Lyr Add: I Sent a Message to the Fish (L Carroll)

Subject: Lyr Add: I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE FISH (L Carroll)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Jun 03 - 05:17 PM

Apparently there is reference to this poem in the thread discussion but no one has posted the whole thing:

I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE FISH

(Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, chapter VI.:
As sung by Humpty Dumpty)

I sent a message to the fish:
I told them
"This is what I wish."

The little fishes of the sea,
They sent an answer back to me.
The little fishes' answer was
"We cannot do it, Sir, because -- "'

("I'm afraid I don't quite understand", said Alice.
"It gets easier further on", Humpty Dumpty replied.)

I sent to them again to say
"It will be better to obey."
The fishes answered with a grin,
"Why, what a temper you are in!"

I told them once, I told them twice:
They would not listen to advice.
I took a kettle large and new,
Fit for the deed I had to do.

My heart went hop, my heart went thump;
I filled the kettle at the pump.
Then some one came to me and said,
"The little fishes are in bed."

I said to him, I said it plain,
"Then you must wake them up again."
I said it very loud and clear;
I went and shouted in his ear.'

(Humpty Dumpty raised his voice almost to a scream as he repeated this verse, and Alice thought with a shudder, "I wouldn't have been the messenger for ANYTHING!")

But he was very stiff and proud;
He said "You needn't shout so loud!"
And he was very proud and stiff;
He said "I'd go and wake them, if -- "

I took a corkscrew from the shelf:
I went to wake them up myself.
And when I found the door was locked,
I pulled and pushed and knocked.

And when I found the door was shut,
I tried to turn the handle, but -- '

(There was a long pause.
"Is that all?" Alice timidly asked.)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble