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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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« Lemon and Buttermilk Cake
Garden Update, November 2012 »

The Owl and the Pussycat

November 18, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

By Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
“O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!”

. . .

Pussy said to the Owl, “You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?”
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

. . .

“Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?” Said the Piggy, “I will.”
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

. . . . .

Sharing one of my favourite poems with you this Sunday morning. 

I used to read it to the boys when they were little –
Small Man would dance around “by the light of the moon” as I read it. 

Hope you’re all having a gentle, mellow weekend. ♥

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Posted in Musings | 55 Comments

55 Responses

  1. on November 18, 2012 at 12:07 am Pam

    I recite this to my girls all the time. A favourite in this house too :)


    • on November 18, 2012 at 7:03 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I still love it to this day, Pam! :)


  2. on November 18, 2012 at 12:39 am Heidi

    Lucy and Carly Simon made a recording back in the 70’s of this and other favorite children’s verses. I sang this song to both of my children- love the pictures in your book !
    Thanks for sharing this today- it brought the many happy memories of sharing it with my boys!


    • on November 18, 2012 at 7:03 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I never knew there was a song, Heidi! I’ll be on the lookout for it! Thanks! :)


  3. on November 18, 2012 at 12:58 am Sally

    One of my favourites too – we had a beautifully illustrated book and I’d read it to my girls. I know it by heart because of this. Love the nonsense word ‘runcible’ . Actually have had a mellow and relaxing weekend (long due to Islamic New Year) for once. Hope you do too Celia.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 6:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sally, it’s been a really nice weekend so far! I only discovered today that “runcible” was created by Edward Lear – that’s my favourite line too – mince and quince with a runcible spoon! :)


  4. on November 18, 2012 at 1:58 am Promenade Claire

    It is an old favourite of mine too. just lovely


    • on November 18, 2012 at 6:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Have a great weekend, Claire! Are you working on the new plot?


      • on November 18, 2012 at 7:09 am Promenade Claire

        Sadly no, the weather has been miserable and the first job I need to do is plant the garlic !


  5. on November 18, 2012 at 5:08 am cityhippyfarmgirl

    My FAVOURITE one to recite to my kiddos as well. I never get tired of it.
    xxxx


    • on November 18, 2012 at 6:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      It never gets old, does it, Brydie.. :) Nice to know your kids are enjoying it as much as mine did!


  6. on November 18, 2012 at 5:49 am grannysmiff

    Celia thank you for this poem which I remember as a particular favourite of mine when I was a child and it became a favourite of my 2 children as they were growing up too. Perhaps that was the start of my love of all things Owl :o)


    • on November 18, 2012 at 6:57 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Granny, it’s really stood the test of time, hasn’t it? :) An owl collection sounds interesting – I love them too!


  7. on November 18, 2012 at 6:38 am Amanda -pearlycow

    I was once informed – by a very well meaning but often misguided friend- that a runcible spoon is one of those spoons with a hole in the bowl, or a gap in the lip that extends into the bowl area. It is a splendid word -use it in a sentence today! Thanks for the reminder of this great poem.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 6:56 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Amanda, I just had a look on Wiki – apparently “runcible” is a word invented by Edward Lear! :)

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runcible


  8. on November 18, 2012 at 7:27 am hotlyspiced

    I love The Owl and the Pussycat and remember it well. It’s so beautifully written and fires up your child’s imagination as you read it to them xx


    • on November 18, 2012 at 7:43 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      It really has everything, doesn’t it, Charlie? Inter-species elopement, a wedding feast, music, the lot! :D


  9. on November 18, 2012 at 7:40 am Amanda -pearlycow

    Well, there you go. I’ve already learned something before finishing my second cup of tea of the day! Always the teacher, Celia!


    • on November 18, 2012 at 7:43 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I only looked it up this morning after reading your comment, so thank YOU! :)


  10. on November 18, 2012 at 8:13 am ChgoJohn

    Thanks for the smiles, Celia. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your Sunday.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:06 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      John, I did indeed, thank you! We did some cooking for the freezer (stocking it with cooked black beans and Great Northern beans), baked two batches of bread, and had tea with one of the neighbours who dropped by for a visit. Doesn’t get better! Hope yours is going well too! :)


  11. on November 18, 2012 at 8:27 am rozmacallan

    Will look for a copy for our great grandsons, yes we are old.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hardly! You and John are eternally young, Roz! :)


  12. on November 18, 2012 at 8:39 am Debra Kolkka

    I love this book too. I remember reading it to Brandon when he was little…..he is 40 next year!


