The Quangle Wangle's Hat

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The Quangle Wangle's Hat (1876)
by Edward Lear

A poem first published in Laughable Lyrics in 1876

68601The Quangle Wangle's Hat1876Edward Lear

THE QUANGLE WANGLE'S HAT


I.



ON the top of the Crumpetty Tree
    The Quangle Wangle sat,
But his face you could not see,
    On account of his Beaver Hat.
For his Hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
With ribbons and bibbons on every side
And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,
So that nobody ever could see the face
              Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

II.



The Quangle Wangle said
    To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,
"Jam, and jelly, and bread
    Are the best of food for me!
But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree
The plainer than ever it seems to me
That very few people come this way
And that life on the whole is far from gay!"
              Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.

III.



But there came to the Crumpetty Tree,
    Mr. and Mrs. Canary;
And they said, "Did ever you see
    Any spot so charmingly airy?
May we build a nest on your lovely Hat?
Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
O please let us come and build a nest
Of whatever material suits you best,
              Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!"

IV.



And besides, to the Crumpetty Tree
    Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl;
The Snail and the Bumble-Bee,
    The Frog and the Fimble Fowl
(The Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg;)
And all of them said, "We humbly beg,
We may build our homes on your lovely Hat,—
Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
              Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!"

V.



And the Golden Grouse came there,
    And the Pobble who has no toes,
And the small Olympian bear,
    And the Dong with a luminous nose.
And the Blue Baboon who played the flute,
And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute,
And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat,—
All came and built on the lovely Hat
              Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.

VI.



And the Quangle Wangle said
    To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,
"When all these creatures move
    What a wonderful noise there'll be!"
And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon
They danced to the Flute of the Blue Baboon,
On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,
And all were as happy as happy could be,
              With the Quangle Wangle Quee.