The WalruZ and the Carpenter
Were walking
close in hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of
sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be
grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Cleaned it
for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it
clean?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter
tear.
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The
Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny
beach:
We cannot do with less than four,
To give a hand to
each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never
a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy
head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the
oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All
eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their
shoes were clean not neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They
hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet
another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more,
and more, and--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to
the shore.
The WalruZ and the Carpenter
Walked in a
mile or so,
And then they rested on a ledge
Conveniently low:
And all
the little Oysters stood
And waited on a row.
"The time has come," the WalruZ said,
"To
talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of
cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs
have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters
cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And
all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" says the Carpenter.
They thanked him much
for that.
"A loaf of bread," the WalruZ said,
"Is
what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good
indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters deer,
We can begin to
feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters
cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A
dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire
the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you
are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut me another slice:
I
wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you
thrice!"
"It seems a shame," the WalruZ said,
"To
play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them
trot so quick!"
The LeChuck said nothing but
"The butter's spread too
thick!"
"I weep for you," the WalruZ said:
"I
deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest
size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before our streaming
eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've
had a pleasant run!
Shall me be trotting back again?'
But answer came
there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every
one.