h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thank you so much for the poetry. I brought a cup back for you. Sorry I lost the italics, but it'll have to do. It's by Mr. A. A. Milne and I love it very much and I even just typed it all in! Here is "The Dormouse and the Doctor":

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

A Doctor came hurrying round and he said:
"Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you in bed.
Just say 'Ninety-nine,' while I look at your chest . . .
Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?"

The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied
(When he'd said "Ninety-nine") that he'd tried and he'd tried,
And much the most answering things that he knew
Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head,
And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said:
"What the patient requires is a change," and he went
To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent.

The Dormouse laid there and he gazed at the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue),
And he knew there was nothing he wanted instead
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).

The Doctor came back and to show what he meant,
He had brought some chrysanthemum cuttings from Kent.
"Now these," he remarked, "give a much better view
Than geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

They took out their spades and they dug up the bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And they planted chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
"And now," said the Doctor, "we'll soon have you right."

The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh:
"I suppose all these people know better than I.
It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor came round and examined his chest,
And ordered him Nourishment, Tonics and Rest,
"How very effective," he said as he shook
The thermometer, "all these chrysanthemums look.

The Dormouse turned over to shut out the sight
Of the endless chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
"How lovely," he thought "to be back in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)."

The Doctor said "Tut! It's another attack!"
And ordered hinm Milk and Massage-of-the-back,
And Freedom-from-worry and Drives-in-a-car,
And murmered, "How sweet your chrysanthemums are!"

The Dormouse lay there with his paws to his eyes
And imagined himself such a pleasant surprise:
"I'll pretend the chrysanthemums turn to a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)!"

The Doctor next morning was rubbing his hands,
And saying, "There's nobody quite understands
These cases as I do! The cure has begun!
How fresh the chrysanthemums look in the sun!"

The Dormouse lay happy, his eyes were so tight
He could see no chrysanthemums, yellow or white,
And all that he felt at the back of his head
Were delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)."

And that is the reason (Aunt Emily said)
If a Dormouse gets in a chrysanthemum bed,
You will find (so Aunt Emily says) that he lies
Fast asleep on his front with his paws to his eyes.

YAY!

Oh that was just wonderful!

That one always makes me think of the "Beetle" one. I love love love AA Milne.

Thank you.

*quietly enjoys C's Krissy poetry, as she had never read it before*

Oh, yes, the beetle one too - that's called "Forgiven"! And KM, I hope you read that one up there out loud - it really needs it! Krissy, the end of Forgiven is:

And Nanny's very sorry too for you-know-what-she-did,
And she's writing ALEXANDER very blackly on the lid.
So Nan and me are friends because it's difficult to catch
An excited Alexander you've mistaken for a match.

My other favourites are Us Two (about me and Pooh), Binker (I happen to have called my little boy Binker from before he was born thru his first two years or so), Sneezles, Twice Times (about Good bear and bad bear - oh, I must go read it!), The Old Sailor, Market Square (I was buying my bunny...), Jonathan Jo, Disobedience (the one about JJ M DuP and his mother), Happiness (about John and his waterproof boots), The King's Breakfast, Halfway Down, Cradle Song (about Timothy Tim), and Come Out with Me.

And probably many more...

And yet, mysteriously, there is no "C's Favorite Poems" entry... hmm.

I love AA Milne.

And he spoke very highly of you

*ahem*
James had great big waterproof boots on
James had a great big waterproof hat
James had a great big waterproof Macintosh
"And that," said James, "Is that."

Or words to that effect...

James James Morrison Morrison Wetherbey George DuPree
Took great care of his mother, though he was only 3.
James James said to his mother,
"Mother," he said, said he, "You must never go down to the end of the town if you don't go down with me."

James James Morrison's mother put on her golden gown.
James James Morrison's mother drove to the end of the town.
James James Morrison's mother said to herself said she,
"I can go down to the end of the town and be back in time for tea."

King John put up a notice "Lost, Stolen, or Strayed
James James Morrison's Mother seems to have been mislayed.
Last seen wandering vaguely, quite of her own accord.
She tried to go down to the end of the town.
Forty shillings reward!"

James James Morrison's mother hasn't been heard of since.
King John said he was sorry, and so did the Queen and the Prince.
Kind John (somebody told me) said to someone he knew,
"If people go down to the end of the town, well what can ANYONE do?"

James James Morrison Morrison Wetherbey George DuPree
Took great care of his mother, though he was only 3.
James James said to his mother,
"Mother," he said, said he, "You must never go down to the end of the town if you don't go down with me."


HAH! from memory.

Memory? What's that? I vaguely recall... nope. 's gone. Sorry. Muffin?

bubstable, that looks perfect 'cept that one's name is John I think.

Krissy that's pretty darn good from memory!

Have you ever read the story at the end of House at Pooh Corner? Christopher Robin is explaining to Pooh about going off to school -

"I'm not going to do Nothing any more."
"Never again?"
"Well, not so much. They don't let you."
Pooh waited for him to go on, but he was silent again.
"Yes, Christopher Robin?" said Pooh helpfully.
"Pooh, when I'm -- you know -- when I'm not doing Nothing, will you come up here sometimes?"
"Just Me?"
"Yes, Pooh."
"Will you be here too?"
"Yes, Pooh, I will be, reallly. I promise I will be, Pooh."
"That's good," said Pooh.
"Pooh, promise you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when I'm a hundred."
Pooh thought for a little.
"How old shall I be then?"
"Ninety-nine."
Pooh nodded.
"I promise," he said.
Still with his eyes on the world, Christopher Robin put out a hand and felt for Pooh's paw.
"Pooh," said Christopher Robin earnestly, "if I -- if I'm not quite --" he stopped and tried again --"Pooh, whatever happens, you will understand, won't you?"
"Understand what?"
"Oh, nothing." He laughed and jumped to his feet. "Come on!"
"Where?" said Pooh.
"Anywhere," said Christopher Robin.
* * *
So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.

THE END.

That gets me EVERY time.
*runs off with tears streaming down her cheeks*

*holding back the tears* That's beautiful!

And, btw: D'OH! Of course it's John! I had James in my head because I too had thought through the James James Morrison poem.