The Spangled Pandemonium

The Spangled Pandemonium is a popular children's poem by Palmer Brown. It is often studied and memorized by children in primary grades across Canada and the United States. It is often considered a "nonsense" poem since a "spangled pandemonium" is a made-up concept. A "spangle" means to be decorated with shiny objects (a "spangled banner") while pandemonium means craziness. A "spangled pandemonium" can then be taken to be some form of animal that is decorated with craziness.

The Spangled Pandemonium

The spangled pandemonium

Is missing from the zoo.

He bent the bars the barest bit,

And slithered glibly through.

He crawled across the moated wall,

He climbed the mango tree,

And when his keeper scrambled up,

He nipped him in the knee.

To all of you a warning

Not to wander after dark,

Or if you must, make very sure

You stay out of the park.

For the spangled pandemonium

Is missing from the zoo,

And since he nipped his keeper,

He would just as soon nip you!

-- Palmer Brown