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Debra, it’s really stood the test of time, hasn’t it? :)


  13. on November 18, 2012 at 8:53 am Jane @ Shady Baker

    Lovely Celia…gentle and mellow are two great things to keep in mind for the day. Happy Sunday.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Jane! Hope your day has been glorious!


  14. on November 18, 2012 at 9:07 am Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    Hehe I recite this to Mr NQN all the time! :D We both love it :)


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:08 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      It’s a great poem, isn’t it? xx


  15. on November 18, 2012 at 10:00 am Maureen

    I love visiting your site – I feel educated, entertained or cuddled every time. I’m trying to be mellow with all the storms up here.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:08 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Maureen! I hope the weather is ok – we’ve been blessed with sunshine this weekend, but we had big storms last week.. x


  16. on November 18, 2012 at 11:31 am Norma Chang

    I totally agree with Maureen. Thankfully we are not having a storm.


    • on November 18, 2012 at 5:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Norma, I’m glad to hear that – I think you’ve had quite enough storms for a while! xx


  17. on November 18, 2012 at 5:16 pm Marilyn Scott-Waters

    How serendipitous, I was just drawing a scene from this for my portfolio. Beautiful words, Maz


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:23 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Oooh, hope we get to see it, Maz! :)


  18. on November 18, 2012 at 8:01 pm Tandy

    This reminds me of my grandmother, thank you :)


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:24 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      You’re most welcome, Tandy! xx


  19. on November 18, 2012 at 8:34 pm Jan

    It’s fun isn’t it. I so much miss reading to children.


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:24 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jan, I read to Pete now. :)


  20. on November 18, 2012 at 8:58 pm InTolerant Chef

    I love this poem! I still have my Winnie the Pooh and AA Milne poetry books that I got for my 6th birthday. My favourite from those is the Doctor and the Dormouse :) Geraniums red and delphiniums blue…


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:24 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Becca, that’s amazing! I have WtP volumes for both the boys too!


  21. on November 19, 2012 at 2:38 am cravesadventure

    Love it – thanks for sharing! Brought back memories of childhood and I am still a reader as an adult:) Happy Day!


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:25 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Renee, glad you enjoyed it!


  22. on November 19, 2012 at 4:06 am bakecakecrumbs

    The first four lines of this often get stuck in my head and it makes me smile. My mum was a great one for reading to my brother and I when we were little, but never really went in for poetry. I can’t remember where I first heard it but happy and mellow are the right words to describe the mood it conjures up.


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:25 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Caroline, it sounds like your mum read a lot to you as kids – I remember you telling me about her reading Thomas the Tank to your brother as well. Lucky you! :)


  23. on November 19, 2012 at 4:15 am Sophie33

    Thanks for sharing with us! It is lovely to read!


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:26 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Glad you enjoyed it, Sophie! :)


  24. on November 19, 2012 at 10:35 am Claire @ Claire K Creations

    Aww how lovely Celia. Thanks for sharing.


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:26 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Claire, we all grow up too fast, don’t we? :)


  25. on November 20, 2012 at 6:39 am sallybr

    I know nothing about kids’ poems in English, so I enjoyed this quite a bit…

    I had a nice weekend, made some bread… ;-)


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:26 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sally, sounds like a great weekend indeed! xx


  26. on November 20, 2012 at 11:06 am e / dig in hobart

    i haven’t heard that poem since i was a child. i’m afraid i only remember the first two lines. it’s quite lovely, isn’t it?
    the weekend seems far away and already i am wishing my life away, waiting for the next one.


    • on November 20, 2012 at 8:27 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      E, I know how you feel! It’s only Tuesday, but I’m wishing the rest of the week away already! :)


  27. on November 21, 2012 at 3:01 pm Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen

    This is such a favorite of mine.. as a child and then later as a mother and kindergarten teacher. I have to tell you.. I assumed that first photo was the top of a cake.. and I thought, “Only Celia could pull that one off so perfectly!!” It reminds me of “Where the Wild Things Are” and my own little kids:)


  28. on November 22, 2012 at 8:50 pm niasunset

    I loved it loved it… :) Thank you dear Celia, love, nia



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