Recipe for a Hippopotamus Sandwich
Recipe for a Hippopotamus Sandwich - context Summary
From Where the Sidewalk Ends
Published in 1974 in Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein’s "Recipe For a Hippopotamus Sandwich" is a short comic poem presenting an absurd recipe that escalates into a silly problem. Its mock-instructional tone and list format invite readers to imagine piling mundane items alongside an impossible ingredient, culminating in the humorous punchline about the difficulty of taking a bite. The poem exemplifies Silverstein’s playful subversion of adult conventions for child readers.
Read Complete AnalysesA hippo sandwich is easy to make. All you do is simply take One slice of bread, One slice of cake, Some mayonnaise One onion ring, One hippopotamus One piece of string, A dash of pepper - That ought to do it. And now comes the problem… Biting into it!
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