Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book-dog, I'll give you a new collar, If you will learn to read your book, And be a clever scholar." "No! no!" replied the puppy-dog, "I've other fish to fry; For I must learn to guard your house, And bark when thieves come nigh." With a tingle, tangle titmouse, Robin knows great A, And B, and C, and D, and E, F, G, H, I, J, K. "Come hither, pretty cockatoo, Come and learn your letters; And you shall have a knife and fork To eat with, like your betters." "No! no!" the cockatoo replied, "My beak will do as well; I'd rather eat my victuals thus Than go and learn to spell." With a tingle, tangle titmouse, Robin knows great A, And B, and C, and D, and E, F, G, H, I, J, K. "Come hither, little pussy-cat, If you'll your grammar study, I'll give you silver clogs to wear, Whene'er the gutter's muddy." "No! whilst I grammar learn," says puss, "Your house will in a trice Be overrun from top to toe With flocks of rats and mice." With a tingle, tangle titmouse, Robin knows great A, And B, and C, and D, and E, F, G, H, I, J, K. "Come hither, then, good little boy, And learn your alphabet, And you a pair of boots and spurs, Like your papa's, shall get." "Oh, yes! I'll learn my alphabet, And when I've learned to read, Perhaps papa will give me, too, A pretty, long-tailed steed." With a tingle, tangle titmouse, Robin knows great A, And B, and C, and D, and E, F, G, H, I, J, K. AN ENGLISH ALPHABET Ale, A is for Apple, Artichoke, and Ann; Brown Bear, B is for Black Bear, and Bran; Chestnut, C is for Clay, Coke, and Coal, Dear, D is for Dray, Dick, Duck, and Droll, Eve, E is for Eagle, Eel, East, and Ear; Fan, F is for Feather, Furrow, Fox, and Fear; Goose, G is for Gander, Green, Grub, and Gray; Horse, H is for Hound, Hip, Haw, and Hay; Ice, I is for Idler, Ink, If, and Ill; James, J is for Jane, for Jack, and Jill; Kiss, K is for Kitten, King, Kitchen, and Kite; Lamb, L is for Lady, Lace, Luck, and Light; Moon, M is for Mitten, Mist, Moth, and Mote; Ned, N is for Nurse, for Nose, Nut, and Note; Oil, O is for Order, Oat, Orange, Oak; Pin, P is for Pan, and Pig in a Poke; Queen, Q is for Question, Quarter, and Quack; Reel, R is for Radish, Ruff, Reeve, and Rack; Skate, S is for Salmon, Sprat, Saw, and School; Tin, T is for Teapot, Tar, Torch, and Tool; Urn, U is for Usher, Umpire, and Use; Vegetables, V is for Varnish, and Views; Want, W is for War, Water, and Wing; Xenophon, X is for and Xerxes, the King; Yam, Y is for Yacht, Yellow, and Yawl; Zeal, Z is for Zebra, Zany-- That's all! NONSENSE ALPHABET BY EDWARD LEAR A was an ant Who seldom stood still, And who made a nice house In the side of a hill. _a_ Nice little ant! B was a book With a binding of blue, And pictures and stories For me and for you. _b_ Nice little book! C was a camel; You rode on his hump; And if you fell off, You came down such a bump! _c_ What a high camel! D was a duck With spots on his back, Who lived in the water, And always said "Quack!" _d_ Dear little duck! E was an elephant, Stately and wise: He had tusks and a trunk, And two queer little eyes. _e_ Oh, what funny small eyes! F was a fish Who was caught in a net; But he got out again, And is quite alive yet. _f_ Lively young fish! G was a goat Who was spotted with brown; When he did not lie still He walked up and down. _g_ Good little goat! H was a hat Which was all on one side; Its crown was too high, And its brim was too wide. _h_ Oh, what a hat! I was some ice So white and so nice, But which nobody tasted; And so it was wasted. _i_ All that good ice! J was a jackdaw Who hopped up and down In the principal street Of a neighboring town. _j_ All through the town! K was a kite Which flew out of sight, Above houses so high, Quite into the sky. _k_ Fly away, kite! L was a light Which burned all the night, And lighted the gloom Of a very dark room. _l_ Useful nice light! M was a man, Who walked round and round; And he wore a long coat That came down to the ground. _m_ Funny old man! N was a net Which was thrown in the sea To catch fish for dinner For you and for me. _n_ Nice little net! O was an orange So yellow and round; When it fell off the tree, It fell down to the ground. _o_ Down to the ground! P was a pig, Who was not very big, But his tail was too curly, And that made him surly. _p_ Cross little pig! Q was a quail With a very short tail; And he fed upon corn In the evening and morn. _q_ Quaint little quail! R was a rabbit, Who had a bad habit Of eating the flowers In gardens and bowers. _r_ Naughty fat rabbit! S was the sugar-tongs, Nippity-nee, To take up the sugar To put in our tea. _s_ Nippity-nee! T was a tortoise, All yellow and black: He walked slowly away, And he never came back. _t_ Torty never came back! U was an urn All polished and bright, And full of hot water At noon and at night. _u_ Useful old urn! V was a veil With a border upon it, And a ribbon to tie it All round a pink bonnet. _v_ Pretty green veil! W was a whale With a very long tail, Whose movements were frantic Across the Atlantic. _w_ Monstrous old whale! X was King Xerxes, Who, more than all Turks, is Renowned for his fashion Of fury and passion. _x_ Angry old Xerxes. Y was a yew, Which flourished and grew By a quiet abode Near the side of a road. _y_ Dark little yew! Z was a zebra, All striped white and black; And if he were tame, You might ride on his back. _z_ Pretty striped zebra! PAST HISTORY BY EDWARD LEAR _a_ A was once an apple-pie, Pidy, Widy, Tidy, Pidy, Nice insidy, Apple-pie! _b_ B was once a little bear, Beary, Wary, Hairy, Beary, Take cary, Little bear! _c_ C was once a little cake, Caky, Baky, Maky, Caky, Taky caky, Little cake! _d_ D was once a little doll, Dolly, Molly, Polly, Nolly, Nursy dolly, Little doll! _e_ E was once a little eel, Eely, Weely, Peely, Eely, Twirly, tweely, Little eel! _f_ F was once a little fish, Fishy, Wishy, Squishy, Fishy, In a dishy, Little fish! _g_ G was once a little goose, Goosey, Moosy, Boosey, Goosey, Waddly-woosy, Little goose! _h_ H was once a little hen, Henny, Chenny, Tenny, Henny, Eggsy-any, Little hen? _i_ I was once a bottle of ink, Inky, Dinky, Thinky, Inky, Black minky, Bottle of ink! _j_ J was once a jar of jam, Jammy, Mammy, Clammy, Jammy, Sweety, swammy, Jar of jam! _k_ K was once a little kite, Kity, Whity, Flighty, Kity, Out of sighty, Little kite! _l_ L was once a little lark, Larky, Marky, Harky, Larky, In the parky, Little lark! _m_ M was once a little mouse, Mousy, Bousy, Sousy, Mousy, In the housy, Little mouse! _n_ N was once a little needle, |