THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK
an Agony in Eight Fits
Lewis Carroll
1 The Landing
"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bell-
man cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the
tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
"Just the place for a Snark! I have said
it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said
it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."
The crew was complete: it included a
Boots-
A maker of Bonnets and Hoods-
A Barrister, brought to arrange their
disputes-
And a Broker, to value their goods.
A Billiard-maker, whose skill was im-
mense,
Might perhaps have won more than his
share-
But a Banker, engaged at enormous ex-
pense,
Had the whole of their cash in his care.
There was also a Beaver, that paced on
the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow:
And had often (the Bellman said) saved
them from wreck,
Though none of the sailors knew how.
There was one who was famed for the
number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels
and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the
trip.
He had forty-two boxes, all carefully
packed,
With his name painted clearly on each:
But, since he omitted to mention the
fact,
They were all left behind on the beach.
The loss of his clothes hardly mattered,
because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pairs of boots-but the worst
of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name.
He would answer to "Hi!" or to any loud
cry,
Such as "Fry me!" or "Fritter my wig!"
To "What-you-may-call-um!" or
"What-was-his-name!"
But especially "Thing-um-a-jig!"
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