Nonsense Books - Edward Lear

[First Lines] [Nonsense Alphabets] [Nonsense Botanies] [Nonsense Songs and Stories]

An Index of First Lines

[Nonsense Alphabets] [Nonsense Botanies] [Nonsense Songs and Stories] [Table of Contents]

[A tumbled down,]
[A was an Area Arch]
[A was an ant]
[A was an ape,]
[A was once an apple-pie,]
[The Absolutely Abstemious Ass,]
[B said. "My Boy, oh, do not cry;]
[B was a Bottle blue,]
[B was a bat,]
[B was a book]
[B was once a little bear,]
[The Bountiful Beetle,]
[The Broom and the Shovel, the Poker and Tongs,]
[C said, "A Cup of Coffee hot]
[C was Papa's gray Cat,]
[C was a camel:]
[C was a cat]
[C was once a little cake,]
[Calico pie, the little birds fly]
[The Comfortable Confidential Cow,]
[D said, "A Doctor should be fetched,]
[D was Papa's white Duck,]
[D was a dove,]
[D was a duck]
[D was once a little doll,]
[The Dolomphious Duck,]
[E said, "An Egg beat up with milk]
[E was a little Egg,]
[E was an eagle,]
[E was an elephant,]
[E was once a little eel,]
[The Enthusiastic Elephant,]
[The Excellent Double-extra XX]
[F said, "A Fish, if broiled, might cure,]
[F was a fan]
[F was a fish]
[F was a little Fish.]
[F was once a little fish,]
[The Fizzgiggious Fish,]
[G said, "Green Gooseberry fool,]
[G was Papa's new Gun;]
[G was a goat]
[G was a gooseberry,]
[G was once a little goose,]
[The Good-natured Grey Gull,]
[H said, "His Hat should be kept on,]
[H was Papa's new Hat;]
[H was a hat]
[H was a heron,]
[H was once a little hen,]
[The Hasty Higgeldipiggledy Hen,]
["How pleasant to know Mr. Lear!"]
[I said, "Some Ice upon his head]
[I was an Inkstand new,]
[I was an inkstand,]
[I was once a bottle of ink]
[I was some ice]
[In former days,that is to say, once upon a time,there lived in the Land of Gramble-Blamble seven families. ]
[The Inventive Indian,]
[J said, "Some Jam, if spread on bread,]
[J was a jackdaw]
[J was a jug,]
[J was once a jar of jam,]
[J was some Apple Jam,]
[The Judicious Jubilant Jay,]
[K said, "A Kangaroo is here,—]
[K was a great new Kite;]
[K was a kingfisher:]
[K was a kite]
[K was once a little kite,]
[The Kicking Kangaroo,]
[King and Queen of the Pelicans we;]
[L said, "A Lamp pray keep alight,]
[L was a fine new Lamp;]
[L was a light]
[L was a lily,]
[L was once a little lark,]
[The Lively Learned Lobster,]
[M said, "A Mulberry or two]
[M was a dish of mince;]
[M was a man,]
[M was a mill]
[M was once a little mouse,]
[The Melodious Meritorious Mouse,]
[Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos]
[N said, "Some Nuts, if rolled about,]
[N was a net]
[N was a Nut that grew]
[N was a nut]
[N was once a little needle,]
[The Nutcrackers sate by a plate on the table;]
[The Nutritious Newt,]
[O said, "An Owl might make him laugh,]
[O was an orange]
[O was an oyster,]
[O was an Owl who flew]
[O was once a little owl,]
[The Obsequious Ornamental Ostrich,]
[On a little piece of wood,]
[On the Coast of Coromandel]
[On the top of the Crumpetty Tree]
[Once Mr. Daddy Long-legs,]
[Once upon a time, a long while ago, there were four little people whose names were Violet, Slingsby, Guy, and Lionel;]
[The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea]
[P said, "Some Poetry might be read aloud,]
[P was a little Pig,]
[P was a pig,]
[P was a polly,]
[P was once a little pump,]
[The Perpendicular Purple Polly,]
[The Pobble who has no toes]
[Q said, "A Quince I recommend,—]
[Q was a Quince that hung]
[Q was a quail]
[Q was a quill]
[Q was once a little quail,]
[The Queer Querulous Quail,]
[R said, "Some Rats might make him move,]
[R was a Railway Rug]
[R was a rabbit,]
[R was a rattlesnake,]
[R was once a little rose,]
[The Rural Runcible Raven,]
[S said, "A Song should now be sung,]
[S was Papa's new Stick,]
[S was once a little shrimp,]
[S was a screw]
[S was the sugar-tongs,]
[Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,]
[Said the Table to the Chair,]
[The Scroobious Snake,]
[She sate upon her Dobie,]
[T said, "A Turnip might avail,]
[T was a thimble,]
[T was a tortoise,]
[T was a tumbler full]
[T was once a little thrush,]
[There is a young lady, whose nose,]
[There lived an old man in the Kingdom of Tess,]
[There was a Young Girl of Majorca,]
[There was a Young Lady of Bute,]
[There was a Young Lady of Clare,]
[There was a Young Lady of Dorking,]
[There was a Young Lady of Hull,]
[There was a Young Lady of Lucca,]
