THE WEEK’S POEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 69

THE WEEK’S POEM.

“A little nonsense now and then is ] relished hy the wisest men,” children, so this week I am printing you a poem < by Edward Lear—“ The Pobble Who Has 1 no Toes ” —to give you something to j laugh about. It is no use your asking me what a “ pobble,” or a “ runcible ] cat” is, because I don’t know. (Neither, ] I think, does Edward Lear.) But if you < will read the poem just for its own i sake, you will find it very refreshing and very funny, and gain not a little pleasure ] from it. i DOT. 1 THE POBBLE WHO HAS NO TOES. The Pobble who has no toes Had once as many as we; When they said : “ Some day you may lose them all ”; He replied, “Fish diddle 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 the Bristol Channel; A sea-green porpoise carried away His wrapper of scarlet flannel. And when he came to observe his feet, Formerly 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, Whoso had taken the Pobble’s toes, In a manner so far from pleasant. Whether the shrimps or crayfish grey Or crafty Mermaids stole them away— Nobody knew; and nobody knows How the Pobble was robbed of his twicefive toes! The Pobble who has no toes Was placed in a friendly bark, And they rowed him back, and carried him up To his Aunt JoLiska’s park. And she made him a feast at his earnest wish Of eggs and buttercups fried with fish; And she said, —“ It’s a fact that the whole world knows, That' Pobbles are happiest without theii® toes.”