8
Down the slippery slopes of Myrtle, Where the early pumpkins blow, To the calm and silent sea Fled the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
There, beyond the Bay of Gurtle, Lay a large and lively Turtle.
"You"re the Cove," he said, "for me; On your back beyond the sea, Turtle, you shall carry me!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
9
Through the silent roaring ocean Did the Turtle swiftly go; Holding fast upon his sh.e.l.l Rode the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
With a sad primeval motion Toward the sunset isles of Boshen Still the Turtle bore him well.
Holding fast upon his sh.e.l.l, "Lady Jingly Jones, farewell!"
Sang the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, Sang the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
10
From the Coast of Coromandel Did that Lady never go, On that heap of stones she mourns For the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
On that Coast of Coromandel, In his jug without a handle Still she weeps, and daily moans; On the little heap of stones To her Dorking Hens she moans, For the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, For the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.
[_Edward Lear_
NONSENSE VERSES
1
There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, "It is just as I feared!-- Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard."
2
There was an old man of Hong Kong, Who never did anything wrong; He lay on his back, with his head in a sack, That innocuous old man of Hong Kong.
3
There was an Old Man who supposed That the street door was partially closed; But some very large Rats ate his coats and his hats, While that futile Old Gentleman dozed.
4
There was a Young Lady of Norway, Who casually sat in a doorway; When the door squeezed her flat, she exclaimed "What of that?"
This courageous Young Lady of Norway.
5
There was an old person of Bow, Whom n.o.body happened to know; So they gave him some soap, and said coldly, "We hope You will go back directly to Bow!"
6
There was an Old Man on some rocks, Who shut his wife up in a box: When she said, "Let me out," he exclaimed, "Without doubt You will pa.s.s all your life in that box!"
7
There was an old man who said, "How Shall I flee from this horrible Cow?
I will sit on this stile, and continue to smile, Which may soften the heart of that Cow."
8
There was an old man who said "Hush!
I perceive a young bird in this bush!"
When they said, "Is it small?" he replied, "Not at all; It is four times as big as the bush!"
9
There was a young person in green, Who seldom was fit to be seen; She wore a long shawl, over bonnet and all, Which enveloped that person in green.
10
There was an old person of Ware, Who rode on the back of a bear; When they asked, "Does it trot?" he said, "Certainly not!
He"s a Moppsikon Floppsikon bear!"
[_Edward Lear_
GENTLE ALICE BROWN
It was a robber"s daughter, and her name was Alice Brown, Her father was the terror of a small Italian town; Her mother was a foolish, weak, but amiable old thing; But it isn"t of her parents that I"m going for to sing.
As Alice was a-sitting at her window-sill one day A beautiful young gentleman he chanced to pa.s.s that way; She cast her eyes upon him, and he looked so good and true, That she thought, "I could be happy with a gentleman like you!"
And every morning pa.s.sed her house that cream of gentlemen, She knew she might expect him at a quarter unto ten, A sorter in the Custom-house, it was his daily road (The Custom-house was fifteen minutes" walk from her abode).
But Alice was a pious girl, who knew it wasn"t wise To look at strange young sorters with expressive purple eyes; So she sought the village priest to whom her family confessed-- The priest by whom their little sins were carefully a.s.sessed.
"Oh, holy father," Alice said, ""twould grieve you, would it not?
To discover that I was a most disreputable lot!
Of all unhappy sinners I"m the most unhappy one!"
The padre said, "Whatever have you been and gone and done?"
"I have helped mamma to steal a little kiddy from its dad, I"ve a.s.sisted dear papa in cutting up a little lad.
I"ve planned a little burglary and forged a little cheque, And slain a little baby for the coral on its neck!"
The worthy pastor heaved a sigh, and dropped a silent tear-- And said, "You mustn"t judge yourself too heavily, my dear-- It"s wrong to murder babies, little corals for to fleece; But sins like these one expiates at half-a-crown apiece.
"Girls will be girls--you"re very young and flighty in your mind; Old heads upon young shoulders we must not expect to find; We mustn"t be too hard upon these little girlish tricks-- Let"s see--five crimes at half-a-crown--exactly twelve-and-six."