LIFE IS BUT A DREAM by: Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

BOAT, beneath a sunny sky Lingering onward dreamily In an evening of July-Children three that nestle near, Eager eye and willing ear, Pleased a simple tale to hear-Long has paled that sunny sky; Echoes fade and memories die; Autumn frosts have slain July. Still she haunts me, phantomwise, Alice moving under skies Never seen by waking eyes. Children yet, the tale to hear, Eager eye and willing ear, Lovingly shall nestle near. In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die; Ever drifting down the stream-Lingering in the golden gleam-Life, what is it but a dream?
-Limericks

An elephant lay in his bunk, In slumber his chest rose and sunk, He snored and he snored Till the jungle folks roaredThen his wife tied a knot in his trunk ----------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.

----------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.

Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. William Wordsworth
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FATHER WILLIAM
by: Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

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OU are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very 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, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--

Pray, what is the reason of that?" "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks, "I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment -- one shilling the box -Allow me to sell you a couple?" "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-Pray, how did you manage to do it?" "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw Has lasted the rest of my life." "You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-What made you so awfully clever?" "I have answered three questions, and that is enough," Said his father; "don't give yourself airs! Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? Be off, or I'll kick you down-stairs!"
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THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER

by: Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

HE sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might; He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright-And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night. The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the sun Had got no business to be there After the day was done-"It's very rude of him," she said, "To come and spoil the fun!" The sea was wet as wet could be, The sands were dry as dry. You could not see a cloud, because No cloud was in the sky; No birds were flying overhead-There were no birds to fly. The Walrus and the Carpenter Were walking close at hand;

They wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand-"If this were only cleared away," They said, "it would be grand!" "If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year, Do you suppose," the Walrus said, "That they could get it clear?" "I doubt it," said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear. "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech. "A Pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach; We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each." The eldest Oyster looked at him, But never a word he said; The eldest Oyster winked his eye, And shook his heavy head-Meaning to say he did not choose To leave the oyster-bed. But four young Oysters hurried up, All eager for the treat; Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, Their shoes were clean and neat-And this was odd, because, you know, They hadn't any feet. Four other Oysters followed them, And yet another four; And thick and fast they came at last, And more, and more, and more-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 said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax -Of cabbages -- and kings -And why the sea is boiling hot-And whether pigs have wings." "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,

"Before we have our chat; For some of us are out of breath, And all of us are fat!" "No hurry!" said the Carpenter. They thanked him much for that. "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said, "Is what we chiefly need; Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed-Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed." "But not on us!" the Oysters cried, Turning a little blue. "After such kindness, that would be A dismal thing to do!" "The night is fine," the Walrus said. "Do you admire the view?" "It was so kind of you to come! And you are very nice!" The Carpenter said nothing but, "Cut us another slice. I wish you were not quite so deaf-I've had to ask you twice!" "It seems a shame," the Walrus said, "To play them such a trick. After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!" The Carpenter said nothing but, "The butter's spread too thick!" "I weep for you," the Walrus said; "I deeply sympathize." With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes. "O Oysters," said the Carpenter, "You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?" But answer came there none-And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one.
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The Duck and the Kangaroo

By Edward Lear I

Said the Duck to the Kangaroo, Good gracious! how you hop! Over the fields and the water too, As if you never would stop! My life is a bore in this nasty pond, And I long to go out in the world beyond! I wish I could hop like you! Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

II

Please give me a ride on your back! Said the Duck to the Kangaroo. I would sit quite still, and say nothing but Quack, The whole of the long day through! And wed go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee, Over the land, and over the sea; Please take me a ride! O do! Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

III

Said the Kangaroo to the Duck, This requires some little reflection; Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck, And there seems but one objection, Which is, if youll let me speak so bold,

Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold, And would probably give me the rooMatiz! said the Kangaroo.

IV

Said the Duck, As I sate on the rocks, I have thought over that completely, And I bought four pairs of worsted socks Which fit my web-feet neatly. And to keep out the cold Ive bought a cloak, And every day a cigar Ill smoke, All to follow my own dear true Love of a Kangaroo!

Said the Kangaroo, Im ready! All in the moonlight pale; But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady! And quite at the end of my tail! So away they went with a hop and a bound, And they hopped the whole world three times round; And who so happy,O who, As the Duck and the Kangaroo?. ----------------