| Lyrics: | Presenta the grand circo! The prima del mondo!
La grand successo! Giulia Nova
Vittorio!
Fantastico! Magnifico! Spectaculario!
Here, Alice ventured to
interrupt.
"It's very long," she said as politely as she could,
"Will you tell me first
which road ?"
Tweedledum smiled gently and began again.
The sun was shining on the
sea, shining with all his might;
He did his very best to make the billows smooth and bright
-
And this was odd, because it was the middle of the night.
The moon was shining
sulkily because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there after the day was
done.
"It's very rude of him," she said, "to come and spoil the fun."
The sea was
wet as wet could be, the sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud because no cloud was
in the sky.
No birds were flying overhead, there were no birds to fly.
The walrus
and the carpenter were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see such quantities of
sand.
"If this were only cleared away," they said, "it would be grand."
"If seven
maids with seven mops swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose, the walrus said", "that they
could get it clear ?"
"I doubt it," said the carpenter, and shed a bitter tear.
"O
oysters, come and walk with us!" the walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four to give a hand to each."
The
eldest oyster looked at him, but never a word he said:
The eldest oyster winked his eye and
shook his heavy head
Meaning to say he did not choose to leave the oyster bed.
But
four young oysters hurried up, all eager for their treat,
Their coats were brushed, their faces
washed, their shoes were clean and neat
And this was odd, because you know they hadn't any
feet.
Four other oysters followed them and yet another four
And thick and fast they
came at last, and more, and more, and more
All hopping through the frothy waves and scrambling
to the shore.
The walrus and the carpenter walked on a mile or so
And then they
rested on a rock conveniently low
And all the little oysters stood and waited in a
row.
"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things,
Of shoes and
ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs
have wings."
"But wait a bit," the oysters cried, "before we have our chat,
For some
of us are out of breath, and all of us are fat!"
"No hurry," said the carpenter - they thanked
him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the walrus said, "is what we chiefly
need,
Pepper and vinegar besides, are very good indeed.
Now if you're ready oysters dear,
we can begin to feed."
"Not on us! " the oysters cried, turning a little
blue.
"After such kindness that would be a dismal thing to do."
"The night is fine, " the
walrus said, "do you admire the view ? "
"It was so kind of you to come and you are very
nice!"
The carpenter said nothing but, "Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so
deaf - I've had to ask you twice."
"It seems a shame," the walrus said, "to play them
such a trick
After we've brought them out so far and made them trot so quick."
The
carpenter said nothing but, "The butter's spread too thick. "
"I weep for you," the
walrus said, "I deeply sympathise."
With sobs and tears he sorted out those of the largest
size,
Holding his pocket handkerchief before his streaming eyes.
"O oysters," said
the carpenter, "You've had a pleasant run
Trotting home again ? " But answer came there
none.
And this was scarcely odd because they'd eaten every one,
They'd eaten every one |
