Yesterday I was teaching ballads. I made my students write a ballad, but they demanded that I give them an example. So I did. Here it is: (read with a piratey accent... it just sounds better)

The Ballad of the Spotty Dog

I'll tell a scary story now
So throw another log
A tale to make yer eyes roll back
About a spotty dog

The spotty dog was wee enough
And sure he did look kind
But he wore a grinning crazy look
That got into yer mind

I'd heard these dogs in days gone past
But nothing like it now
And they say it got that crazy look
From the flesh of a mad cow

You'd think the cow was mad from hanging
With other cows of that ilk
But truth be known she's mad because
We stole and drink her milk

So anyway, the spotty dog
Went nuts and killed a town
And he'll kill again because he killed
The ones who'd hunt him down

Some say we do deserve the terror
The spotty dog has brought us
But oh! The scourge!! The reason why:
Our lust for dairy products...