Nonsense Books | Page 6

islands of yellow
sand. And when the sun sinks slowly down, And the great rock-walls
grow dark and brown, When the purple river rolls fast and dim, And the
ivory Ibis starlike skim, Wing to wing we dance around," etc.
The other nonsense-poems are all good, but we have no space for
further quotation, and will take leave of our subject by propounding the
following set of examination questions which a friend who is deeply
versed in Mr. Lear's books has drawn up for us:--
1. What do you gather from a study of Mr. Lear's works to have been
the prevalent characteristics of the inhabitants of Gretna, Prague,
Thermopylae, Wick, and Hong Kong?
2. State briefly what historical events are connected with Ischia,
Chertsey, Whitehaven, Boulak, and Jellibolee.
3. Comment, with illustrations, upon Mr. Lear's use of the following
words: Runcible, propitious, dolomphious, borascible, fizzgiggious,
himmeltanious, tumble-dum-down, spongetaneous.
4. Enumerate accurately all the animals who lived on the Quangle
Wangle's Hat, and explain how the Quangle Wangle was enabled at
once to enlighten his five travelling companions as to the true nature of
the Co-operative Cauliflower.
5. What were the names of the five daughters of the Old Person of

China, and what was the purpose for which the Old Man of the Dargle
purchased six barrels of Gargle?
6. Collect notices of King Xerxes in Mr. Lear's works, and state your
theory, if you have any, as to the character and appearance of Nupiter
Piffkin.
7. Draw pictures of the Plum-pudding flea, and the Moppsikon
Floppsikon Bear, and state by whom waterproof tubs were first used.
8. "There was an old man at a station Who made a promiscuous
oration."
What bearing may we assume the foregoing couplet to have upon Mr.
Lear's political views? --The London Spectator.

* * * * *
A BOOK OF NONSENSE
by
EDWARD LEAR.
With All the Original Pictures and Verses

[Illustration]
There was an Old Derry down Derry, who loved to see little folks
merry; So he made them a Book, and with laughter they shook At the
fun of that Derry down Derry.

Original Dedication.
TO THE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, GRAND-NEPHEWS, AND
GRAND-NIECES OF EDWARD, 13TH EARL OF DERBY, THIS
BOOK OF DRAWINGS AND VERSES
(The greater part of which were originally made and composed for their
parents.)
Is Dedicated by the Author, EDWARD LEAR.
London, 1862.
* * * * *

[Illustration]
There was an Old Man with a nose, Who said, "If you choose to

suppose That my nose is too long, you are certainly wrong!" That
remarkable Man with a nose.
[Illustration]
There was a Young Person of Smyrna, Whose Grandmother threatened
to burn her; But she seized on the Cat, and said, "Granny, burn that!
You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!"
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man on a hill, Who seldom, if ever, stood still; He
ran up and down in his Grandmother's gown, Which adorned that Old
Man on a hill.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Person of Chili, Whose conduct was painful and silly;
He sate on the stairs, eating apples and pears, That imprudent Old
Person of Chili.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man with a gong, Who bumped at it all the day long;
But they called out, "Oh, law! you're a horrid old bore!" So they
smashed that Old Man with a gong.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man of Kilkenny, Who never had more than a penny;
He spent all that money in onions and honey, That wayward Old Man
of Kilkenny.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man of Columbia, Who was thirsty, and called out
for some beer; But they brought it quite hot, in a small copper pot,
Which disgusted that man of Columbia.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man in a tree, Who was horribly bored by a Bee;
When they said, "Does it buzz?" he replied, "Yes, it does! It's a regular
brute of a Bee."
[Illustration]
There was an Old Lady of Chertsey, Who made a remarkable curtsey;
She twirled round and round, till she sank underground, Which
distressed all the people of Chertsey.
[Illustration]
There was a Young Lady whose chin Resembled the point of a pin; So
she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp, And played several tunes

with her chin.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Man with a flute,-- A "sarpint" ran into his boot! But
he played day and night, till the "sarpint" took flight, And avoided that
Man with a flute.
[Illustration]
There was a Young Lady of Portugal, Whose ideas were excessively
nautical; She climbed up a tree to examine the sea, But declared she
would never leave Portugal.
[Illustration]
There was an Old Person of Ischia, Whose conduct grew friskier and
friskier; He danced hornpipes and