Be prepared... they said. I’m very prepared. The woods are deep and the Akela is tall He’s got a badge for the rise and a badge for the fall Short khaki pants and a whistle of bone He likes to catch the little ones walking alone "Tighten the hitch, boy, make sure it stays" He’s been weaving his net for days and for days But his shadow is crooked, his smile is a lie There’s a graveyard reflecting in the glass of his eye. "No one trusts the Akela man, Now we’re sticking to a different plan." Look at my chest, see the silver and gold Stories of secrets that’ll never be told The Akela is screaming, but the forest is still We’re climbing the ladder, we’re top of the hill Check my badges, one by one. This last one was the most... fun. Nobody trusts an Akela’s smile... We’ll keep him tied up for a little while... He taught us to track, he taught us to hide He never expected we’d turn the whole tide We gathered the rope, we sharpened the stakes While he was asleep, dreaming of snakes A circle of scarves, a knot in the dark We left his old uniform deep in the bark He’s part of the roots now, he’s part of the mud The pins on my jacket are crusted with blood. "No one trusts an Akela's face, We’ll bury his secrets in a deep, dark place." Left... Right... Left... Right... One knot for his hands... One knot for his feet... BE PREPARED! Ooooooooh-huuuuuu-woooooooo... Look at my new one. The Silence Badge. It’s my favorite. Goodnight, Akela. Nobody trusts an Akela's... Tee-hee... Tee-hee...
