More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.

A man is dancing with a large fly.
Edward Lear is handing his cane and hat to a confused cartoon man.

Introduction

In offering this little book⁠—the third of its kind⁠—to the public, I am glad to take the opportunity of recording the pleasure I have received at the appreciation its predecessors have met with, as attested by their wide circulation, and by the universally kind notices of them from the Press. To have been the means of administering innocent mirth to thousands, may surely be a just motive for satisfaction, and an excuse for grateful expression.

At the same time, I am desirous of adding a few words as to the history of the two previously published volumes, and more particularly of the first or original Book of Nonsense, relating to which many absurd reports have crept into circulation, such as that it was the composition of the late Lord Brougham, the late Earl of Derby, etc.; that the rhymes and pictures are by different persons; or that the whole have a symbolical meaning, etc.; whereas, every one of the rhymes was composed by myself, and every one of the illustrations drawn by my own hand at the time the verses were made. Moreover, in no portion of these Nonsense drawings have I ever allowed any caricature of private or public persons to appear, and throughout, more care than might be supposed has been given to make the subjects incapable of misinterpretation: “Nonsense,” pure and absolute, having been my aim throughout.

As for the persistently absurd report of the late Earl of Derby being the author of the first Book of Nonsense, I may relate an incident which occurred to me four summers ago, the first that gave me any insight into the origin of the rumor.

I was on my way from London to Guildford, in a railway carriage, containing, besides myself, one passenger, an elderly gentleman: presently, however, two ladies entered, accompanied by two little boys. These, who had just had a copy of the Book of Nonsense given them, were loud in their delight, and by degrees infected the whole party with their mirth.

“How grateful,” said the old gentleman to the two ladies, “all children, and parents too, ought to be to the statesman who has given his time to composing that charming book!”

(The ladies looked puzzled, as indeed was I, the author.)

“Do you not know who is the writer of it?” asked the gentleman.

“The name is ‘Edward Lear,’ ” said one of the ladies.

“Ah!” said the first speaker, “so it is printed; but that is only a whim of the real author, the Earl of Derby. ‘Edward’ is his Christian name, and, as you may see, Lear is only Earl transposed.”

“But,” said the lady, doubtingly, “here is a dedication to the great-grandchildren, grandnephews, and grandnieces of Edward, thirteenth Earl of Derby, by the author, Edward Lear.”

“That,” replied the other, “is simply a piece of mystification; I am in a position to know that the whole book was composed and illustrated by Lord Derby himself. In fact, there is no such a person at all as Edward Lear.”

“Yet,” said the other lady, “some friends of mine tell me they know Mr. Lear.”

“Quite a mistake! completely a mistake!” said the old gentleman, becoming rather angry at the contradiction; “I am well aware of what I am saying: I can inform you, no such a person as ‘Edward Lear’ exists!”

Hitherto I had kept silence; but as my hat was, as well as my handkerchief and stick, largely marked inside with my name, and as I happened to have in my pocket several letters addressed to me, the temptation was too great to resist; so, flashing all these articles at once on my would-be extinguisher’s attention, I speedily reduced him to silence.

The second volume of Nonsense, commencing with the verses, “The Owl and the Pussycat,” was written at different times, and for different sets of children: the whole being collected in the course of last year, were then illustrated, and published in a single volume, by Mr. R. J. Bush, of 32 Charing Cross.

The contents of the third or present volume were made also at different intervals in the last two years.

Long years ago, in days when much of my time was passed in a country house, where children and mirth abounded, the lines beginning, “There was an old man of Tobago,” were suggested to me by a valued friend, as a form of verse lending itself to limitless variety for rhymes and pictures; and thenceforth the greater part of the original drawings and verses for the first Book of Nonsense were struck off with a pen, no assistance ever having been given me in any way but that of uproarious delight and welcome at the appearance of every new absurdity.

