The Skyfoogle is one of Michael's shorter poems on Artifice Design (now Kids' Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen). This poem comes from the book, The Hypnotiser.
Official description[]
- "I wrote a book of poems for children called 'The Hypnotiser' some years ago and then it went out of print. I couldn't get anyone to reprint it, so I asked my son Joe to film me performing the book." - Michael Rosen
Premise[]
A man shows up in Michael Rosen's neighbourhood, and sets a tent up in the park. Next he put up signs advertising that the next day a show would occur, where a creature called the Skyfoogle would be shown. The next day, everyone had turned up to see the creature in action. when they had all turned up he took their money at the door. When the show was scheduled to start, the man ran out from behind the curtains looking battle-scared and warned everyone about the Skyfoogle's escape. Everyone runs, and never see the man again, but they never saw the Skyfoogle or their money again either.
Transcript[]
The Skyfoogle.
There was a man who turned up around our way once, put up a tent in the park he did, put notices all over the streets saying he was going to put on show, "A terrifying creature called... 'The Skyfoogle.'"
No one had ever seen this thing before, the show was on for 2 o'clock the next day. Next day, we all turned up to see... "the fiercest animal in the world!" The man took the money at the door. We all poured into the tent, with a curtain in front of it. We all sat down and waited, the man went off behind the curtains, and suddenly, we all heard a terrible noise.
There was an awful yelling and crying, there was the noise of chains rattling, and someone shouting, suddenly the man came running on to the stage in front of the curtains! All his clothes were torn, there was blood on his face and he screamed... "QUICK! GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE! THE SKYFOOGLE HAS ESCAPED!"
We all got up and ran out the door and got away as fast as we could, by the time we got ourselves together the man had gone! We never saw him again! None of us ever saw our money again either.
And none of us, has ever seen, the Skyfoogle...
Trivia[]
- The suffix "-foogle" possibly came from the Danish/Icelandic/Norwegian word "fugl" and/or Frisian word "fûgel", both of them meaning "bird", or just made up. If that's the case, then the Skyfoogle is probably a gigantic bird-like creature.
Use in YTPs[]
- The Skyfoogle is often mentioned in Michael Rosen YTPs.
- The suffix "-foogle" has been used to create nonsensical names like the Potatofoogle.
- "QUICK! GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE!" is often said in Michael Rosen poops as well.
- A whole YTP series based on the creature was called: Skyfoogle (series)
