The Common Cormorant or Shag

[twelve47]

Does anyone know the full rhyme that starts.."The common cormorant or Shag, lays its eggs inside a paper bag. The reason you will see, no doubt, it is to keep the lightening out".....I think there about another 2 or 3 verses.Thank you

[yogasun]

Christopher Isherwood

2nd verse
But what these unobservant birds
Have never thought of, is that herds
Of wandering bears might come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

[fredpuli47]

The story goes that this verse was originally composed instantly at dinner when the guests set each other the challenge of writing a couplet or verse containing a given word. It certainly provides an unusual perspective on the man best known for writing the play" I Am a Camera" which was later turned into the musical "Cabaret"!

[rubyj]

What is more - I am told that the common cormorant is a different bird from the shag!

[carver99]

The common Cormorant or Shag lays eggs inside a paper bag. The reason you can see no doubt is to keep the lightning out...but what these unobservant birds don't notice is that herds of wandering bears may come with buns and steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

[Arbuthnott]

The common cormorant or shag
Lays eggs inside a paper bag
The reason you will see no doubt
It is to keep the lightning out
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

This is the definitive version. You will find that several of the other answers don't scan.

[MacGeoch]

I prefer my version, though I don't know where it came from. Maybe I made some of it up myself.
The common cormorant or shag
Lays its eggs in a paper bag.
The reason you will see, no doubt,
It is to keep the lightning out.
But what seems not to have occurred
To these most unreflecting birds
Is that Polar Bears may come, with buns
And steal the bags to catch the crumbs.