A.A. Milne |
The Old Sailor
By AA Milne
(And copied from Cathryn Johns'
Pooh Quotes Site.)
There was once an old sailor my grandfather
knew
Who had so many things which he
wanted to do
That, whenever he
thought it was time to begin,
He
couldn't because of the state he was in.
He was shipwrecked, and lived on a island for
weeks,
And he wanted a hat, and he
wanted some breeks;
And he wanted
some nets, or a line and some hooks
For the turtles and things which you read of in
books.
And, thinking of this, he remembered a thing
Which he wanted (for water) and that was a
spring;
And he thought that to talk to he'd
look for, and keep
(If he found it) a goat,
or some chickens and sheep.
Then, because of the weather, he wanted a
hut
With a door (to come in by) which
opened and shut
(With a jerk, which was
useful if snakes were about),
And a very
strong lock to keep savages out.
He began on the fish-hooks, and when he'd
begun
He decided he couldn't because
of the sun.
So he knew what he ought
to begin with, and that
Was to find,
or to make, a large sun-stopping hat.
He was making the hat with some leaves from a
tree,
When he thought, "I'm as hot as
a body can be,
And I've nothing to
take for my terrible thirst;
So I'll
look for a spring, and I'll look for it
first." |
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Then he thought as he started, "Oh, dear and oh,
dear!
I'll be lonely tomorrow with nobody
here!"
So he made in his note-book a couple
of notes:
"I must first find some
chickens" and "No, I mean goats."
He had just seen a goat (which he knew by the
shape)
When he thought, "But I must have
boat for escape.
But a boat means a sail,
which means needles and thread;
So I'd
better sit down and make needles instead."
He began on a needle, but thought as he
worked,
That, if this was an island where
savages lurked,
Sitting safe in his hut
he'd have nothing to fear,
Whereas now they
might suddenly breathe in his ear!
So he thought of his hut ... and he thought of his
boat,
And his hat and his breeks, and
his chickens and goat,
And the hooks
(for his food) and the spring (for his thirst) ...
But he never could think which he ought to do
first.
And so in the end he did nothing at
all,
But basked on the shingle
wrapped up in a shawl.
And I think it
was dreadful the way he behaved -
He
did nothing but bask until he was saved!
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