Nonsense Books Page 2

  "Then they whispered to each other, 'O delightful little brother, What a lovely walk we've taken! Let us dine on Beans and Bacon!' So the Ducky and the leetle Browny-Mousy, and the Beetle Dined, and danced upon their heads, Till they toddled to their beds."

  "The Story of the Four little Children who went Round the World" followsnext, and the account of the manner in which they occupied themselves whileon shipboard may be transcribed for the benefit of those unfortunatepersons who have not perused the original: "During the day-time Violetchiefly occupied herself in putting salt-water into a churn, while herthree brothers churned it violently in the hope it would turn into butter,which it seldom if ever did." After journeying for a time, they saw someland at a distance, "and when they came to it they found it was an islandmade of water quite surrounded by earth. Besides that it was bordered byevanescent isthmuses with a great Gulf-Stream running about all over it, sothat it was perfectly beautiful, and contained only a single tree, fivehundred and three feet high." In a later passage, we read how "by-and-bythe children came to a country where there were no houses, but only anincredibly innumerable number of large bottles without corks, and of adazzling and sweetly susceptible blue color. Each of these blue bottlescontained a bluebottlefly, and all these interesting animals livecontinually together in the most copious and rural harmony, nor perhaps inmany parts of the world is such perfect and abject happiness to be found."Our last quotation from this inimitable recital shall be from thedescription of their adventure on a great plain where they espied an objectwhich "on a nearer approach and on an accurately cutaneous inspection,seemed to be somebody in a large white wig sitting on an arm-chair made ofsponge-cake and oyster-shells." This turned out to be the "Co-operativeCauliflower," who, "while the whole party from the boat was gazing at himwith mingled affection and disgust ... suddenly arose, and in a somewhatplumdomphious manner hurried off towards the setting sun, his stepssupported by two superincumbent confidential cucumbers ... till he finallydisappeared on the brink of the western sky in a crystal cloud of sudorificsand. So remarkable a sight of course impressed the four children verydeeply; and they returned immediately to their boat with a strong sense ofundeveloped asthma and a great appetite."

  In his third book, Mr. Lear takes occasion in an entertaining preface torepudiate the charge of harboring any ulterior motive beyond that of"Nonsense pure and absolute" in any of his verses or pictures, and tells adelightful anecdote illustrative of the "persistently absurd report" thatthe Earl of Derby was the author of the first book of "Nonsense." In thisvolume he reverts once more to the familiar form adopted in his originalefforts, and with little falling off. It is to be remarked that the thirddivision is styled "Twenty-Six Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures," althoughthere is no more rhyme than reason in any of the set. Our favoriteillustrations are those of the "Scroobious Snake who always wore a Hat onhis Head, for fear he should bite anybody," and the "Visibly ViciousVulture who wrote some Verses to a Veal-cutlet in a Volume bound inVellum." In the fourth and last of Mr. Lear's books, we meet not only withfamiliar words, but personages and places,--old friends like the Jumblies,the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, the Quangle Wangle, the hills of the Chankly Bore,and the great Gromboolian plain, as well as new creations, such as the Dongwith a luminous Nose, whose story is a sort of nonsense version of the loveof Nausicaa for Ulysses, only that the sexes are inverted. In these verses,graceful fancy is so subtly interwoven with nonsense as almost to beguileus into feeling a real interest in Mr. Lear's absurd creations. So again inthe Pelican chorus there are some charming lines:--

  "By day we fish, and at eve we stand On long bare islands of yellow sand. And when the sun sinks slowly down, And the great rock-walls grow dark and brown, When the purple river rolls fast and dim, And the ivory Ibis starlike skim, Wing to wing we dance around," etc.

  The other nonsense-poems are all good, but we have no space for furtherquotation, and will take leave of our subject by propounding the followingset of examination questions which a friend who is deeply versed in Mr.Lear's books has drawn up for us:--

  1. What do you gather from a study of Mr. Lear's works to have been the prevalent characteristics of the inhabitants of Gretna, Prague, Thermopylae, Wick, and Hong Kong?

  2. State briefly what historical events are connected with Ischia, Chertsey, Whitehaven, Boulak, and Jellibolee.

  3. Comment, with illustrations, upon Mr. Lear's use of the following words: Runcible, propitious, dolomphious, borascible, fizzgiggious, himmeltanious, tumble-dum-down, spongetaneous.

  4. Enumerate accurately all the animals who lived on the Quangle Wangle's Hat, and explain how the Quangle Wangle was enabled at once to enlighten his five travelling companions as to the true nature of the Co-operative Cauliflower.

  5. What were the names of the five daughters of the Old Person of China, and what was the purpose for which the Old Man of the Dargle purchased six barrels of Gargle?

