[Illustration: Man in duck pond] Sir Brian went a journey, and he found a lot of duckweed; They pulled him out and dried him, and they blipped him on the head. They took him by the breeches, and they hurled him into ditches, And they pushed him under waterfalls, and this is what they said: “You are Sir Brian—don’t laugh, You are Sir Brian—don’t cry; You are Sir Brian, as bold as a lion— Sir Brian, the lion, good-bye!” Sir Brian struggled home again, and chopped up his battleaxe, Sir Brian took his fighting boots, and threw them in the fire. He is quite a different person now he hasn’t got his spurs on, And he goes about the village as B. Botany, Esquire. “I am Sir Brian? Oh, _no!_ I am Sir Brian? Who’s he? _I_ haven’t got any title, I’m Botany— Plain Mr. Botany (B).” [Illustration: Man in civilian clothes with walking stick] [Illustration: Boy surrounded by animals] IN THE FASHION A lion has a tail and a very fine tail, And so has an elephant, and so has a whale, And so has a crocodile, and so has a quail— They’ve all got tails but me. If I had sixpence I would buy one; I’d say to the shopman, “Let me try one”; I’d say to the elephant, “This is _my_ one.” They’d all come round to see. Then I’d say to the lion, “Why, _you’ve_ got a tail! And so has the elephant, and so has the whale! And, look! There’s a crocodile! _He’s_ got a tail! “_You’ve all got tails like me!_” [Illustration: Boy with tail leading animals] [Illustration: Old man wearing magical robe, watched by cat] THE ALCHEMIST There lives an old man at the top of the street And the end of his beard reaches down to his feet, And he’s just the one person I’m longing to meet, I think that he sounds so exciting; For he talks all the day to his tortoiseshell cat, And he asks about this, and explains about that, And at night he puts on a big wide-awake[2] hat And sits in the writing-room, writing. He has worked all his life (and he’s terribly old) At a wonderful spell which says, “Lo, and behold! Your nursery fender is gold!”—and it’s gold! (Or the tongs, or the rod for the curtain); But some how he hasn’t got hold of it quite, Or the liquid you pour on it first isn’t right, So that’s why he works at it night after night Till he knows he can do it for certain. [2: So as not to go to sleep.] [Illustration: Child struggling to attach braces] GROWING UP I’ve got shoes with grown up laces, I’ve got knickers and a pair of braces, I’m all ready to run some races. Who’s coming out with me? I’ve got a nice new pair of braces, I’ve got shoes with new brown laces I know wonderful paddly places. Who’s coming out with me?