The Owl and the Pussycat & The Gingerbread Man
Part 1 — The Owl and the Pussycat (Edward Lear)
"The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea / In a beautiful pea-green boat..."
The Story in the Poem
An OWL and a PUSSYCAT sail away in a 'beautiful pea-green boat.' They take honey and 'plenty of money.' They sail for 'a year and a day' until they reach a land where the BONG-TREE grows.
The Proposal: The Owl looks at the Pussycat and SINGS: 'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love... What a beautiful Pussy you are!' The Pussycat is CHARMED.
The Problem — No Ring!: They need a ring to get married. But they have no ring.
The Solution — The Piggy-Wig: They sail to a PIG with a RING in the end of his nose. 'Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?' The Pig says YES. They buy the ring for ONE SHILLING.
The Wedding: The next day, they are married by a TURKEY who lives on the hill. 'They dined on mince, and slices of quince, / Which they ate with a runcible spoon.' They dance 'hand in hand, on the edge of the sand... by the light of the moon.'
Why Kids Love This Poem
- It's SILLY and WONDERFUL. An owl marrying a cat! A pig selling a ring! A turkey as a priest!
- The words are MUSICAL — 'runcible spoon' is a MADE-UP word that sounds DELICIOUS.
- 'It's a poem that doesn't try to TEACH anything. It exists purely for JOY.'
New Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pussycat | A cat (affectionate) |
| Shilling | Old British coin |
| Quince | A fruit |
| Runcible | A nonsense word invented by Lear! |
Part 2 — The Gingerbread Man (Traditional Folk Tale)
The Story
A little OLD WOMAN bakes a GINGERBREAD MAN. But when she opens the oven — he JUMPS OUT and RUNS AWAY!
'Run, run, as fast as you can! / You can't catch me — I'm the Gingerbread Man!'
The Chase:
- The OLD WOMAN chases him. She can't catch him.
- The OLD MAN chases him. Can't catch him.
- A COW chases him. A HORSE chases him. A PIG chases him. None can catch him.
The Fox: The Gingerbread Man reaches a RIVER. He can't cross — he'll get SOGGY. A clever FOX offers: 'Jump on my tail. I'll carry you across.' The Gingerbread Man agrees. The fox swims deeper. 'Jump on my back. Jump on my nose.' And then — SNAP! The fox EATS him.
'That was the end of the Gingerbread Man.'
What We Learn
- Overconfidence Can Be Dangerous. The Gingerbread Man thought he was UNSTOPPABLE. He trusted the WRONG creature.
- Stranger Danger. 'Not everyone who offers to "help" is a friend. Be careful who you trust!'
Fun Activity
Bake your own gingerbread cookies! (With adult help.) 'But watch them carefully — they might run away!'