[There was a Young Lady of Norway,]
[There was a Young Lady of Parma,]
[There was a Young Lady of Poole,]
[There was a Young Lady of Portugal,]
[There was a Young Lady of Russia,]
[There was a Young Lady of Ryde,]
[There was a Young Lady of Sweden,]
[There was a Young Lady of Troy,]
[There was a Young Lady of Turkey,]
[There was a Young Lady of Tyre,]
[There was a Young Lady of Wales,]
[There was a Young Lady of Welling,]
[There was a Young Lady whose bonnet]
[There was a Young Lady whose chin]
[There was a Young Lady whose eyes]
[There was a Young Lady whose nose]
[There was a Young Person of Crete,]
[There was a Young Person of Smyrna,]
[There was a young lady in blue,]
[There was a young lady in white,]
[There was a young lady of Corsica,]
[There was a young lady of Firle,]
[There was a young lady of Greenwich,]
[There was a young person in green,]
[There was a young person in pink,]
[There was a young person in red,]
[There was a young person of Ayr,]
[There was a young person of Bantry,]
[There was a young person of Janina,]
[There was a young person of Kew,]
[There was a young person whose history]
[There was an Old Derry down Derry,]
[There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,]
[There was an Old Lady of Prague,]
[There was an Old Lady whose folly]
[There was an Old Man at a Junction,]
[There was an Old Man in a boat,]
[There was an Old Man in a casement,]
[There was an Old Man in a pew,]
[There was an Old Man in a tree,]
[There was an Old Man of Aôsta]
[There was an Old Man of Apulia,]
[There was an Old Man of Berlin,]
[There was an Old Man of Bohemia,]
[There was an Old Man of Calcutta,]
[There was an Old Man of Cape Horn,]
[There was an Old Man of Coblenz,]
[There was an Old Man of Columbia,]
[There was an Old Man of Corfu,]
[There was an Old Man of Dundee,]
[There was an Old Man of Jamaica,]
[There was an Old Man of Kamschatka,]
[There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,]
[There was an Old Man of Leghorn,]
[There was an Old Man of Madras,]
[There was an Old Man of Marseilles,]
[There was an Old Man of Melrose,]
[There was an Old Man of Moldavia,]
[There was an Old Man of Nepaul,]
[There was an Old Man of Peru,]
[There was an Old Man of Peru.]
[There was an Old Man of Quebec,—]
[There was an Old Man of Vesuvius,]
[There was an Old Man of Vienna,]
[There was an Old Man of Whitehaven,]
[There was an Old Man of th' Abruzzi,]
[There was an Old Man of the Cape,]
[There was an Old Man of the Coast,]
[There was an Old Man of the Dee,]
[There was an Old Man of the East,]
[There was an Old Man of the Hague,]
[There was an Old Man of the Isles,]
[There was an Old Man of the Nile,]
[There was an Old Man of the North,]
[There was an Old Man of the South,]
[There was an Old Man of the West,]
[There was an Old Man of the West,]
[There was an Old Man of the Wrekin,]
[There was an Old Man on a hill,]
[There was an Old Man on some rocks,]
[There was an Old Man on whose nose]
[There was an Old Man who said, "How]
[There was an Old Man who said, "Hush!]
[There was an Old Man who said, "Well!]
[There was an Old Man who supposed]
[There was an Old Man with a beard,]
[There was an Old Man with a beard,]
[There was an Old Man with a flute,—]
[There was an Old Man with a gong,]
[There was an Old Man with a nose,]
[There was an Old Man with a poker,]
[There was an Old Man with an Owl,]
[There was an Old Person of Anerley,]
[There was an Old Person of Bangor,]
[There was an Old Person of Basing,]
[There was an Old Person of Buda,]
[There was an Old Person of Burton,]
[There was an Old Person of Cadiz,]
[There was an Old Person of Cheadle]
[There was an Old Person of Chester,]
[There was an Old Person of Chili,]
[There was an Old Person of Dover,]
[There was an Old Person of Dutton,]
[There was an Old Person of Ems]
[There was an Old Person of Ewell,]
[There was an Old Person of Gretna,]
[There was an Old Person of Hurst,]
[There was an Old Person of Ischia,]
[There was an Old Person of Leeds,]
[There was an Old Person of Mold,]
[There was an Old Person of Philœ,]
[There was an Old Person of Prague,]
[There was an Old Person of Rheims,]
[There was an Old Person of Rhodes,]
[There was an Old Person of Spain,]
[There was an Old Person of Sparta,]
[There was an Old Person of Tartary,]
[There was an Old Person of Tring,]
[There was an Old Person of Troy,]
[There was an Old Person whose habits]
