The day's play

by A. A. Milne

EXPLORING

Come, gather around, my 'earties, and listen
a while to me,
For I 'ave a yarn to spin you, a yarn of the
Polar Sea;
It's as true as I'm standing here, lads, as true as it
blows a gale,
That I was the first as nearly burst a-finding the
Great Big Nail—
As sworn to by Etukishook, Gaukrodger, J. C. Clegg,
Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the Cardinal
Merry del Val.

It was all of a parky morning that wunnerful fourth
of March,
When I put on a hextry weskit and made for the
Marble Arch;
So I sez good-bye to my country, "Lunnon," I sez,
"adoo!"
And I up and strode down the Edgware Road
athirsting to see it through,
Followed by Etukishook, Gaukrodger, J. C. Clegg,
Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the Cardinal
Merry del Val.

I 'adn't no blooming gum-drops, I 'adn't no polar
bears,
I 'adn't no sextant neither, but I thinks to myself,
"'Oo cares?"
And I waggled my watch-chain jaunty, which was
jewelled in every hole.
"I can always steer by my cumpas 'ere, it's pointing
straight to the Pole."
So it is!" said Etukishook, Gaukrodger, J. C. Clegg,
Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the Cardinal
Merry del Val.

I walked for the 'ole of that morning, then I sez
to myself, "Old son,
This here is a dash-for-the-Pole like, and it's
darn little dash you've done."
So I enters an 'andy station, and I sez to the
man in the 'utch,
"'Ere, gimme a ticket as goes to Wick—no, a
first-return—'ow much?—
Ah, and five third singles for Etukishook, Gaukrodger,
J. C. Clegg, Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the
Cardinal Merry del Val."

We sailed from Wick to the norrard for 'undreds
of days and nights.
Till we came at last to the ice-floes and followed the
Northern Lights,
The Horroreo-boreo-balis, which it turned us all
'orrible pale,
And I sez to my men, "To-morrow and then we
shall land at the Great Big Nail."
"'Ooray!" said Etukishook, Gaukrodger, J. C. Clegg,
Sir Fortescue Flannery and the Cardinal Merry
del Val.

'Twas the cumpas as went and found it—it seemed
to have turned its head,
It would spin like mad for a minute and then it
would lay like dead;
It took on just like a wild thing, you'd almost 'a'
sworn it cried,
Till at last it shot through the glass and got right up
on its end and died.
"That proves it," cried Etukishook, Gaukrodger,
J. C. Clegg, Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the
Cardinal Merry del Val.

We gave three cheers for ole England and we up
with the Union Jack,
And we plugged our pipes and we smoked
'em and we thought about getting back;
But a wunnerful pride so filled us as we sat on top
of the Ball,
That innocent tears (the first for years) rolled out
of the eyes of all.
Partikerlarly out of those of Etukishook, Gaukrodger,
J. C. Clegg, Sir Fortescue Flannery, and the
Cardinal Merry del Val.

Then I called for a pen and paper, and I wrote to
the King, "Dear King,
"I've found the Pole, and I'm tying a piece of it up
with string;
I'll send it round in the morning for your Majesty's
grace to see
Just drop me a wire, if you like it, sire, and I'll
collar the lot! Signed: Me.
Witnesses: Etukishook, Gaukrodger, J. C. Clegg, Sir
Fortescue Flannery and the Cardinal Merry
del Val."

So that's how it 'appened, my 'earties, no matter
what others may say.
(Did they see the Pole? They didn't! That
proves I 'ad took it away).
It's as true as I'm standing here, lads, as true as
The Daily Mail,
That I was the first as nearly burst a-finding the
Great Big Nail.