Bill the lizard, soot-stained and spry, Climbed down a chimney and winked at the sky, With a brush in his tail and a rag on his belt, He whistled through rooftops in rhythm and felt That tonight was a night for a pint or three— So he dusted off ash and declared himself free. To the pub he crept with a swagger and grin, Left footprints of charcoal as he shuffled in. Now who should be perched on a rickety chair, But a beast with wild eyes and bristling hair— The Jabberwocky, mid-sip, with a curious stare, Said, “You look like a lizard who’s been everywhere.” Bill gave a bow, “Chimneys mostly, it’s true— But I’ve dodged a few cats and a landlord or two.” They clinked their mugs with a frothy kerplunk, And within half an hour were properly drunk. “I once scared a knight just by clearing my throat!” Boasted Bill with a hiccup that rattled his coat. “Ha!” laughed the Wock, “I’ve made villages flee— Though I tripped on a goat. Quite embarrassing, see.” They traded their tales with a chuckle and cheer, Each story growing with every new beer. “I clean flues so fast, I outrun my own dust!” “I once sneezed fire—pure accident, I trust!” “Why’d the dragon cross over the old village dock?” “To get to the other knight!” roared the Wock. Bill snorted ale through his nostrils with glee, “That joke’s so bad it climbed out of a tree!” The night tumbled on in a tipsy parade, With punchlines half-formed and tall tales well-played. Two unlikely mates in a pub full of cheer— A chimney-sweep lizard and a beast with a beer. And when last call rang with a clatter and clang, They staggered outside while the street lanterns sang. “Same time tomorrow?” Bill slurred with a smile. The Jabberwocky nodded, “Stay weird for a while.”