Most of these drawings and rhymes were transferred to lithographic stones in the year 1846, and were then first published by Mr. Thomas McLean, of the Haymarket. But that edition having been soon exhausted, and the call for the Book of Nonsense continuing, I added a considerable number of subjects to those previously-published, and having caused the whole to be carefully reproduced in woodcuts by Messrs. Dalzell, I disposed of the copyright to Messrs. Routledge and Warne, by whom the volume was published in 1843.

Edward Lear

Villa Emily, San Remo,

August, 1871.

Nonsense Botany

The plant is blooming barking dog heads.
Barkia Howlaloudia.
A cage containing a hen and surrounding chicks form the shape of a flower.
Enkoopia Chickabiddia.
Teapots are growing from the plant.
Jinglia Tinkettlia.
Inchworms are crawling up the plant stem.
Nasticreechia Krorluppia.
A broom is growing out of the ground.
Arthbroomia Rigida.
A slug is sitting on a leaf.
Sophtsluggia Glutinosa.
A round table with cakes is growing out of the ground.
Minspysia Deliciosa.
It is a plant growing boots and shoes.
Shoebootia Utilis.
A large bell is growing off a bamboo shoot.
Stunnia Dinnerbellia.
The plant is blooming pocket watches.
Tickia Orologica.
Instead of a flower, there is a large wooden tub.
Washtubbia Circularis.
Five tigers are in place of flower petals.
Tigerlillia Terribilis.

One Hundred Nonsense Pictures and Rhymes

A young person of Bantry is sleeping on a pantry shelf and feeding the mice crawling all over her.

There was a young person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice, she appeased them with rice,
That judicious young person of Bantry.

A sad man is sitting on the train rails, waving his hands in the air. Another man is shouting and pointing at the man on the ground.

There was an Old Man at a Junction,
Whose feelings were wrung with compunction
When they said, “The Train’s gone!” he exclaimed, “How forlorn!”
But remained on the rails of the Junction.

An old person of Minety is throwing apples and pears at three people.

There was an old person of Minety,
Who purchased five hundred and ninety
Large apples and pears, which he threw unawares
At the heads of the people of Minety.

An old man of Thermopylae is dropping an egg into a shoe. He is holding a shoe over a pot of boiling water. Another man is watching this happen, looking very confused.

There was an old man of Thermopylae,
Who never did anything properly;
But they said, “If you choose to boil eggs in your shoes,
You shall never remain in Thermopylae.”

An old person of Deal is walking on his heels with the help of two canes. Another man is wondering why he is doing this.

There was an old person of Deal,
Who in walking used only his heel;
When they said, “Tell us why?” he made no reply,
That mysterious old person of Deal.

The old man on the Humber and his friend are amazed by the small black cake.

There was an old man on the Humber,
Who dined on a cake of Burnt Umber;
When he said, “It’s enough!” they only said, “Stuff!
You amazing old man on the Humber!”

A lantern is sitting on top of the man’s large nose while he fishes.

There was an old man in a barge,
Whose nose was exceedingly large;
But in fishing by night, it supported a light,
Which helped that old man in a barge.

An old man of Dunrose is jumping in the air waving his hands in the air while a parrot is biting his nose. Another man is pointing at them.

There was an old man of Dunrose;
A parrot seized hold of his nose.
When he grew melancholy, they said, “His name’s Polly,”
Which soothed that old man of Dunrose.

The old man of Toulouse is wearing shoes that are too big.

There was an old man of Toulouse
Who purchased a new pair of shoes;
When they asked, “Are they pleasant?” he said, “Not at present!”
That turbid old man of Toulouse.

An old person of Bree is hugging a school of fish with one arm and washing a dish in the sea with the other.

There was an old person of Bree,
Who frequented the depths of the sea;
She nurs’d the small fishes, and washed all the dishes,
And swam back again into Bree.

The old person of Bromley, a frog-like man, is sitting on the ground surrounded by spiders.

