Bedtime is for Bozos

Once there was a little girl
     who wouldn't go to bed
She said, "I will sit up all night--
     I'll never be a sleepy-head"
And the grown-ups said,
     "Well, that's all right, but as for us, we'll call it a night"
And the other kids, they all tuned in
     and the grown-ups even tucked them in.
"You're brave," they said, "to sit up late --
     such strength of purpose, we think it's great"
"But that TV set makes too much noise,
     turn it off before you wake the boys,
And the light, the light, it is much too bright
     we can't leave that burning all through the night"
With that the grown-ups pulled the plugs
     and left her surprised, sitting on the rug.
Somehow, this didn't work out right,
     though she got her way with no fuss or fight.
And just as she started to feel alone
     they popped back in and said, "No phone!
Other folks are likely in bed by now
     and a call this late is rude anyhow"
Then they popped back out and left her there
     with nothing to do but sit in a chair
But sitting alone in the dark was so boring
     that before she knew it the girl was snoring!

c. 1988, B. Riley