Читать книгу Из полного собрания бессмыслиц (с параллельным текстом на английском языке) - Эдвард Лир - Страница 12

The Pobble who has no toes

Has once as many, as we;

When they said, “Some day you may lose

                                                            them all;” —

Hereplied, – “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!”

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 his toes if his nose is warm;

And it’s perfectly known that a Pobble’s toes

Are safe, – provided he minds his nose.»

The Pobble swam fast and well

And when boats or ships came near him

He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell

So that all the world could hear him.

And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,

When they saw him nearing the further side,—

“He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska’s

Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!”

But before he touched the shore,

The shore of Bristol Channel,

A sea-green Porpoise carried away

His wrapper of scarlet flannel.

And when he came to observe his feet

Formely garnished with toes so neat

His face at once became forlorn

On perceiving that all his toes were gone!

And nobody ever knew

From that dark day to the present,