There was an old person of Bromley,
Whose ways were not cheerful or comely;
He sat in the dust, eating spiders and crust,
That unpleasing old person of Bromley.

A herd of cats, mice, snakes, and rats is following an old person of Shields.

There was an old person of Shields,
Who frequented the vallies and fields;
All the mice and the cats, and the snakes and the rats,
Followed after that person of Shields.

An old man of Dunluce is riding a swimming goose.

There was an old man of Dunluce,
Who went out to sea on a goose:
When he’d gone out a mile, he observ’d with a smile,
“It is time to return to Dunluce.”

A crowd is huddled under the large brim of a hat to escape from the rain.

There was an old man of Dee-side
Whose hat was exceedingly wide,
But he said, “Do not fail, if it happen to hail,
To come under my hat at Dee-side!”

A giant grasshopper is sitting on a man’s back.

There was an old person in black,
A Grasshopper jumped on his back;
When it chirped in his ear, he was smitten with fear,
That helpless old person in black.

The old man of the Dargle is sitting on a hill, pushing barrels down it.

There was an old man of the Dargle
Who purchased six barrels of Gargle;
For he said, “I’ll sit still, and will roll them down hill,
For the fish in the depths of the Dargle.”

Two men are rolling up the long thin person of Pinner sitting in a chair.

There was an old person of Pinner,
As thin as a lath, if not thinner;
They dressed him in white, and roll’d him up tight,
That elastic old person of Pinner.

An old person of China is talking to his six daughters.

There was an old person of China,
Whose daughters were Jiska and Dinah,
Amelia and Fluffy, Olivia and Chuffy,
And all of them settled in China.

A large frog and a man with a frog-like face are sitting on a log having a conversation.

There was an old man in a Marsh,
Whose manners were futile and harsh;
He sat on a log, and sang songs to a frog,
That instructive old man in a Marsh.

A large shirt frill makes the person of Brill look like a fish.

There was an old person of Brill,
Who purchased a shirt with a frill;
But they said, “Don’t you wish, you mayn’t look like a fish,
You obsequious old person of Brill?”

An old person of Wick and a stranger are waving their arms in the air.

There was an old person of Wick,
Who said, “Tick-a-Tick, Tick-a-Tick;
Chickabee, Chickabaw.” And he said nothing more,
That laconic old person of Wick.

Two men are offering a box to the old man at a station.

There was an old man at a Station,
Who made a promiscuous oration;
But they said, “Take some snuff!⁠—You have talk’d quite enough,
You afflicting old man at a Station!”

An old man of Three Bridges is sitting on a wheel holding a fork, with a thin piece of meat on it.

There was an old man of Three Bridges,
Whose mind was distracted by midges,
He sat on a wheel, eating underdone veal,
Which relieved that old man of Three Bridges.

An old man of Hong Kong is lying on the ground with a sack over his head.

There was an old man of Hong Kong,
Who never did anything wrong;
He lay on his back, with his head in a sack,
That innocuous old man of Hong Kong.

A woman is covered by a large shawl with only her face showing.

There was a young person in green,
Who seldom was fit to be seen;
She wore a long shawl, over bonnet and all,
Which enveloped that person in green.

An old person of Fife is sitting on the ground next to a salad bowl. Behind him, there is a couple singing.

There was an old person of Fife,
Who was greatly disgusted with life;
They sang him a ballad, and fed him on salad,
Which cured that old person of Fife.

Two men are waving their bats at a man eating grapes and cherries. His boots are in the air.

There was an old man who screamed out
Whenever they knocked him about:
So they took off his boots, and fed him with fruits,
And continued to knock him about.

There is a woman in a nightgown surrounded by the night. Birds are flying around her.

There was a young lady in white,
Who looked out at the depths of the night;
But the birds of the air, filled her heart with despair,
And oppressed that young lady in white.

An old person of Slough is dancing on a tree branch.

There was an old person of Slough,
Who danced at the end of a bough;
But they said, “If you sneeze, you might damage the trees,
You imprudent old person of Slough.”

