Fixing the fedora he was wearing,
Detective Raven was right on the case.
He wouldn't fall for any red herring,
He'd put this crook right in his place.
This should be easy, Raven had thought.
It seemed simple enough at the start.
But as time passed, the harder it got
To find out who'd stolen Frog's heart.
Rumors said Frog felt pain off the chart
And was lost in a sea of frustration.
If Raven could locate his heart,
This could make his sleuth reputation.
Idioms meant nil to our bird.
Figures of speech were nothing he knew.
Taking literally what he had heard,
Thought this case was totally true.
So a pickpocket, a cheat or a pirate?
No matter, he'd make their tongues wag.
They'd spill where they did indeed hide it
And let the cat out of the bag.
He made a list of could-be offenders
And planned to visit each one.
If he could make the guilty surrender,
His investigation would be done.
A rep for theft had set him apart.
It was about he that Raven felt surest.
If it were true, then he must have the heart.
Stag had antlers as sharp as a spear
And he was accused of stealing some clothes.
To Raven, Stag's guilt was quite clear.
Maybe this case would have a quick close.
But Stag claimed he caused no offense.
The clothes drying in air on the line
Caught on him, in his own defense.
It was a mistake, but was not a crime.
Raven revised his case strategy
And decided to choose a new tack.
The Stag could not help anatomy,
Or if clothes had stuck to his rack.
So if Stag was clear of misdeed
Then he never was really a crook.
So Raven moved on with much speed
To find who should be on the hook.
Raven knew to whom he must talk-
Raccoon was well known to steal.
But Raccoon just gaped in great shock
And irritably looked up from his meal.
"I took no heart, I'm not part of your case-
I like trash and bright, shiny trinkets.
You're on a wild goose chase!
I'm insulted you even would think it!"
Raven's suspicions started to dim,
Because there was no admission.
Our bird knew it couldn't be him-
Raccoon liked full recognition.
Who was he missing that could be the felon?
The question did plague our hero.
He wanted to catch the true villain
So his success rate would not be zero.
He remembered the Squirrel, so sneaky,
Who was well known for his big "stash".
But Raven's logic was a bit leaky.
He was let down when he saw the cache.
He did not find a heart in the tree,
All he found were some nuts in a pile.
Raven failed this case, he decreed,
Moving it into the cold case file.
Raven was a little down-hearted
As he kicked at a stone on the ground.
The thief kept his secret well guarded
And most likely would never be found.
They had weaseled right out of the claim,
But he chose to let sleeping dogs lie.
It got his goat there was no one to blame,
The jailbird was able to fly.
"So what next?" thought Raven, brow knitted-
What to investigate? What next new crime?
What dire evils had been committed?
Well, he heard Owl was killing some time....
