THE BEST NONSENSE VERSES ***

Produced by Sigal Alon, Fox in the Stars, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

The Best Nonsense Verses, Chosen by Josephine Dodge Daskam

EVANSTON WILLIAM S. LORD 1902

Copyright 1901 WILLIAM S. LORD

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

The publisher desires to acknowledge the courtesy of authors and publishers in granting permission to reprint the verses contained in this book. To Mr. Guy Wetmore Carryl, whose "Fables for the Frivolous" are published by Messrs. Harper & Brothers; to Mr. Charles E. Carryl, whose verses appeared originally in _St. Nicholas_; to Mr. Oliver Herford, whose "Child's Primer of Natural History" is published by Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons; to the same author for the selection from "Alphabet of Celebrities," published by Messrs. Small, Maynard & Co.; and Messrs. Harper & Brothers, the publishers of du Maurier's "A Legend of Camelot;" and to Messrs. Little, Brown & Co., who publish an edition of Lear's Nonsense Books.

CONTENTS

Page

Father William Lewis Carroll 7

The Walrus and the Carpenter Lewis Carroll 9

The Hunting of the Snark, Extracts Lewis Carroll 14

Jabberwocky Lewis Carroll 19

The Jumblies Edward Lear 21

The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo Edward Lear 25

Nonsense Verses Edward Lear 30

Gentle Alice Brown W.S. Gilbert 33

Emily, John, James and I W.S. Gilbert 37

Ellen M'Jones Aberdeen W.S. Gilbert 41

The Sycophantic Fox and the Gullible Raven Guy Wetmore Carryl 45

Red Ridinghood Guy Wetmore Carryl 47

A Nautical Ballad Charles E. Carryl 50

The Plaint of the Camel Charles E. Carryl 52

Child's Natural History Oliver Herford 54

Alphabet of Celebrities Oliver Herford 56

Nonsense Verses Gelett Burgess 57

Vers Nonsensiques George du Maurier 59

Nonsense Verses W.S. Gilbert 60

Varia Anonymous 61

BEST NONSENSE VERSES

FATHER WILLIAM

"You are old, father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white: And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

"In my youth," father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain: But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again."

"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back somersault in at the door-- Pray, what is the reason of that?"

"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, "I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box-- Allow me to sell you a couple."

"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak; Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife: And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw Has lasted the rest of my life."

"You are old," said the youth; "one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- What made you so awfully clever?"

"I have answered three questions, and that is enough," Said his father; "don't give yourself airs! Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!"

[_Lewis Carroll_

THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER

The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright-- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the sun Had got no business to be there After the day was done-- "It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky: No birds were flying overhead-- There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter Were walking close at hand: They wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand: "If this were only cleared away," They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year, Do you suppose," the Walrus said "That they could get it clear!" "I doubt it," said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech. "A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach: We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him, But never a word he said: The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook