I Have a Dozen Dragons

I have a dozen dragons,
I bought them at the mall,
I keep them in my closet,
It's fortunate they're small.
Their horns are red and silver,
Their scales are green and gold,
All of them are beautiful,
And all of them are bold.

They eat vanilla ice cream,
And pickles mixed with ink,
Then run around the kitchen
And jump into the sink.
They splash about the basin
And flap their silver wings,
While breathing tiny fires
That never burn a thing.

When we go out on weekends
And stroll around the block,
The neighbors stare in wonder,
They seem to be in shock.
I may not have a puppy,
A kitten, or a bird,
But I'm the only one I know
Who has a dragon herd.

By Jack Prelutsky