An owl saw some jelly beans 

Sitting in his nest.

He asked, “What are you doing here?

You seem to need a rest.”

I might have said he saw them 

Sitting on a fence,

But if you know your jelly beans

That would have made no sense.

The owl said, “How do you do?

Pray tell me where you’ve been

And what you have been up to

And tell me what you’ve seen.”

The jelly beans said nothing.

(You didn’t think they would.)

They sat there nesting silently.

(At that they’re very good.)

The owl said, “Pardonnez mois.

Répondez, s’il vous plait.”

The jelly beans just sat there

With nothing French to say.

The owl observed their colors

Unlike most other eggs’

And saw they had no feathers, 

Nor beaks nor wings nor legs.

They couldn’t tell the owl 

Of turnips or of queens.

They really weren’t raconteurs,

But only jelly beans.