Samuel Hoffenstein’s little verse works like a nursery rhyme with a sting. It describes an ostrich in a hot, distant desert, trotting over the sand. When danger appears, the bird supposedly tries to escape by burying its head. The punchline calls the ostrich a “silly ape,” a deliberately absurd insult that makes the moment feel like a comic jab rather than a serious lesson.
The humor comes from the image itself: an animal hiding only its head is still completely visible, so the “escape” is useless. The speaker seems amused and lightly mocking, treating the old belief about ostriches as a way to laugh at willful blindness and denial. The mood stays bright and playful—short lines, simple rhymes, and an almost sing-song rhythm keep it from feeling mean. It invites a smile or a knowing eye-roll at anyone who avoids a problem by pretending not to see it.