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Floppy Fly

Rushed downward to the foamy sea

With one sponge-taneous cry;

And there they found a little boat,

Whose sails were pink and grey;

And off they sailed among the waves,

Far, and far away,

They sailed across the silent main,

And reached the great Gromboolian plain;

And there they play for evermore

At battlecock and shuttledoor.

Mr. and Mrs. Spikky Sparrow

I

On a little piece of wood,

Mr. Spikky Sparrow stood;

Mrs. Sparrow sate close by,

A-making of an insect pie,

For her little children five,

In the nest and all alive,

Singing with a cheerful smile

To amuse them all the while,

Twikky wikky wikky wee,

Wikky bikky twikky tee,

Spikky bikky bee!

II

Mrs.

“Spikky, Darling! in my head

Many thoughts of trouble come,

Like to flies upon a plum!

All last night, among the trees,

I heard you cough, I heard you sneeze;

And, thought I, it’s come to that

Because he does not wear a hat!

Chippy wippy sikky tee!

Bikky wikky tikky mee!

Spikky chippy wee!

III

Not that you are growing old,

But the nights are growing cold.

No one stays out all nights long

Without a hat: I’m sure it’s wrong!”

Mr. Spikky said, “How kind,

Dear! you are, to speak your mind!

All your life I wish you luck!

You are! you are! a lovely duck!

Witchy witchy witchy wee!

Twitchy witchy witchy bee!

Tikky tikky tee!

IV

I was also sad, and thinking,

When one day I saw you winking,

And I heard you sniffle-snuffle,

And I saw your feathers ruffle;

To myself I sadly said,

She’s neuralgia in er head!

That dear head has nothing on it!

Ought she not to wear a bonnet?

Witchy kitchy kitchy wee?

Spikky wikky mikky bee?

Chippy wippy chee?

V

Let us both fly up to town!

There I’ll buy you such a gown!

Which, completely in the fashion,

You shall tie a sky-blue sash on.

And a pair of slippers neat,

To fit your darling little feet,

So that you will look and feel

Quite galloobious and genteel!

Jikky wikky bikky see,

Chicky bikky wikky bee,

Twicky witchy wee!”

VI

So they both to London went,

Alighting on the Monument,

Whence they flew down swiftly—pop,

Into Moses’ wholesale shop;

There they bought a hat and bonnet,

And a gown with spots upon it,

A satin sash of Cloxam blue,

And a pair of slippers too.