“What utter nonsense!” This is usually said to scold, but what if it were meant as a compliment? The world is awfully funny, though sometimes more awful than funny, and Christians need to laugh. We have hope and we have everything in Christ, our all. So we should be glad. Need help? How about a very silly poem? I first dove into Edward Lear upon the recommendation of Sally Lloyd-Jones, author of The Jesus Storybook Bible and other excellent books. If you read Sally’s work, you will detect the wild dose of silliness she stirs into the recipe of her writing. This can likely be blamed, at least in part, on her childhood obsession with the nonsense poetry of Edward Lear. Perhaps you could use this excellent ingredient to help flavor your life with joy. –Sam
The Owl and the Pussycat
Written and illustrated by Edward Lear, 1812-1888
I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!’
II
Pussy said to the Owl, ‘You elegant fowl
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?’
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III
‘Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
- Make Believe Makes Believers - July 19, 2021
- The Archer’s Cup is Here - September 30, 2020
- It Is What It Is, But It Is Not What It Shall Be - March 30, 2020
My mom had a recording of this and other things (poems? stories?) that my brother and I listened to when we were kids. They voiced the owl and the pussycat to sound like an owl and a pussycat, and it scared the heck out of me. I still shudder when I think of that pea-green boat.
We had a lovely illustrated version of this that I grew up on. I’ve always loved it, and as a kid it made perfect sense: owls? pussycats? pigs with rings in their noses? Of course!