A Child's Dream of the Zoo

"A Child's Dream of the Zoo" by William Manning is a fun poem from the late 1800s that sparks the imagination. The poem tells the story of a child who, while not feeling well, falls asleep and dreams of a zoo filled with amazing things. In this dreamland, the animals act like people – they have picnics, run races, and even dance! A helpful monkey and zookeeper guide the child through this playful world, where bears perform tricks and lions go for walks. The dream ends when a talking parrot makes a joke, and the child wakes up, bringing the story to a close. This imaginative story shows how wonderful dreams can be and how much fun it is to let your mind wander into a world of animals.