The frowning old person of Down opens his door to a fleeing crowd.

There was an old person of Down,
Whose face was adorned with a frown;
When he opened the door, for one minute or more,
He alarmed all the people of Down.

A young person is wearing a bonnet covered in feathers.

There was a young person in red,
Who carefully covered her head,
With a bonnet of leather, and three lines of feather,
Besides some long ribbons of red.

The old person of Hove is lying on the ground, reading his book with birds perched on his legs and head.

There was an old person of Hove,
Who frequented the depths of a grove;
Where he studied his books, with the wrens and the rooks,
That tranquil old person of Hove.

A young person sways on her feet as her daughter brings a large jug of water.

There was a young person in pink,
Who called out for something to drink;
But they said, “O my daughter, there’s nothing but water!”
Which vexed that young person in pink.

The old lady of France is talking to her flock of ducklings.

There was an old lady of France,
Who taught little ducklings to dance;
When she said, “Tick-a-tack!” they only said, “Quack!”
Which grieved that old lady of France.

An old person of Putney is sitting by the sea while drinking tea and eating spiders.

There was an old person of Putney,
Whose food was roast spiders and chutney,
Which he took with his tea, within sight of the sea,
That romantic old person of Putney.

The old person of Loo is upset with the other woman.

There was an old person of Loo,
Who said, “What on earth shall I do?”
When they said, “Go away!” she continued to stay,
That vexatious old person of Loo.

The old person of Woking is sitting on a fence, wearing a bucket on his head.

There was an old person of Woking,
Whose mind was perverse and provoking;
He sat on a rail, with his head in a pail,
That illusive old person of Woking.

The skinny old person of Dean stabs a single pea with his fork.

There was an old person of Dean
Who dined on one pea, and one bean;
For he said, “More than that, would make me too fat,”
That cautious old person of Dean.

A young lady is greeted by another woman.

There was a young lady in blue,
Who said, “Is it you? Is it you?”
When they said, “Yes, it is,” she replied only, “Whizz!”
That ungracious young lady in blue.

An old man in a garden is having a conversation with a woman.

There was an old Man in a Garden,
Who always begged everyone’s pardon;
When they asked him, “What for?” he replied, “You’re a bore!
And I trust you’ll go out of my garden.”

An old person of Pisa is waving a stick at her three daughters.

There was an old person of Pisa,
Whose daughters did nothing to please her;
She dressed them in gray, and banged them all day,
Round the walls of the city of Pisa.

The old person of Florence is putting mustard on a bustard. Behind him is a pile of mutton chops on the floor.

There was an old person of Florence,
Who held mutton chops in abhorrence;
He purchased a Bustard, and fried him in Mustard,
Which choked that old person of Florence.

The old person of Sheen is sitting in the water, drinking porter.

There was an old person of Sheen,
Whose expression was calm and serene;
He sat in the water, and drank bottled porter,
That placid old person of Sheen.

An old person of Ware is riding a bear.

There was an old person of Ware,
Who rode on the back of a bear;
When they ask’d, “Does it trot?” he said, “Certainly not!
He’s a Moppsikon Floppsikon bear!”

The young person of Janina’s head floats away from her body as her uncle continues to fan her.

There was a young person of Janina,
Whose uncle was always a fanning her;
When he fanned off her head, she smiled sweetly, and said,
“You propitious old person of Janina!”

An old man of Cashmere looks over the wall.

There was an old man of Cashmere,
Whose movements were scroobious and queer;
Being slender and tall, he looked over a wall,
And perceived two fat ducks of Cashmere.

Two ducks are swimming in the water.
Three children play with the tassel attached to the old person’s nose.

There was an old person of Cassel,
Whose nose finished off in a tassel;
But they call’d out, “Oh well! don’t it look like a bell!”
Which perplexed that old person of Cassel.

The old person of Prett sits in a cart, eating an apple tart.

