Poetry Friday: Elevenses and A.A. Milne

Pooh Bear Gets Stuck and Is Used as a Towel Rack (Illus. by Ernest Shepard)

In honor of 11/11/11, I offer up this poem by A.A. Milne who once wrote: "“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish.” (He went on to tell us how Pooh Bear, while having some smackeral-ish treats for his elevenses at Rabbit's house, gets stuck trying to climb out the front door hole and is used, for a time, as a towel rack.)

Speaking of smackerals, here's one of my favorite poems by Milne:

The King's Breakfast

        The King asked
        The Queen, and
        The Queen asked
        The Dairymaid:
        "Could we have some butter for
        The Royal slice of bread?"
        The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
        The Dairymaid
        Said, "Certainly,
        I'll go and tell the cow
        Now
        Before she goes to bed."

        The Dairymaid
        She curtsied,

        And went and told the Alderney:
        "Don't forget the butter for
        The Royal slice of bread."

        The Alderney said sleepily:
        "You'd better tell
        His Majesty
        That many people nowadays
        Like marmalade
        Instead."

The Dairymaid         Said "Fancy!"         And went to         Her Majesty.         She curtsied to the Queen, and         She turned a little red:         "Excuse me,         Your Majesty,         For taking of         The liberty,         But marmalade is tasty, if         It's very         Thickly         Spread."

The Queen said         "Oh!"         And went to his Majesty:         "Talking of the butter for         The royal slice of bread,         Many people         Think that         Marmalade         Is nicer.         Would you like to try a little         Marmalade         Instead?"

The King said,         "Bother!"         And then he said,         "Oh, deary me!"         The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"         And went back to bed.         "Nobody,"         He whimpered,         "Could call me         A fussy man;         I only want         A little bit         Of butter for         My bread!"

        The Queen said,
        "There, there!"
        And went to
        The Dairymaid.
        The Dairymaid
        Said, "There, there!"
        And went to the shed.
        The cow said,
        "There, there!
        I didn't really
        Mean it;
        Here's milk for his porringer
        And butter for his bread."

        The queen took the butter
        And brought it to
        His Majesty.
        The King said
        "Butter, eh?"
        And bounced out of bed.
        "Nobody," he said,
        As he kissed her
        Tenderly,
        "Nobody," he said,
        As he slid down
        The banisters,
        "Nobody,
        My darling,
        Could call me
        A fussy man -
        BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"



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This week's Poetry Friday round-up  is being hosted by April Halprin Wayland over at Teaching Authors. Head  there to see what other people have posted. And Happy Elevenses, Everyone!