The Crocodile's Toothache

The poem begins with a crocodile

The poem begins with a crocodile going to the dentist because of a terrible ache in its tooth. This simple problem becomes the starting point for the

The dentist laughs while pulling out

The dentist laughs while pulling out the crocodile’s teeth one by one and does not care about the crocodile’s pain. Even after making a mistake and pu

At first

At first, the dentist seems to have power because he is treating the crocodile. By the end, the crocodile gains control when its jaws snap shut and th

The poem treats a painful

The poem treats a painful and frightening event in a light and comic way. The ending is especially dark-comic because the dentist’s disappearance is d

The dentist laughs while the crocodile

The dentist laughs while the crocodile pleads in pain, and this cruel behaviour leads to the dentist’s own downfall.