My Virtual Reading Room

Father William

'You are old, father William,' the young man said,
'And your hair is exceedingly 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... )

The Lobster Quadrille

'Will you walk a little faster?' said a whiting to a snail,
'There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle - will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,
Will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,
Won't you join the dance?

( "You can really have no notion how delightful it will be..." )