There was an old person of Pett,
Who was partly consumed by regret;
He sat in a cart, and ate cold apple tart,
Which relieved that old person of Pett.

An old man of Spithead is opening his window.

There was an old man of Spithead,
Who opened the window, and said⁠—
“Fil-jomble, fil-jumble, fil-rumble-come-tumble!”
That doubtful old man of Spithead.

The old man on the border is dancing with his cat and pouring water into his hat.

There was an old man on the Border,
Who lived in the utmost disorder;
He danced with the cat, and made tea in his hat,
Which vexed all the folks on the Border.

An old man of Dumbree drinking tea with a large parliament of owls.

There was an old man of Dumbree,
Who taught little owls to drink tea;
For he said, “To eat mice is not proper or nice,”
That amiable man of Dumbree.

The old person of Filey is dancing to the sound of a bell.

There was an old person of Filey,
Of whom his acquaintance spoke highly;
He danced perfectly well, to the sound of a bell,
And delighted the people of Filey.

An old man is drinking caper sauce with a spoon.

There was an old man whose remorse
Induced him to drink Caper Sauce;
For they said, “If mixed up with some cold claret-cup,
It will certainly soothe your remorse!”

The old man of Ibreem is screaming at two angry men holding sticks.

There was an old man of Ibreem,
Who suddenly threaten’d to scream;
But they said, “If you do, we will thump you quite blue,
You disgusting old man of Ibreem!”

An old person of Wilts is walking on stilts covered in flowers.

There was an old person of Wilts,
Who constantly walked upon stilts;
He wreathed them with lilies and daffy-down-dillies,
That elegant person of Wilts.

An old person of Grange is sitting in a tub, waving his arms in the air.

There was an old person of Grange,
Whose manners were scroobious and strange;
He sailed to St. Blubb in a waterproof tub,
That aquatic old person of Grange.

The angry old person of Newry is surrounded by broken pottery and torn rugs.

There was an old person of Newry,
Whose manners were tinctured with fury;
He tore all the rugs, and broke all the jugs,
Within twenty miles’ distance of Newry.

The old man of Dumlane looks like a crane wearing human clothing.

There was an old man of Dumblane,
Who greatly resembled a crane;
But they said, “Is it wrong, since your legs are so long,
To request you won’t stay in Dumblane?”

An old man of Port Grigor is standing on his head.

There was an old man of Port Grigor,
Whose actions were noted for vigour;
He stood on his head till his waistcoat turned red,
That eclectic old man of Port Grigor.

The old man of El Hums is eating breadcrumbs like a bird. Next to him is a flock also eating.

There was an old man of El Hums,
Who lived upon nothing but crumbs,
Which he picked off the ground, with the other birds round,
In the roads and the lanes of El Hums.

An old man of West Dumpet startles the crowd with his trumpet-like nose.

There was an old man of West Dumpet,
Who possessed a large nose like a trumpet;
When he blew it aloud, it astonished the crowd,
And was heard through the whole of West Dumpet.

An old person of Sark is being yelled at by a man waving a stick.

There was an old person of Sark,
Who made an unpleasant remark;
But they said, “Don’t you see what a brute you must be,
You obnoxious old person of Sark!”

An old man is riding a horse-sized hare and holding onto the short tail to stay on.

There was an old man whose despair
Induced him to purchase a hare:
Whereon one fine day he rode wholly away,
Which partly assuaged his despair.

The old person of Barnes is wearing clothing that has been repaired many times.

There was an old person of Barnes,
Whose garments were covered with darns;
But they said, “Without doubt, you will soon wear them out,
You luminous person of Barnes!”

The old person of Nice looks like a goose wearing human clothing, walking with four other geese.

There was an old person of Nice,
Whose associates were usually Geese.
They walked out together in all sorts of weather,
That affable person of Nice!

A spotted calf is biting the lady of Greenwich’s shawl.

