Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thursday theme - amusement

Lines and squares



whenever i walk in a london street
i'm ever so careful to watch my feet
and i keep in the squares
and the masses of bears
who wait at the corners just ready to eat
the sillies who walk on the lines of the squares
go back to their lairs, and i say to them "bears!
Just look how i'm walking in all the squares!"

and the little bears growl to each other "he's mine,
as soon as he's silly and treads on a line."
and some of the bigger bears try to pretend
that they came round the corner to look for a friend
and they try to pretend that nobody cares
whether you walk on the lines or the squares
but only the sillies believe their talk
its ever so 'portant how you walk
its ever so jolly to call out "Bears!
Just look how i'm walking in all the squares!"





a.a.milne
1882-1956

when we were very young
EP Dutton & Co. 1924
Illustrations by EH Shepard

18 comments:

lettuce said...

i'm not sure i can remember a time when i didn't know this poem

and it is, of course, the only way to walk in london

Coffee Messiah said...

Milne & Pooh are worth remembering and is so by many. ; )

Coffee Messiah said...

er, sorry I meant to say "and are so" by many.

Need more coffee, it's too early!

Cheers!

R.L. Bourges said...

oh yes, yes, yes! And what was the one about "they're changing guard at Buckingham Palace, something something Robin and Alice...something something..."a soldier's life is terrible hard."

(or something)
:-)

lovely memories, Lettuce. Thanks!

tut-tut said...

So glad you included the illustrations! Happy amusing day to you, Lettuce!

Bobby D. said...

I seem to recall Long John Baldry doing this in concert just for fun!

Dumdad said...

It's been ages since I last read that poem. Thanks.

Akelamalu said...

Thanks for reminding me about the poem. :)

Barbara said...

A.A. Milne is always chicken soup for my soul. I'm still in love with Poo Bear.

Anonymous said...

Oh I so remember this, I still play Pooh sticks with my grandson when out walking by the river. Thanks for the memory!!!!

lettuce said...

hello coffee messiah. I bet aamilne drank tea rather than coffee. ;op

Lee - "Christopher Robin went down with Alice" and i can't remember the next bit (not one of the fair number i still know off by heart) but i do remember the tune....

and to you Tut-tut

ched, that would have been funny

you're most welcome Dumdad. i'm sure you could walk like this in Paris too

Lamalu :o)

Barbara, "chicken soup for the soul" :-D

lusks my dad leaves near the original Pooh sticks bridge - but thankfully it can be played anywhere of course.

Mike Minzes said...

This is great!

mouse (aka kimy) said...

thanks for the lovely bear hug. happy solstice!

dennis said...

Dennis doesn't understand.

Unknown said...

LOL - I remember after first reading this, I was ever so careful not to tramp on the lines in case they became lions - and then much later, deliberately tramping on the lines in the hope they might become lions! :-)

call me betty said...

Love that poem :D

Steve Reed said...

Far more clever than "Step on a crack, break your mother's back," which is what we used to say in school.

(Kind of savage, now that I think about it...)

Gary said...

a.a. milne and when we were very young is a great collection. Or perhaps I am thinking of Now we are six. No matter, both are terrific. I think I shall include more of his poems in my teaching next year. Thanks for reminding me of this one.