On This Day

Where Go the Boats

"Where Go the Boats," by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Where Go the Boats
Dark brown is the river,
Golden is the sand. It flows along for ever,
With trees on either hand.
Green leaves a-floating,
Castles of the foam, Boats of mine a-boating—
Where will all come home?
On goes the river
And out past the mill,
Away down the valley,
Away down the hill.
Away down the river,
A hundred miles or more,
Other little children
Shall bring my boats ashore.

The Mock Turtle's Song

Lewis Carroll ~ from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

"Will you walk a little faster?"
said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us,
and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and
the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle-
will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you,
will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you
won't you join the dance?
"You can really have no notion how
delightful it will be,
When they take us up and throw us,
with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!"
and gave a look askance—
Said he thanked the whiting kindly,
but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not,
could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not,
could not, could not join the dance.
"What matters it how far we go?"
his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know,
upon the other side.
The further off from England
the nearer is to France—
Then turn not pale, beloved snail
but come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you,
won't you, won't you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you,
won't you, won't you join the dance?"