There was a young lady of Greenwich,
Whose garments were border’d with Spinach;
But a large spotty Calf bit her shawl quite in half,
Which alarmed that young lady of Greenwich.

The old person of Cannes is fanning her three chickens.

There was an old person of Cannes,
Who purchased three fowls and a fan;
Those she placed on a stool, and to make them feel cool
She constantly fanned them at Cannes.

An old person of Ickley is riding an angry tortoise.

There was an old person of Ickley,
Who could not abide to ride quickly;
He rode to Karnak on a tortoise’s back,
That moony old person of Ickley.

The old person of Hyde and his bride encounter a huge crab.

There was an old person of Hyde,
Who walked by the shore with his bride,
Till a Crab who came near fill’d their bosoms with fear,
And they said, “Would we’d never left Hyde!”

An old person is feeding a carrot to her two parrots.

There was an old person in gray,
Whose feelings were tinged with dismay;
She purchased two parrots, and fed them with carrots,
Which pleased that old person in gray.

An old man of Acona is leading a man-sized dog while ringing a bell.

There was an old man of Ancona,
Who found a small dog with no owner,
Which he took up and down all the streets of the town,
That anxious old man of Ancona.

The old peron of Sestri sits on the ground while a man tries to talk to him.

There was an old person of Sestri,
Who sat himself down in the vestry;
When they said, “You are wrong!” he merely said “Bong!”
That repulsive old person of Sestri.

The old person is cutting a mutton chop with his scythe.

There was an old person of Blythe,
Who cut up his meat with a scythe;
When they said, “Well! I never!” he cried, “Scythes forever!”
That lively old person of Blythe.

The young person of Ayr has a cubed head with a feather sticking out from the top.

There was a young person of Ayr,
Whose head was remarkably square:
On the top, in fine weather, she wore a gold feather;
Which dazzled the people of Ayr.

An old person of Rimini is running down a steep hill.

There was an old person of Rimini,
Who said, “Gracious! Goodness! O Gimini!”
When they said, “Please be still!” she ran down a hill,
And was never more heard of at Rimini.

A young lady with a ridiculously long nose is showing it to a crowd in the distance.

There is a young lady, whose nose,
Continually prospers and grows;
When it grew out of sight, she exclaimed in a fright,
“Oh! Farewell to the end of my nose!”

The old person of Ealing drives a two-wheeled carriage, with a pig sitting in the seat next to him and three owls perched around them.

There was an old person of Ealing,
Who was wholly devoid of good feeling;
He drove a small gig, with three Owls and a Pig,
Which distressed all the people of Ealing.

The old man of Thames Ditton sits on a top hat while two men hold him by his arms.

There was an old man of Thames Ditton,
Who called out for something to sit on;
But they brought him a hat, and said, “Sit upon that,
You abruptious old man of Thames Ditton!”

An old person of Bray sings to his ducks and pigs while he feeds them figs.

There was an old person of Bray,
Who sang through the whole of the day
To his ducks and his pigs, whom he fed upon figs,
That valuable person of Bray.

While sitting in a ditch, a young woman writes in her book.

There was a young person whose history
Was always considered a mystery;
She sat in a ditch, although no one knew which,
And composed a small treatise on history.

A group of people offer bars of soap to the old person of Bow.

There was an old person of Bow,
Whom nobody happened to know;
So they gave him some soap, and said coldly, “We hope
You will go back directly to Bow!”

The old person of Rye is riding a giant fly.

There was an old person of Rye,
Who went up to town on a fly;
But they said, “If you cough, you are safe to fall off!
You abstemious old person of Rye!”

The old person of Crowle is sitting in a nest with eight owls.

There was an old person of Crowle,
Who lived in the nest of an owl;
When they screamed in the nest, he screamed out with the rest,
That depressing old person of Crowle.

The old lady of Winchelsea instructs the maid on where to sweep.

