All About Old King Cole

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23809, 9 November 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

All About Old King Cole

CC~I TE did not!" f~| "He did !" "Of course he did." The third speaker was small and rather grubby. He had just advanced from where he had vigorously been attending to mud-pies. The first speaker raised an indignant voice. "Did what?" "Why, whatever you said he didn't. So there Percy Lane!"

Ptrcy looked somewhat taken aback. "You oughter wait till you're spoken to," he retorted sulkily. "Well now." went on that intruder, "I'm the eldest. Peiliaps 1 can help you."

"You're only fifteen days older'n me, Anthony Pay." "Fifteen days better."

Percy had no reply ready this time so lie assumed a gloomy attitude and stood sullenly in tiie background. "Well, I know old King Cole ate an awful, lot of porridge," began Billy Row, who up to the present, had remained silently listening to the conversation. "That's what the people lived on when he was alive."

Original, by ELEANOR MILSON (13), M.B.G

"What do you know about when he was alive," demanded Percy instantly alert again. "1 heard it in a historv lesson at school." This brought peals of laughter from his friends but Billy persisted. "Yes, and 1 saw a great big picture of him too!" he said "Huh, what was he like?" "Oh, he was big and fat. . .this way." The speaker illustrated this by holding a pair of grubby hands on either side. "And he wore awfully funny trousers," went on Billy. "But 1 think he died pretty quick. I suppose he had too much fat to carry round." "I suppose," said Percy, "It was really because he didn't eat his porridge." "He did so!" "How do you know?" "I'm not sure," said Billy, "but I think it said that in the history book too. But anyway, the bit o' poetry said that he asked for his bowl." "It didn't say anything was la it," answered Tony. "Perhaps lie ordered some porridge in just before the poet made nil that up," said Billy brightly. "He did not." exclaimed Percy. "Perhaps lie used it as an ash trav." began Tony. "It's evident that he smoked." "Maybe that's win he died all of a sudden." said Billy. "Silly." commented Percy. "Millions o' people smoke and thev don't die." "Oh, but they do." went on Billy, "Everyone dies." "1 wonder what the old fellow smoked," said Percy.

"If he were a proper king," answered Tony, "He would probably stick to cigars." "They smell awful' strong." commented Percy. "Besides, they didn't have cigars then." "How do you know?" asked Tony.

"I don't think it mentioned that in the history book," said Billy, "But the poem said he asked for his pipe. Though I should think cigarettes would be more dainty." "Dainty!" Percy sniffed scornfully. "Only females like dainty things. He could leave those to' his wife. . ." "If he had one." added Tony. "Of course -lie had one," answered Percy. "But ladies don't smoke." "Oli, don't they," said Tony, nodding wisely. "I bet Old King Cole's wife did." "Then he probably stuck to a pipe after all," said Billy thoughtfully. "But I'm glad lie was a merry fellow." "Yes J wonder how much his fiddlers got for their wages." added Tony. "I'd love to have been him," sighed Billy. "Nothing to do but lie down and listen to music from his fiddlers. No school, no * work, no nothing!" "Yes, 'twould he fun." said Percy. "Just to sleep and eat." "Porridge," added Billy. "He did not!" "He did!" "Oh well," said Tony. "I'll just gather my mud pies and then I'll buzz off. Goodbye." "Goodbye," called Percy and Billy, as hand in hand they wandered off in the other direction towards home.

—Copied sketch by Joyce Eamsden (13) M.B.G.