The Pobble Who Has no Toes 865 To the hills of the Chankly Bore." Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Their heads are green, and their hands are blue; Edward Lear. THE POBBLE WHO HAS NO TOES THE Pobble who has no toes Had once as many as we; When they said, "Some day you may lose them all," He replied," Fish fiddle de-dee!" And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink Lavender water tinged with pink; For she said, "The World in general knows The Pobble who has no toes Swam across the Bristol Channel; But before he set out he wrapped his nose For his Aunt Jobiska said, "No harm And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes The Pobble swam fast and well, And when boats or ships came near him, He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell So that all the world could hear him. And all the Sailors and Admirals cried, But before he touched the shore- And when he came to observe his feet, On perceiving that all his toes were gone! And nobody ever knew, From that dark day to the present, Whoso had taken the Pobble's toes, In a manner so far from pleasant. Whether the shrimps or crawfish gray, Or crafty mermaids stole them away, Nobody knew; and nobody knows How the Pobble was robbed of his twice five toes! The Pobble who has no toes Was placed in a friendly Bark, And they rowed him back and carried him up To his Aunt Jobiska's Park. And she made him a feast at his earnest wish, Of eggs and buttercups fried with fish; Edward Lear. THE NEW VESTMENTS THERE lived an old man in the kingdom of Tess. By way of a hat he'd a loaf of Brown Bread, The New Vestments His Coat was all Pancakes with Jam for a border, 867 A Cloak of green Cabbage leaves, stitched all together. He had walked a short way, when he heard a great noise Pork Waistcoat and Trowsers to give to their Puppies; And utterly tore up his Shirt of dead Mice; They swallowed the last of his Shirt with a squall,— Edward Lear. THE TWO OLD BACHELORS Two old Bachelors were living in one house; One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse. Said he who caught the Muffin to him who caught the Mouse, But to lose our teeth and eyelashes and keep on growing thinner?" Said he who caught the Mouse to him who caught the Muffin, "We might cook this little Mouse if we only had some Stuffin'! If we had but Sage and Onions we could do extremely well, But how to get that Stuffin' it is difficult to tell!" And then those two old Bachelors ran quickly to the town And asked for Sage and Onions as they wandered up and down; They borrowed two large Onions, but no Sage was to be found In the Shops or in the Market or in all the Gardens round. But some one said, "A hill there is, a little to the north, And then those two old Bachelors, without loss of time, Jabberwocky 869 "You earnest Sage!" aloud they cried, "your book you've read enough in! We wish to chop you into bits and mix you into Stuffin'!" But that old Sage looked calmly up, and with his awful book At those two Bachelors' bald heads a certain aim he took; And over crag and precipice they rolled promiscuous down,At once they rolled, and never stopped in lane or field or town; And when they reached their house, they found (besides their want of Stuffin') The Mouse had fled—and previously had eaten up the Muffin. They left their home in silence by the once convivial door; And from that hour those Bachelors were never heard of more. JABBERWOCKY Edward Lear. 'TWAS brillig, and the slithy toves All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! The frumious Bandersnatch!” He took his vorpal sword in hand: And as in uffish thought he stood, |