  6. Collect notices of King Xerxes in Mr. Lear's works, and state your theory, if you have any, as to the character and appearance of Nupiter Piffkin.

  7. Draw pictures of the Plum-pudding flea, and the Moppsikon Floppsikon Bear, and state by whom waterproof tubs were first used.

  8. "There was an old man at a station Who made a promiscuous oration."

  What bearing may we assume the foregoing couplet to have upon Mr. Lear's political views? --_The London Spectator_.

  * * * * *

  A BOOK OF NONSENSE

  by

  EDWARD LEAR.

  With All the Original Pictures and Verses

  There was an Old Derry down Derry, who loved to see little folks merry; So he made them a Book, and with laughter they shook At the fun of that Derry down Derry.

  Original Dedication.

  TO THE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, GRAND-NEPHEWS, AND GRAND-NIECES OF EDWARD, 13TH EARL OF DERBY, THIS BOOK OF DRAWINGS AND VERSES

  (The greater part of which were originally made and composed for their parents.)

  Is Dedicated by the Author, EDWARD LEAR.

  London, 1862.

  * * * * *

 

  There was an Old Man with a nose, Who said, "If you choose to suppose That my nose is too long, you are certainly wrong!" That remarkable Man with a nose.

 

  There was a Young Person of Smyrna, Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her; But she seized on the Cat, and said, "Granny, burn that! You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!"

 

  There was an Old Man on a hill, Who seldom, if ever, stood still; He ran up and down in his Grandmother's gown, Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.

 

  There was an Old Person of Chili, Whose conduct was painful and silly; He sate on the stairs, eating apples and pears, That imprudent Old Person of Chili.

 

  There was an Old Man with a gong, Who bumped at it all the day long; But they called out, "Oh, law! you're a horrid old bore!" So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

 

  There was an Old Man of Kilkenny, Who never had more than a penny; He spent all that money in onions and honey, That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.

 

  There was an Old Man of Columbia, Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer; But they brought it quite hot, in a small copper pot, Which disgusted that man of Columbia.

 

  There was an Old Man in a tree, Who was horribly bored by a Bee; When they said, "Does it buzz?" he replied, "Yes, it does! It's a regular brute of a Bee."

 

 
There was an Old Lady of Chertsey, Who made a remarkable curtsey; She twirled round and round, till she sank underground, Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.

 

  There was a Young Lady whose chin Resembled the point of a pin; So she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp, And played several tunes with her chin.

 

  There was an Old Man with a flute,-- A "sarpint" ran into his boot! But he played day and night, till the "sarpint" took flight, And avoided that Man with a flute.

 

  There was a Young Lady of Portugal, Whose ideas were excessively nautical; She climbed up a tree to examine the sea, But declared she would never leave Portugal.

 

  There was an Old Person of Ischia, Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier; He danced hornpipes and jigs, and ate thousands of figs, That lively Old Person of Ischia

 

  There was an Old Man of Vienna, Who lived upon Tincture of Senna; When that did not agree, he took Camomile Tea, That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

  [Illustraion]

  There was an Old Man in a boat, Who said, "I'm afloat! I'm afloat!" When they said, "No, you ain't!" he was ready to faint, That unhappy Old Man in a boat.

 

  There was an Old Person of Buda, Whose conduct grew ruder and ruder, Till at last with a hammer they silenced his clamor. By smashing that Person of Buda.

 

  There was an Old Man of Moldavia, Who had the most curious behavior; For while he was able, he slept on a table, That funny Old Man of Moldavia.

 

  There was an Old Person of Hurst, Who drank when he was not athirst; When they said, "You'll grow fatter!" he answered "What matter?" That globular Person of Hurst.

 

  There was an Old Man of Madras, Who rode on a cream-colored Ass; But the length of its ears so promoted his fears, That it killed that Old Man of Madras.

 

  There was an Old Person of Dover, Who rushed through a field of blue clover; But some very large Bees stung his nose and his knees, So he very soon went back to Dover.

 

  There was an Old Person of Leeds, Whose head was infested with beads; She sat on a stool and ate gooseberry-fool, Which agreed with that Person of Leeds.

 

  There was an Old Person of Cadiz, Who was always polite to all ladies; But in handing his daughter, he fell into the water, Which drowned that Old Person of Cadiz.

 

  There was an Old Man of the Isles, Whose face was pervaded with smiles; He sang "High dum diddle," and played on the fiddle, That amiable Man of the Isles.

 

  There was an Old Person of Basing, Whose presence of mind was amazing; He purchased a steed, which he rode at full speed, And escaped from the people of Basing.

 

  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.

 

  There was an Old Person whose habits Induced him to feed upon Rabbits; When he'd eaten eighteen, he turned perfectly green, Upon which he relinquished those habits.

