The "Bab" Ballads: Much Sound & Little Sense

Front Cover
R.H. Russell, 1901 - Ballads, English - 184 pages

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 66 - And he stirred it round and round and round, And he sniffed at the foaming froth; When I ups with his heels, and smothers his squeals In the scum of the boiling broth. "And I eat that cook in a week or less, And— as I eating be The last of his chops, why, I almost drops, For a wessel in sight I see!
Page 64 - Oh elderly man, it's little I know Of the duties of men of the sea, And I'll eat my hand if I understand How you can possibly be 'At once a cook, and a captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig, And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig.
Page 169 - TO THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE BY A MISERABLE WRETCH ROLL on, thou ball, roll on ! Through pathless realms of Space Roll on! What, though I'm in a sorry case? What, though I cannot meet my bills? What, though I suffer toothache's ills ? What, though I swallow countless pills? Never you mind ! Roll on!
Page 173 - ... senses there will fall When she looks upon his body chopped particularly small." He traced that gallant sorter to a still suburban square ; He watched his opportunity, and seized him unaware; He took a life-preserver and he hit him on the head, And MRS. BROWN dissected him before she went to bed. And pretty little ALICE grew more settled in her mind, She never more was guilty of a weakness of the kind, Until at length good ROBBER BROWN bestowed her pretty hand On the promising young robber, the...
Page 171 - For shame," said Father Paul, "my erring daughter! On my word This is the most distressing news that I have ever heard. Why, naughty girl, your excellent papa has pledged your hand To a promising young robber, the lieutenant of his band! "This dreadful piece of news will pain your worthy parents so! They are the most remunerative customers I know; For many many years they've kept starvation from my doors, I never knew so criminal a family as yours! "The common country folk in this insipid neighborhood...
Page 65 - So we drawed a lot, and, accordin', shot The captain for our meal. "The next lot fell to the Nancy's mate, And a delicate dish he made; Then our appetite with the midshipmite We seven survivors stayed. "And then we murdered the bo'sun tight, And he much resembled pig; Then we wittled free, did the cook and me. On the crew of the captain's gig. "Then only the cook and me was left, And the delicate question, 'Which Of us two goes to the kettle?
Page 67 - And I never larf, and I never smile, And I never lark nor play, But sit and croak, and a single joke I have — which is to say: "Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig, And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig!
Page 35 - PART I AT a pleasant evening party I had taken down to supper One whom I will call ELVIRA, and we talked of love and TUPPER, MR. TUPPER and the poets, very lightly with them dealing, For I've always been distinguished for a strong poetic feeling. Then we let off paper crackers, each of which contained a motto, And she listened while I read them, till her mother told her not to. Then she whispered, "To the ball-room we had better, dear, be walking ; If we stop down here much longer, really people...
Page 64 - There was me and the cook and the captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig, And the bo'sun tight and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig. " For a month we'd neither wittles nor drink, Till a-hungry we did feel, So, we drawed a lot, and, accordin' shot, The captain for our meal.
Page 38 - Mister Close expressed a wish that he could only get anigh to me; And Mister Martin Tupper sent the following reply to me: "A fool is bent upon a twig, but wise men dread a bandit,"— Which I know was very clever; but I didn't understand it.

Bibliographic information