There was an old Lady of Winchelsea,
Who said, “If you needle or pin shall see
On the floor of my room, sweep it up with the broom!”
That exhaustive old Lady of Winchelsea!

Birds are flocking towards an old man sitting in a tree. Several are pulling hair from his scraggly beard.

There was an old man in a tree,
Whose whiskers were lovely to see;
But the birds of the air pluck’d them perfectly bare,
To make themselves nests in that tree.

A young lady of Corsica is feeding her little black dog ham and jam.

There was a young lady of Corsica,
Who purchased a little brown saucy-cur;
Which she fed upon ham, and hot raspberry jam,
That expensive young lady of Corsica.

The young lady of Firle’s curly hair wraps itself around a tree and boats out in the sea.

There was a young lady of Firle,
Whose hair was addicted to curl;
It curled up a tree, and all over the sea,
That expansive young lady of Firle.

The old person of Stroud is kicking and fighting her way out of the crowd.

There was an old person of Stroud,
Who was horribly jammed in a crowd;
Some she slew with a kick, some she scrunched with a stick,
That impulsive old person of Stroud.

The old man of Boulak is riding a Crocodile.

There was an old man of Boulak,
Who sat on a Crocodile’s back;
But they said, “Towr’ds the night he may probably bite,
Which might vex you, old man of Boulak!”

An old person of Skye is dancing with a man-sized fly.

There was an old person of Skye,
Who waltz’d with a Bluebottle fly:
They buzz’d a sweet tune, to the light of the moon,
And entranced all the people of Skye.

An old man of Blackheath is wearing a wreath made of lobsters and mice.

There was an old man of Blackheath,
Whose head was adorned with a wreath
Of lobsters and spice, pickled onions and mice,
That uncommon old man of Blackheath.

The top portion of an old man is sticking out of a kettle.

There was an old man, who when little
Fell casually into a kettle;
But, growing too stout, he could never get out,
So he passed all his life in that kettle.

An old person of Dundalk is holding a fish in his hands. Two fish lay on the ground dead.

There was an old person of Dundalk,
Who tried to teach fishes to walk;
When they tumbled down dead, he grew weary, and said,
“I had better go back to Dundalk!”

The old person of Shoreham is sitting down while holding an open umbrella over his head.

There was an old person of Shoreham,
Whose habits were marked by decorum;
He bought an Umbrella, and sat in the cellar,
Which pleased all the people of Shoreham.

The old person of Bar is sticking her head out of a very large jar.

There was an old person of Bar,
Who passed all her life in a jar,
Which she painted pea-green, to appear more serene,
That placid old person of Bar.

The young person of Kew spoons paste into her mouth.

There was a young person of Kew,
Whose virtues and vices were few;
But with blamable haste she devoured some hot paste,
Which destroyed that young person of Kew.

An old person of Jodd is using a whistle while sitting on a thistle.

There was an old person of Jodd,
Whose ways were perplexing and odd;
She purchased a whistle, and sat on a thistle,
And squeaked to the people of Jodd.

Around the old person of Bude’s neck is a large ruff.

There was an old person of Bude,
Whose deportment was vicious and crude;
He wore a large ruff of pale straw-colored stuff,
Which perplexed all the people of Bude.

An old person of Brigg is wearing a large curly wig that covers everything except his feet and large nose.

There was an old person of Brigg,
Who purchased no end of a wig;
So that only his nose, and the end of his toes,
Could be seen when he walked about Brigg.

The daughter of the old man of Messina is riding a pig.

There was an old man of Messina,
Whose daughter was named Opsibeena;
She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig,
To the perfect delight of Messina.

Twenty-Six Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures

A donkey is sitting in a barrel, holding pickled cucumbers and soda water in its front hooves.

The Absolutely Abstemious Ass,
who resided in a Barrel, and only lived on
Soda Water and Pickled Cucumbers.

A beetle is holding an umbrella over its head.

The Bountiful Beetle,
who always carried a Green Umbrella when it didn’t rain,
and left it at home when it did.

