Mr. And Mrs. Discobbolos

Edward Lear

I

Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos
    Climbed to the top of a wall.
  And they sate to watch the sunset sky
  And to hear the Nupiter Piffkin cry
    And the Biscuit Buffalo call.
They took up a roll and some Camomile tea,
And both were as happy as happy could be—
      Till Mrs. Discobbolos said,—
      ‘Oh! W! X! Y! Z!
      ‘It has just come into my head—
‘Suppose we should happen to fall! ! ! ! !
        ‘Darling Mr. Discobbolos

II

‘Suppose we should fall down flumpetty
    ‘Just like pieces of stone!
  ‘On the thorns,—or into the moat!
  ‘What would become of your new green coat
    ‘And might you not break a bone?
‘It never occurred to me before—
‘That perhaps we shall never go down any more!’
      And Mrs. Discobbolos said—
      ‘Oh! W! X! Y! Z!
      ‘What put it into your head
‘To climb up this wall?—my own
        ‘Darling Mr. Discobbolos?’

III

Mr. Discobbolos answered,—
    ‘At first it gave me pain,—
  ‘And I felt my ears turn perfectly pink
  ‘When your exclamation made me think
    ‘We might never get down again!
‘But now I believe it is wiser far
‘To remain for ever just where we are.’—
      And Mr. Discobbolos said,
      ‘Oh! W! X! Y! Z!
      ‘It has just come into my head—
‘——We shall never go down again—
        ‘Dearest Mrs. Discobbolos!’

IV

So Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos
    Stood up and began to sing,
  ‘Far away from hurry and strife
‘Here we will pass the rest of life,
    ‘Ding a dong, ding dong, ding!
‘We want no knives nor forks nor chairs,
‘No tables nor carpets nor household cares,
      ‘From worry of life we’ve fled—
      ‘Oh! W! X! Y! Z!
      ‘There is no more trouble ahead,
‘Sorrow or any such thing—
        ‘For Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos!’

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