The Owl and the Pussycat...

Happy Birthday in Memory of my beautiful little grandmother, Minnie Samantha! Today would have been her 110th birthday... Can that be possible?

This illustration is from Edward Lear's book, which my grandmother read to me in giggles every night I stayed at her house. My bedroom was upstairs, wallpapered and cozy... white iron bedstead. The little bedroom smelled deliciously of books, roses, and Chantilly perfume. When Gramma read this poem to me, it made no sense... When she got to the lines, "Oh, Pussy my love!" we would howl and put our heads under the covers.

Years later, her last words were, "I love you more than tongue can tell." And she did... and I will forever love her right back!

The Owl and the Pussycat poem
The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

Wrapped up in a five pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,

What a beautiful Pussy you are."

Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,

How charmingly sweet you sing.

O let us be married, too long we have tarried;

But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-tree grows,

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"

Said the Piggy, "I will"

So they took it away, and were married next day

By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon.

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.

They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.