Inside the Lerkim, he stayed holed up tight.
The Once-ler would try to stay warm at night
With his final Thneed wrapped around his neck fast,
He'd close his eyes, see how long sleep would last
Against his eyelids, he saw the soft Fluff
And the Truffula Trees, he missed enough
Missed enough that his Thneed was his one care
And memories of the forest once there
Around his store, where the Bar-ba-loots grew
Eating tree fruit in their Bar-ba-loot suits
And the Swomee Swans colored the whole sky
The Humming Fish hummed their songs, in mind's eye
Of the Once-ler, who longed for all to return
Whose heart in his sleep would begin to burn
At the sound of the alarm down the stairs
The Once-ler opened his eyes, tried to care.
He looks outside to the boy down below
And he gestures to his pail and old rope
In go fifteen cents and a rusty nail,
Shell of a great-great-great-grandfather snail
The Once-ler put them into the Snuvv hole
Where no secrets left, words hidden like moles
He thinks of the boy, eyes young and bright-like
Pools of hope there, potential; not unlike -
『I'll bigger my fact'ries! Oh yes, I will!
Do you think I care of the things I kill?
This will make me happy! I'll make you see!
You'll be stuck in the Glump, envying me!』
「Go away!」he wants to tell the young lad
At the thought, some... thing in him grew quite sad
The Once-ler looked down to his final Thneed
And thought of the life he'd chosen to lead
He turned from the Snuvv, and he saw the world
Oh yes! A chance of redemption unfurled!
Now the Once-ler, pensive, thought of his tale
Of the boy who sat quietly by his pail
「I didn't think anyone cared 'bout the trees」
The boy nodded and asked 「Could you tell me please?
What happened to all of the trees? Could you…
「Even tell me what happened to the Lorax?
Back when my Grammy saw green Grickle grass,
And bears, swans, and fish lived in Trufulla Valley?
They went with the Lorax… Could you please tell me?」
The boy seemed sincere, thoughts in paucity
And the Once-ler wondered when on Earth he
Changed from a Once-ler into The Once-ler
He turned to the boy to whom he'd defer
「I will call you by my Whisper-ma-Phone,
for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone.」