Jessica Elizabeth walked down the street.

She wore two red shoes on her big, clumsy feet.

With a trip and a thud, she fell to the ground

And broke the shoe strap and heel without a sound.

Jessica Elizabeth found it difficult to walk;

She began to complain; she began to balk.

The shoe made funny noises, like shuffle and scrape

As she moved down the street in her skirt and her cape.

It fell off her foot a dozen times in a mile

And Jessica Elizabeth refused to laugh or smile.

She stopped and she thought about her broken shoe

And knew right then what she wanted to do.

She took off her shoes and she took off her socks,

Tossed them over a fence right into some rocks.

She ran home barefoot, skipping along the way,

Wondering what her dear mother would say.

Jessica Elizabeth got sent to her room

And when she came out she had to sweep with a broom.

She worked in the morning; she worked at night,

While the owls hooted loudly and gave her a fright.

The next day her mother bought Jessica new shoes

That didn’t have a strap, or a heel and were blue.

The first thing Jessica Elizabeth did that day

Was to jump, hop and dance around and have fun at play.