I was playing on the porch with clay
When I heard a grown-up say with dismay,
“Boy it sure is hot outside today,
Hot enough to fry an egg, I’d say.”

Inside my head, a plan began to brew
I had to see if this was really true.
I knew just what I had to do,
I would get some eggs, just one or two.

First, off to the store I then proceeded
To get the eggs I knew I needed.
I had no money, but I begged and pleaded
Swept the floors and then succeeded!

Now to Mama’s cupboard I ran
To get the next thing for my plan.
I’d seen how Mama’s breakfasts began,
She put some lard into a pan.

I dipped my dirty hand into the lard,
And scraped it onto an old post card
Some parts were soft and some were hard,
Then I ran with my treasure out to the yard.

Now to begin my food experiment
Out to the sidewalk my eggs and I went.
I spread the lard across the cement
And prepared for the grand egg-breaking event.

Just then Mama’s voice began to call
My egg frying trick I’d have to stall
I really had no choice at all,
She is so big, and I am just small.

She began with questions to bombard
Why was my handprint in her lard?
The surface was by four fingers scarred
Why had I shown such disregard?

Mama was mad enough to spit
But she is so gentle I did not get hit,
Still, she threw a hissy fit
Messing with her kitchen, she did not permit.

For the rest of the day I stayed inside
No matter how much I fussed and cried,
And even though I really tried,
I never found out if they would have fried.