Of Shoes --and ships --and sealing wax --of cabbages --and kings
The Walrus and The Carpenter
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
The sun become shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very first-class to make
The billows easy and bright--
And this became ordinary, because it become
The middle of the night.
The moon changed into shining sulkily,
Because she idea the sun
Had got no commercial enterprise to be there
After the day turned into finished--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and damage the amusing!"
The sea changed into wet as moist might be,
The sands have been dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, due to the fact
No cloud became in the sky:
No birds had been flying overhead--
There had been no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were on foot close handy;
They wept like some thing to look
Such portions of sand:
"If this have been only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for 1/2 a yr.
Do you assume," the Walrus said,
"That they might get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a sour tear.
"O Oysters, come and stroll with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A quality walk, a nice talk,
Along the briny seaside:
We cannot do with extra than 4,
To supply a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster checked out him,
But by no means a word he stated:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not pick out
To leave the oyster-bed.
But 4 younger Oysters moved quickly up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats had been brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were smooth and neat--
And this became extraordinary, because, you already know,
They hadn't any toes.
Four different Oysters followed them,
And yet any other four;
And thick and fast they came at final,
And extra, and extra, and greater--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
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 stated,
"To talk of many things:
Of footwear--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the ocean is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a chunk," the Oysters cried,
"Before we've our chat;
For a number of us are out of breath,
And all people are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him a whole lot for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar except
Are very good certainly--
Now if you're ready, Oysters expensive,
We can start to feed."
"But no longer on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a touch blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal element to do!"
"The night time is first-class," the Walrus stated.
"Do you recognize the view?
"It became so form of you to come back!
And you're very great!"
The Carpenter stated nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you had been no longer pretty so deaf--
I've had to ask you two times!"
"It appears a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them this sort of trick,
After we've got delivered them out up to now,
And made them trot so brief!"
The Carpenter stated nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus stated:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he taken care of out
Those of the biggest length,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," stated the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasing run!
Shall we be trotting domestic again?'
But answer came there none--
And this turned into scarcely ordinary, due to the fact
They'd eaten each one.