The Admiral's CaravanCarryl, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Science
The Admiral's Caravan
Carryl, Charles E. (Charles Edward)
Fairy tales
There was a great variety of them, and they all were of the same curious
character. Besides the bonnet-bush, there were plants loaded down with
little pinafores, and shrubs with small shoes growing all over them,
like peas, and delicate vines of thread with button-blossoms on them,
and, what particularly pleased Dorothy, a row of pots marked "FROCK
FLOWERS," and each containing a stalk with a crisp little frock growing
on it, like a big tulip upside down.
"They're only big enough for dolls," chattered Dorothy, as she hurried
from one to the other, "but, of course, they'll grow. I s'pose it's what
they call a nursery-garden. Just fancy--" she exclaimed, stopping short
and clasping her hands in a rapture,--"just fancy going out to pick an
apronful of delightful new stockings, or running out every day to see if
your best frock is ripe yet!" And I'm sure I don't know what she would
have said next, but just at this moment she caught sight of a paper
lying in the path before her, and, of course, immediately became
interested in _that_.
It was folded something like a lawyer's document, and was very neatly
marked in red ink "MEMORUMDRUMS"; and after looking at it curiously for
a moment, Dorothy said to herself, "It's prob'bly a wash-list; nothing
but two aprons, and four HDKeffs, and ten towels--there's always such a
_lot_ of towels, you know," and here she picked up the paper; but
instead of being a wash-list, she found it contained these verses:
Have Angleworms attractive homes?
Do Bumblebees have brains?
Do Caterpillars carry combs?
Do Dodos dote on drains?
Can Eels elude elastic earls?
Do Flatfish fish for flats?
Are Grigs agreeable to girls?
Do Hares have hunting-hats?
Do Ices make an Ibex ill?
Do Jackdaws jug their jam?
Do Kites kiss all the kids they kill?
Do Llamas live on lamb?
Will Moles molest a mounted mink?
Do Newts deny the news?
Are Oysters boisterous when they drink?
Do Parrots prowl in pews?
Do Quakers get their quills from Quails?
Do Rabbits rob on roads?
Are Snakes supposed to sneer at snails?
Do Tortoises tease toads?
Can Unicorns perform on horns?
Do Vipers value veal?
Do Weasels weep when fast asleep?
Can Xylophagans squeal?
Do Yaks in packs invite attacks?
Are Zebras full of zeal?
P. S. Shake well and recite every morning in a shady place.
"I don't believe a single one of them, and I never read such stuff!"
exclaimed Dorothy, indignantly; and she was just about to throw down
the paper when Bob Scarlet suddenly appeared, hurrying along the path,
and gazing anxiously from side to side as if he had lost something. As
he came upon Dorothy, he started violently, and said "Shoo!" with great
vehemence, and then, after staring at her a moment, added, "Oh, I beg
your pardon--I thought you were a cat. Have you seen anything of my
exercise?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account