What sort of bell is this?
A wisdom bell,
Or a nonsense bell?
What sort of bell is this?
“Bell, bell, how high do you hang?”
I said to the bell as it rang, as it rang,
And “Never you mind!” a goblin sang,
One who did dwell
Within the bell!
Wibbling-wobbling
Went the bell,
And what had the goblin
Got to tell?
Why, ill said or well said,
This is what the bell said;
Wisdom bell
Or nonsense bell,
This is what the bell said:
Betsy Bounce—her taste was such—
Of her bonnet thought too much;
Strutting up and down she went,
(People wondered what she meant).
In the villages and towns
Folks said, “Look how Betsy Bounce
Takes her walks around the nation!”
She thought this was admiration.
“Oh, that all the world,” says she,
“Could my lovely bonnet see,
See my bonnet, but without
All this walking round about!”
For in truth the girl got tired,
Though her bonnet was admired,
Of this walking round the nation
After people’s admiration.
Now observe what came to pass—
One fine day this foolish lass
Found her bonnet growing, growing
On her head like flowers a-blowing!
Higher still, and higher piled
Grew the bonnet on the child,
Farther back and farther out,
Farther down and round about!
Rivers sprawling to the sea
Both the strings appeared to be,
Till the bow beneath her chin
Shut her up and shut her in.
Oh, how foreigners did stare
When her bonnet filled the air,
Russian, Turk, and Mexican,
Folks in India and Japan!