Laughable Lyrics | Page 3

speaks of it,
every one knows
He has got no webs between his toes).
As soon as he saw our Daughter Dell,
In violent love that Crane King
fell,--
On seeing her waddling form so fair,
With a wreath of
shrimps in her short white hair.
And before the end of the next long
day
Our Dell had given her heart away;
For the King of the Cranes
had won that heart
With a Crocodile's egg and a large fish-tart.
She
vowed to marry the King of the Cranes,
Leaving the Nile for stranger
plains;
And away they flew in a gathering crowd
Of endless birds in
a lengthening cloud.
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!
We think no Birds so happy as we!

Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill!
We think so then, and we
thought so still!
And far away in the twilight sky
We heard them singing a lessening
cry,--
Farther and farther, till out of sight,
And we stood alone in
the silent night!
Often since, in the nights of June,
We sit on the
sand and watch the moon,--
She has gone to the great Gromboolian Plain,
And we probably never
shall meet again!
Oft, in the long still nights of June,
We sit on the
rocks and watch the moon,--
She dwells by the streams of the
Chankly Bore.
And we probably never shall see her more.
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!
We think no Birds so happy as we!

Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill!
We think so then, and we
thought so still!
[Illustration: Sheet Music--The Yonghy Bonghy Bò]

THE COURTSHIP OF THE YONGHY-BONGHY-BÒ.
[Illustration]
I.
On the Coast of Coromandel
Where the early pumpkins blow,
In the middle of the woods
Lived
the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
Two old chairs, and half a candle,
One old
jug without a handle,--
These were all his worldly goods:
In the middle of the woods,

These were all the worldly goods
Of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Of
the Yonghy-Bonghy Bò.
II.
Once, among the Bong-trees walking
Where the early pumpkins blow,
To a little heap of stones
Came the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
There he heard a Lady talking,
To some
milk-white Hens of Dorking,--
"'Tis the Lady Jingly Jones!
On that little heap of stones
Sits the
Lady Jingly Jones!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Said the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
III.
"Lady Jingly! Lady Jingly!
Sitting where the pumpkins blow,
Will you come and be my wife?"

Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
"I am tired of living singly--
On this
coast so wild and shingly,--
I'm a-weary of my life;
If you'll come and be my wife,
Quite serene

would be my life!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Said the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
IV.
"On this Coast of Coromandel
Shrimps and watercresses grow,
Prawns are plentiful and cheap,"

Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
"You shall have my chairs and candle,

And my jug without a handle!
Gaze upon the rolling deep
(Fish is plentiful and cheap);
As the sea,
my love is deep!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Said the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
V.
Lady Jingly answered sadly,
And her tears began to flow,--
"Your proposal comes too late,
Mr.
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
I would be your wife most gladly!"
(Here she
twirled her fingers madly,)
"But in England I've a mate!
Yes! you've asked me far too late,
For
in England I've a mate,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
Mr.
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
VI.
"Mr. Jones (his name is Handel,--
Handel Jones, Esquire, & Co.)
Dorking fowls delights to send,
Mr.
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
Keep, oh, keep your chairs and candle,
And
your jug without a handle,--
I can merely be your friend!
Should my Jones more Dorkings send,

I will give you three, my friend!
Mr. Yonghy-Bongy-Bò!
Mr.

Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
VII.
"Though you've such a tiny body,
And your head so large doth grow,--
Though your hat may blow
away,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!
Though you're such a Hoddy
Doddy,
Yet I wish that I could modify
the words I needs must say!
Will you please to go away?
That is all
I have to say,
Mr. Yongby-Bonghy-Bò!
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!"
VIII.
Down the slippery slopes of Myrtle,
Where the early pumpkins blow,
To the calm and silent sea
Fled the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
There, beyond the Bay of Gurtle,
Lay a large
and lively Turtle.
"You're the Cove," he said, "for me;
On your back beyond the sea,

Turtle, you shall carry me!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Said the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
[Illustration]
IX.
Through the silent-roaring ocean
Did the Turtle swiftly go;
Holding fast upon his shell
Rode the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
With a sad primaeval motion
Towards the
sunset isles of Boshen
Still the Turtle bore him well.
Holding fast upon his shell,
"Lady
Jingly Jones, farewell!"
Sang the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
Sang the

Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
X.
From the Coast of Coromandel
Did that Lady never go;
On that heap of stones she mourns
For the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
On that Coast of Coromandel,
In his jug
without a handle
Still she weeps, and daily moans;
On that little heap of stones
To
her Dorking Hens she moans,
For the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
For the
Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.
THE POBBLE WHO HAS NO TOES.
[Illustration]
I.
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
There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!"
II.
The Pobble who has no toes,
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