While sitting in a chair, a cow toasts her bread over a fire.

The Comfortable Confidential Cow,
who sat in her Red Morocco Arm Chair and
toasted her own Bread at the parlour Fire.

A duck wearing a bonnet is holding a spoon in her beak. A frog is sitting in the spoon while two other frogs watch.

The Dolomphious Duck,
who caught Spotted Frogs for her dinner
with a Runcible Spoon.

An elephant is pushing the boat through the water with a pole. He is holding the pole with his trunk.

The Enthusiastic Elephant,
who ferried himself across the water with the
Kitchen Poker and a New pair of Earrings.

A fish walks by using stilts. Shoes are attached to the bottoms of the stilts.

The Fizzgiggious Fish,
who always walked about upon Stilts,
because he had no legs.

An owl sits on the neck of a large gull. The gull is holding a carpet bag in his beak.

The Good-natured Grey Gull,
who carried the Old Owl, and his Crimson Carpetbag,
across the river, because he could not swim.

A hen wearing a bonnet and shawl is holding a fish in one clawed foot.

The Hasty Higgeldipiggledy Hen,
who went to market in a Blue Bonnet and Shawl,
and bought a Fish for her Supper.

A Native American man is holding a rabbit in a large spoon.

The Inventive Indian,
who caught a Remarkable Rabbit in a
Stupendous Silver Spoon.

A jay admires herself in the mirror.

The Judicious Jubilant Jay,
who did up her Back Hair every morning with a Wreath of Roses,
Three feathers, and a Gold Pin.

The kangaroo is wearing a spotted dress and a neck ruff.

The Kicking Kangaroo,
who wore a Pale Pink Muslin dress
with Blue spots.

A large lobster is holding a piece of clothing in his claws.

The Lively Learned Lobster,
who mended his own Clothes with
a Needle and Thread.

A human-sized mouse is playing the pianoforte.

The Melodious Meritorious Mouse,
who played a merry minuet on the
Pianoforte.

A newt is grabbing a round plum-pudding.

The Nutritious Newt,
who purchased a Round Plum-pudding
for his granddaughter.

An ostrich is wearing boots.

The Obsequious Ornamental Ostrich,
who wore Boots to keep his
feet quite dry.

A polly is reading the newspaper while perched on a parsnip pie.

The Perpendicular Purple Polly,
who read the Newspaper and ate Parsnip Pie
with his Spectacles.

The quail is smoking a pipe while sitting on a teakettle.

The Queer Querulous Quail,
who smoked a Pipe of tobacco on the top of
a Tin Teakettle.

A raven wearing a white wig is perched on a broomstick.

The Rural Runcible Raven,
who wore a White Wig and flew away
with the Carpet Broom.

The snake is wearing a hat that completely covers his head.

The Scroobious Snake,
who always wore a Hat on his Head, for
fear he should bite anybody.

A tortoise bangs on his drum.

The Tumultuous Tom-tommy Tortoise,
who beat a Drum all day long in the
middle of the wilderness.

The umbrella-maker covers his face with his umbrella.

The Umbrageous Umbrella-maker,
whose Face nobody ever saw, because it was
always covered by his Umbrella.

A vulture is writing in its book.

The Visibly Vicious Vulture,
who wrote some Verses to a Veal-cutlet in a
Volume bound in Vellum.

A wasp wearing a bonnet plays her flute.

The Worrying Whizzing Wasp,
who stood on a Table, and played sweetly on a
Flute with a Morning Cap.

King Xerxes sits back and drinks from a large tankard.

The Excellent Double-extra XX
imbibing King Xerxes, who lived a
long while ago.

The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò has a giant head.

The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò,
whose Head was ever so much bigger than his
Body, and whose Hat was rather small.

Five monkeys are riding a zebra.

The Zigzag Zealous Zebra,
who carried five Monkeys on his back all
the way to Jellibolee.