Happy Belated Birthday, Edward!

Woof. Blogger's been acting up... but it's back. So here's a birthday post that should have gone up yesterday. Happy Birthday, Edward
On May 12 in London in 1812, Edward Lear was born.

Three years I gave you the Jumblies. Two years ago, the tale of The Dong With A Luminous Nose. Last year I unaccountably missed him out, but this year a few of his many, many limericks:

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said 'It is just as I feared! -
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'

There was an Old Man who said, 'Hush!
I perceive a young bird in this bush.!'
When they said, 'Is it small?'
He replied, 'Not at all!
It is four times as big as the bush!'

There was an Old Man whose despair
Induced him to purchase a hare:
Whereon one fine day,
He rode wholly away,
Which partly assuaged his despair.

There was an Old Person of Basing,
Whose presence of mind was amazing;
He purchased a steed,
Which he rode at full speed,
And escaped from the people of Basing.

There was an Old Person of Gretna,
Who rushed down the crater of Etna;
When they said, 'Is it hot?'
He replied, 'No, it's not!'
That mendacious Old Person of Gretna.

There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a bee.
When they said, 'Does it buzz?'
He replied, 'Yes, it does!
It's a regular brute of a bee!'

More Lear is Here