Headpiece Filled With Straw

Lear

There Was an Old Man with a Beard -- Edward Lear

By Edward Lear

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! --
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.

Link: [minstrels] There Was an Old Man with a Beard -- Edward Lear.

With parodies:

There was an old man with a beard

By John Clarke

There was an old man with a beard
A funny old man with a beard
He had a big beard
A great big old beard
That amusing old man with a beard

and

There was an old man of St. Bees

By W. S. Gilbert

There was an old man of St. Bees
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp,
When asked "Does it hurt?"
He said "No, it doesn't.
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."

 

The Owl and the Pussycat

By Edward Lear (1871)

 

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!'

II

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.

 

Link: Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat.