The poem discusses not trusting things that are sloppy, gusty, rusty, or lustful. It then tells the story of Tricky Tristan who tracked 22 tiny turtles. Finally, it describes two bitterning birds biting each other, with the bitter biting bittern telling the better biting bittern that it has been bitten back.

1. LET'S READ
Never trust
a sloppy crust,
a squally gust,
ships that rust,
or girls with lust.

2. LET'S READ
Tricky Tristan tracked a trail of tiny turtles.
How many tiny turtles did Tricky Tristan
track?
Tricky Tristan tracked twenty two tiny turtles;
that's how many tiny turtles tricky Tristan
tracked.

3. LET'S READ
A bitter biting bittern bit a better biting bittern
And the better biting bittern bit the bitter biting
bittern back.
Said the bitter biting bittern to the better biting
bittern
“I’m a bitter biting bittern bitten back”