[There was an old Lady of Winchelsea,]
[There was an old Man in a Garden,]
[There was an old Person of Cromer,]
[There was an old lady of France,]
[There was an old man at a Station,]
[There was an old man in a Marsh,]
[There was an old man in a barge,]
[There was an old man in a tree,]
[There was an old man of Ancona,]
[There was an old man of Blackheath,]
[There was an old man of Boulak,]
[There was an old man of Cashmere,]
[There was an old man of Dee-side]
[There was an old man of Dumblane,]
[There was an old man of Dumbree,]
[There was an old man of Dunluce,]
[There was an old man of Dunrose;]
[There was an old man of El Hums,]
[There was an old man of Hong Kong,]
[There was an old man of Ibreem,]
[There was an old man of Messina,]
[There was an old man of Port Grigor,]
[There was an old man of Spithead,]
[There was an old man of Thames Ditton,]
[There was an old man of Thermopylae,]
[There was an old man of Three Bridges,]
[There was an old man of Toulouse]
[There was an old man of West Dumpet,]
[There was an old man of the Dargle]
[There was an old man on the Border,]
[There was an old man on the Humber,]
[There was an old man who screamed out]
[There was an old man whose despair]
[There was an old man whose remorse]
[There was an old man, who when little]
[There was an old person in black,]
[There was an old person in gray,]
[There was an old person of Bar,]
[There was an old person of Barnes,]
[There was an old person of Blythe,]
[There was an old person of Bow,]
[There was an old person of Bray,]
[There was an old person of Bree,]
[There was an old person of Brigg,]
[There was an old person of Brill,]
[There was an old person of Bromley,]
[There was an old person of Bude,]
[There was an old person of Cannes,]
[There was an old person of Cassel,]
[There was an old person of China,]
[There was an old person of Crowle,]
[There was an old person of Deal,]
[There was an old person of Dean]
[There was an old person of Down,]
[There was an old person of Dundalk,]
[There was an old person of Ealing,]
[There was an old person of Fife,]
[There was an old person of Filey,]
[There was an old person of Florence,]
[There was an old person of Grange,]
[There was an old person of Hove,]
[There was an old person of Hyde,]
[There was an old person of Ickley,]
[There was an old person of Jodd,]
[There was an old person of Loo,]
[There was an old person of Minety,]
[There was an old person of Newry,]
[There was an old person of Nice,]
[There was an old person of Pett,]
[There was an old person of Pinner,]
[There was an old person of Pisa,]
[There was an old person of Putney,]
[There was an old person of Rimini,]
[There was an old person of Rye,]
[There was an old person of Sark,]
[There was an old person of Sestri,]
[There was an old person of Sheen,]
[There was an old person of Shields,]
[There was an old person of Shoreham,]
[There was an old person of Skye,]
[There was an old person of Slough,]
[There was an old person of Stroud,]
[There was an old person of Ware,]
[There was an old person of Wick,]
[There was an old person of Wilts,]
[There was an old person of Woking,]
[They went to sea in a sieve, they did;]
[The Tumultuous Tom-tommy Tortoise,]
[Two old Bachelors were living in one house;]
[U said, "An Urn, with water hot]
[U was a silver urn,]
[U was an upper-coat,]
[U was an urn]
[U was once a little urn,]
[The Umbrageous Umbrella-maker,]
[V said, "I'll stand upon a chair,]
[V was a veil]
[V was a Villain; once]
[V was a villa]
[V was once a little vine,]
[The Visibly Vicious Vulture,]
[W said, "Some Whisky-Whizzgigs fetch,]
[W was a Watch of Gold:]
[W was a watch,]
[W was a whale]
[W was once a whale,]
[When awful darkness and silence reign]
[Who, or why, or which, or what]
[The Worrying Whizzing Wasp,]
[X said, "Some double XX ale]
[X was King Xerxes, whom]
[X was King Xerxes,]
[X was King Xerxes,]
[X was once a great king Xerxes,]
[Y said, "Some Yeast mixed up with salt]
[Y was a yak,]
[Y was a yew,]
[Y was a Youth, who kicked]
[Y was once a little yew,]
[The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo,]
[Z said, "Here is a box of Zinc!]
[Z was a Zebra striped]
[Z was a zebra,]
[Z was once a piece of zinc,]
[Z was some zinc,]
[The Zigzag Zealous Zebra,]

An Index of Nonsense Alphabets by Edward Lear.

[First Lines] [Nonsense Botanies] [Nonsense Songs and Stories] [Table of Contents]

Alphabets
By Letter