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One hot summer in Itching Down, Four million wasps fl ew into town.
Th ey drove the picnickers away,
Th ey chased the farmers from their hay, Th ey stung Lord Swell on his fat bald pate, Th ey dived and hummed and buzzed and ate, And the noisy, nasty nuisance grew
Till the villagers cried, “What can we do?”
So they called a meeting in the village hall, And Mayor Muddlenut asked them all,
“What can we do?” And they said, “Good question!”
But nobody had a good suggestion.
Th en Bap the Baker leaped to his feet And cried, “What do wasps like best to eat?
Strawberry jam! Now wait a minute!
If we made a giant sandwich we could trap them in it!”¹ Th e gentlemen cheered, the ladies squealed,
And Farmer Seed said, “Use my fi eld.”
Bap gave instructions for the making of the dough.
“Mix fl our from above and yeast from below.
Salt from the seaside, water from the spout.
Now thump it! Bump it! Bang it about!”
While they were working, and working hard, Some more made a tablecloth out in the yard.
When they were done, the dough was left to rise Till the loaf was a mountain in shape and size!
Th ey hitched it up, with a bit of fuss, To tractors, cars and the village bus,
And took it to the oven they had made on the hill—
Fift y cookers in an old brick mill.
Genre Study Poetry: The poets use onomatopoeia, words that sound like the action or thing they describe. Words such as hummed and buzzed are more vivid because they sound like what they mean.
¹ I noticed the poets use exaggeration to make the poem humorous. How in the world could the people make a sandwich big enough to trap four million wasps? The poets also use humor in the characters’ names, such as Mayor Muddlenut and Bap the Baker.
by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway
125 The Giant Jam Sandwich
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For hours and hours they let it cook.
It swelled inside till the windows shook.
It was piping hot when they took it out, And the villagers raised a mighty shout.
“Isn’t it crusty, Aren’t we clever!”
But the wasps were just as bad as ever.
Th e loaf was left to cool, and then
Th e people watched while six strong men Took a great big saw and sliced right through.
Everybody clapped, and they cut slice two.
Th e village bus, they all agreed,
Would spoil the fi elds of Farmer Seed, So eight fi ne horses pulled the bread To where the picnic cloth was spread.² A truck drew up and dumped out butter, And they spread it out with a fl ap and a fl utter.
Spoons and spades! Slap and slam!
And they did the same with the strawberry jam.
Meanwhile, high above the fi eld,
Six fl ying machines whirred and wheeled, Ready for the wasps to take the bait.
And then there was nothing to do but wait.
Suddenly the sky was humming!
All four million wasps were coming!
Th ey smelled that jam, they dived and struck!
And they ate so much that they all got stuck.
Th e other slice came down—kersplat!—
On top of the wasps, and that was that.
Th ere were only three that got away, And where they are now I cannot say.
² I wonder how they are going to get the bread to Farmer Seed’s fi eld?
Maybe they will put it on a truck.
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After Reading
Set a Purpose for Rereading: Once you have read aloud the poem for students’ enjoyment, reread it for the purpose of having students identify the rhyme scheme. Then ask students to write their own humorous poems, using poetic elements of exaggeration, rhyme, and onomatopoeia.
Use Copying Master number 1 to prompt students to share questions they asked themselves while reading the poem.
“I wonder . . .”
Think and Respond
1. How do the poets create humor in the poem? Possible responses: They give people funny names like Mayor Muddlenut. They use exaggeration by making the sandwich big enough to trap four million wasps. Analytical
2. What examples of onomatopoeia does the poem include? Possible responses:
hummed, buzzed, thump, bump, bang, slap, slam, whirred, kersplat. Genre
3. Why do people enjoy hearing poems like this one? Possible response: It makes them laugh because of the humor and exaggeration. After all, the authors’
purpose is to entertain. Author’s Purpose
127 The Giant Jam Sandwich
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Before Reading
Genre: Tell students they will listen to a nonfi ction/expository article about a man who studies butterfl ies. Guide students to discuss the purpose of this type of selection (to inform) and the kind of information they would expect to learn from it (facts about butterfl ies and the people who study them).
Expand Vocabulary: Introduce the following words before reading to help students better understand the article:
entomologists: scientists who study insects pursuit: activity
elusive: hard to fi nd
fi eld guide: a book that shows pictures of and gives information about the diff erent species of a type of animal Set a Purpose for Reading: Invite students to listen to
fi nd out what the title means.
During Reading
Use the comprehension Think Alouds during the fi rst reading of the story. Notes about the genre and cultural perspective may be used during subsequent readings.