 

  There was an Old Man of the West, Who wore a pale plum-colored vest; When they said, "Does it fit?" he replied, "Not a bit!" That uneasy Old Man of the West.

 

  There was an Old Man of Marseilles, Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils: They caught several Fish, which they put in a dish, And sent to their Pa at Marseilles.

 

  There was an Old Man of the Wrekin, Whose shoes made a horrible creaking; But they said, "Tell us whether your shoes are of leather, Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin?"

 

  There was a Young Lady whose nose Was so long that it reached to her toes; So she hired an Old Lady, whose conduct was steady, To carry that wonderful nose.

 

  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.

 

  There was an Old Man of Apulia, Whose conduct was very peculiar; He fed twenty sons upon nothing but buns, That whimsical Man of Apulia.

 

  There was an Old Man of Quebec,-- A beetle ran over his neck; But he cried, "With a needle I'll slay you, O beadle!" That angry Old Man of Quebec.

 

  There was a Young Lady of Bute, Who played on a silver-gilt flute; She played several jigs to her Uncle's white Pigs: That amusing Young Lady of Bute.

 

  There was an Old Person of Philoe, Whose conduct was scroobious and wily; He rushed up a Palm when the weather was calm, And observed all the ruins of Philoe.

 

  There was an Old Man with a poker, Who painted his face with red ochre. When they said, "You 're a Guy!" he made no reply, But knocked them all down with his poker.

 

  There was an Old Person of Prague, Who was suddenly seized with the plague; But they gave him some butter, which caused him to mutter, And cured that Old Person of Prague.

 

  There was an Old Man of Peru, Who watched his wife making a stew; But once, by mistake, in a stove she did bake That unfortunate Man of Peru.

 

  There was an Old Man of the North, Who fell into a basin of broth; But a laudable cook fished him out with a hook, Which saved that Old Man of the North.

 

  There was an Old Person of Troy, Whose drink was warm brandy and soy, Which he took with a spoon, by the light of the moon, In sight of the city of Troy.

 

  There was an Old Person of Mold, Who shrank from sensations of cold; So he purchased some muffs, some furs, and some fluffs, And wrapped himself well from the cold.

 

  There was an Old Person of Tring, Who embellished his nose with a ring; He gazed at the moon every evening in June, That ecstatic Old Person of Tring.

 

  There was an Old Man of Nepaul, From his horse had a terrible fall; But, though split quite in two, with some very strong glue They mended that man of Nepaul.

 

  There was an Old Man of the Nile, Who sharpened his nails with a file, Till he cut off his thumbs, and said calmly, "This comes Of sharpening one's nails with a file!"

 

  There was an Old Man of th' Abruzzi, So blind that he couldn't his foot see; When they said, "That's your toe," he replied, "Is it so?" That doubtful Old Man of th' Abruzzi.

 

  There was an Old Man of Calcutta, Who perpetually ate bread and butter; Till a great bit of muffin, on which he was stuffing, Choked that horrid Old Man of Calcutta.

 

  There was an Old Person of Rhodes, Who strongly objected to toads; He paid several cousins to catch them by dozens, That futile Old Person of Rhodes.

 

  There was an Old Man of the South, Who had an immoderate mouth; But in swallowing a dish that was quite full of Fish, He was choked, that Old Man of the South.

 

  There was an Old Man of Melrose, Who walked on the tips of his toes; But they said, "It ain't pleasant to see you at present, You stupid Old Man of Melrose."

 

  There was an Old Man of the Dee, Who was sadly annoyed by a Flea; When he said, "I will scratch it!" they gave him a hatchet, Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee
.

 

  There was a Young Lady of Lucca, Whose lovers completely forsook her; She ran up a tree, and said "Fiddle-de-dee!" Which embarrassed the people of Lucca.

 

  There was an Old Man of Coblenz, The length of whose legs was immense; He went with one prance from Turkey to France, That surprising Old Man of Coblenz.

 

  There was an Old Man of Bohemia, Whose daughter was christened Euphemia; But one day, to his grief, she married a thief, Which grieved that Old Man of Bohemia.

 

  There was an Old Man of Corfu, Who never knew what he should do; So he rushed up and down, till the sun made him brown, That bewildered Old Man of Corfu.

 

  There was an Old Man of Vesuvius, Who studied the works of Vitruvius; When the flames burnt his book, to drinking he took, That morbid Old Man of Vesuvius.

 

  There was an Old Man of Dundee, Who frequented the top of a tree; When disturbed by the Crows, he abruptly arose, And exclaimed, "I'll return to Dundee!"

 

  There was an Old Lady whose folly Induced her to sit in a holly; Whereon, by a thorn her dress being torn, She quickly became melancholy.