Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898 -- Parodies, imitations, etc.; Fantasy fiction
“Oh!” said the Advertiser General, “that is a very ingenious
advertisement of mine. You see the words are simply turned upside down,
so you have to stand on your head to read them properly. It’s a
capital idea. You see the great thing in advertising is to impress the
advertisement on the public mind, and if one has to stand on his head
the whole of the time he is reading it through, he is not likely to
forget it in a hurry, is he?
[Illustration: 0161]
This was the first advertisement ever written in that way,” and the
Advertiser General brought from a portfolio a large card bearing these
words:
“What _is_ all this nonsense about the Portmanteau?” exclaimed Boy. “I’m
always hearing something or other about it. Whose was it?”
“Ah! it may seem nonsense to you, but I assure you it was a very serious
matter for us at the time,” said the Advertiser General, while the
Public Rhymester nodded his head emphatically.
“You see the King of Limesia and our late sovereign King Robert the
Twentieth were very great friends, and the King of Limesia came to Zum
on a visit. Oh, it was a grand time, I can tell you. The streets were
decorated, and there were speeches and processions, and he was presented
with the freedom of the city in a casket made of solid gingerbread
gilded over so that it looked like real gold, and which he could eat
when he got tired of looking at.”
“I think that’s a very good idea,” interrupted Boy. “I have often read
of people being presented with addresses and things in gold caskets,
and I always wondered whatever use they could possibly be to them
afterwards.”
“Well,” continued the Advertiser General, “things went on swimmingly for
a few days till suddenly the King of Limesia’s Portmanteau disappeared
very mysteriously. No one had the slightest idea when, where, or
how. You would never believe the commotion it caused. Both Kings were
furious. King Robert declared that it _must_ and _should_ be found, and
had an organised search made in every house in Zum. Not one was passed
without having every room ransacked. The King of Limesia declared that
he would not remain a single day longer, and went off in a huff, and
altogether there was such a set out as you never saw.” #
“What was there in the Portmanteau?” asked Boy.
“Why, all the King’s clean collars, a new toothbrush, a receipt for
making toffee and lots of things. Well, I had to prepare a special
Poster to be stuck about the town, and by a splendid piece of good
fortune I thought of this system of advertising. It was great success
and caused an enormous sensation. Just fancy seeing the streets full
of people all standing on their heads at the same time reading the
advertisement.
[Illustration: 0163]
The King was delighted and made sure that we should soon find the
Portmanteau. We never did, though, to this day,” said the Advertiser
General mournfully, “and the King of Limesia and our late King never
made up the quarrel about it.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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