Greens!

"In the past, when your mother was with child, she developed an unusual appetite. She took one look at my beautiful garden and told your father that what she wanted more than anything in the world was

Greens, greens
and nothing but greens--
Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,
Asparagus and watercress and
Fiddleferns and lettuce!

He said, "All right,"
But it wasn't, quite,
'Cause I caught him in the autumn
In my garden one night!
He was robbing me,
Raping me,
Rooting through my rutabaga,
Raiding my arugula and
Ripping up my rampion
(My champion! My favorite!)
I should have laid a spell on him
Right there,
Could have changed him into stone
Or a dog or a chair...

But I let him have the rampion-
I'd lots to spare.
In return, however,
I said, "Fair is fair:
You can let me have the baby
That your wife will bear.

And we'll call it square."*

For the record--just in case it should coincidentally happen--I'm not to the point of giving the pups to a witch to lock up in a tall tower to get some, but goodness I'm enjoying munching on my baby spring greens!

(*From Into the Woods a Sondheim musical.)