ground everywhere.
On pretzels, peanuts, pizza, pastries, piecrust, popcorn, popsicles and pop
He made a hog of himself, eagerly eating until he had to stop.
He stopped eating when he backed into a bin filled with leftover grease
Which flipped over on him, and frightened away a nearby flock of geese.
This trick quickly slicked him, and caused much commotion
As those who pursued him once more got in motion.
“Look! There he is! There’s that flying pig! Quickly, he’s heading this way!”
They shouted aloud through the crowd, as their pursuit was led astray
For although the number of those chasing after him was rather big
None of them had realized how difficult it was to catch a greased pig.
He slipped, slid, and slithered his slimy way through their outstretched sweating hands
Then, with a fake, he decided to make a break for the hot dog stands.
Now they all meant well, but did not tell him that they were only his fans
And when they drew near he became filled with fear and quickly made new plans.
He then led them out on a merry chase, racing with rapid pace around the place
And ran so fast that at last he went past all of them, leaving behind him no trace.

But this fair was nowhere like the daring Dick Dare had ever been in before
And he got lost quick, which was no trick in such a thick throng, furthermore.
After a long time of roaming around and wondering where he was at
By chance he went into a tent, where he encountered a musical cat.
This cat most expertly played on a fiddle
And said that her name was Hey Diddle Diddle.
Now Hey Diddle Diddle (the cat) and the fiddle have a story to tell all their own
Equally filled with impossible ventures and penned in a similar tone
But whereas the action of that bold narration takes place in a faraway land
Therefore for today we will simply see how they fit in to the story at hand.

The crowd in the tent was beginning to grow
For it was almost time for her afternoon show
So she asked him to stay that he might hear her play
And he found a good seat in the very first row.
Then taking her bow and her fiddle in tow, she went through the backstage door.
Just before going on stage, she glanced through each page of her violin score.
The curtains withdrew and the crowd gave a cheer
The time for her concert was finally here!
She gave a low bow, then struck up a tune
That would have made a cow jump to the moon.
Everyone stood up and clapped to the rhythm
And Hey Diddle Diddle played right along with them.
Some stomped their feet, and then soon they were dancing
Because the music was just so entrancing.
Amid this gaiety, Hickory Dare
Sprang up the stairway from out of nowhere
And onto the stage, where he danced with delight
Which everyone thought a remarkable sight.
Most people thought he was part of the act
And for a few minutes, he was, in fact.
He pranced, and polkaed, and palavered about
And did a full pirouette upon his snout.
Then he charged without warning at Hey Diddle Diddle, making as if to attack
But she knew his intent, and leaping straight up she went right over on to his back.
She managed all this without missing a beat
Or skipping a note or a tap of her feet.
He offered her a ride which she did not turn down
And they decided they’d go somewhere out of town.

Just then, her manager stepped out on stage
Wanting to stop what he called an outrage.
He was a big man, well-muscled and tall
And on the job took no nonsense at all.
He strode out in front of them, arms stretched out wide
And tried to take Hickory by the hide.
He leaped for the tackle, but missed completely
For Hickory Dick had outdone him neatly.
Dick Dare took off from a running backflip
Without a moment’s pause, without a slip
And carried Hey Diddle into the air
Out of the tent first, then over the fair.
The audience in the tent concert hall
Thought that this act was the best one of all
And though the manager was still rather cross
They repaid him well to make up for his loss.

Hickory’s fans saw him flying about
And gathered together, to wave and to shout.
He circled down over them, hearing them cheer
Which let him know they were glad he was here.
He nodded in return, then he flew away
To find him and his friend a new place to stay.
Nobody knows where they went, but they say
That you might still find them flying today.
How did he do it, though? Was it a trick?
What was the secret of Hickory Dick?
Well, you see, that pig was so full of hot air
(If you don’t believe this yarn, that’s proof right there)
That when he inhaled fast, he would arise
And float his way gently into the skies
Then when he exhaled, it made him descend;
So now my story has come to the end.