The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump
Which well you may see at the Zoo;
But uglier yet is the hump we get
From having too little to do.
Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,
If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo,
We get the hump—
Cameelious hump—
The hump that is black and blue!
We climb out of bed with a frouzly head
And a snarly-yarly voice.
We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl
At our bath and our boots and our toys;
And there ought to be a corner for me
(And I know there is one for you)
When we get the hump—
Cameelious hump—
The hump that is black and blue!
The cure for this ill is not to sit still,
Or frowst with a book by the fire;
But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,
And dig till you gently perspire;
And then you will find that the sun and the wind.
And the Djinn of the Garden too,
Have lifted the hump—
The horrible hump—
The hump that is black and blue!
I get it as well as you-oo-oo—
If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo—
We all get hump—
Cameelious hump—
Kiddies and grown-ups too!
The picture below is a woodcut by Rudyard Kipling. It shows the Djinn magicing the camel’s hump.
Quote from Wikipaedia…A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back…
What marvellous words these are!
This poem goes with the story, How the Camel Got his Hump, one of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories. Rudyard Kipling, born in Bombay, lived 1865 – 18 January 1936. He was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist. Kipling , who received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, has a huge and fascinating writer’s history. 
It has been said that The Just So stories are a satire of Darwin’s Theory Of Man. If this topic is of interest go here
If you would like to read more Tuesday Poems, please return to Tuesday Poets and enjoy the wide selection of poetry on offer.
gurglewords 
Thank you for sharing this Helen! My aunt used to read this poem to me, such a wonderful trip down memory lane. I love all the words Kipling uses in this poem…as a child they used to ignite my imagination, and still do so now!
It’s fun isn’t it Leah and so clever of him to turn the humph into a hump.
Love coming to any post about an ungulate. But a poem by Kipling — yes.
Great I’ll remember that Michelle, more ungulates on the poets’ plates. There is more though…they belong to the order ungulata! And then there are the ungulants:-)
I always loved the Just So stories although the ‘Puck’ books were always my favourites. Wonderful though to be reminded of Kipling’s facility with words.
Love Kipling’s language – the snarly-yarly and frouzly! My mum used to read me Kipling when I was young, too, so they are filled with nostalgia for me 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, Helen 🙂
Thanks for calling, Helen and Elizabeth. He does use lovely words doesn’t he. I find him quite uplifting…helps dissolve my wintry hump.!
Thanks Helen. Wikipaedia sounds rather like Kipling.
Yes delightful isn’t it Jane!
I love Just So Stories and recently found out it was written as a satire of Charles Darwin’s theory of The theory of Man.
Thanks for commenting Cecile. I looked up about the poem being a satire of Darwin’s Theory of Man and for anyone else interested have added a link on the topic in the post above. Thanks for that:-)