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The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low :

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things:

Of shoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-
Of cabbages-and kings-

And why the sea is boiling hot-
And whether pigs have wings."

"But, wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"

"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said, "Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides

Are very good indeed—

Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue.

"After such kindness, that would be

A dismal thing to do!"

"The night is fine," the Walrus said.

"Do you admire the view?

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"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but

"The butter's spread too thick !"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathise."

With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again ?"

But answer came there none

And this was scarcely odd, because

They'd eaten every one.

Lewis Carroll.

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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

There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!"

The Pobble who has no toes

II

Swam across the Bristol Channel;

But before he set out he wrapped his nose

In a piece of scarlet flannel.

For his Aunt Jobiska said, "No harm
Can come to his toes if his nose is warm;

And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe,-provided he minds his nose."

III

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,
When they saw him nearing the further side,-
"He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska's
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!"

IV

But before he touched the shore,

The shore of the Bristol Channel,
A sea-green Porpoise carried away
His wrapper of scarlet flannel.
And when he came to observe his feet,
Formerly garnished with toes so neat,
His face at once became forlorn

On perceiving that all his toes were gone!

And nobody ever knew,

V

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!

VI

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 ;

And she said, "It's a fact the whole world knows,
That Pobbles are happier without their toes."

Edward Lear.

The Author of the "Pobble"

HOW pleasant to know Mr. Lear!

Who has written such volumes of stuff! Some think him ill-tempered and queer, But a few think him pleasant enough.

His mind is concrete and fastidious,
His nose is remarkably big;
His visage is more or less hideous,
His beard it resembles a wig.

He has ears, and two eyes, and ten fingers,
Leastways if you reckon two thumbs;

Long ago he was one of the singers,
But now he is one of the dumbs.

He sits in a beautiful parlour,

With hundreds of books on the wall;
He drinks a great deal of Marsala,
But never gets tipsy at all.

He has many friends, laymen and clerical,
Old Foss is the name of his cat:

His body is perfectly spherical,

He weareth a runcible hat.

When he walks in a waterproof white,
The children run after him so!

Calling out, "He's come out in his night-
gown, that crazy old Englishman, oh!"

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