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!'-

II

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You handsome fowl!
How beautifully you sing!
Oh let’s get married!
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.

III

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell your ring for one shilling?
'I will.' said the Piggy,
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They ate mince, and slices of quince with a 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.

EDWARD LEAR


To read the complete original unsimplified poem click here:

The Owl and the Pussy Cat

To listen to a reading of the poem go here: