"Oh," said Zep, feeling rather proud, "I just picked it up, I guess."
"Well," said the monarch, "there is nothing like it to my mind. Perhaps you've read my famous poem on the subject? Have you?"
"No," said Zep, "I never heard of it."
"Humph!" said the Emperor, looking rather disappointed. "You're not very literary, are you? However, there is no reason why you should not hear it now. Listen."
When I was a lad, I said to myself
As I hooked the jam from the pantry shelf,
"I may grow up and I may grow old
But I hope I'll never do as I'm told.
"For all the fun I've ever had,
"Has always come from being bad."