With a crimson and pearly-white dye
They endeavoured to make themselves fair,
With black they encircled each eye,
And with yellow they painted their hair
(It was wool, but they thought it was hair).
And the forces they met in the field:—
And the men of King Borria said,
“Amazonians, immediately yield!”
And their arrows they drew to the head—
Yes, drew them right up to the head.
But jocular Waggety-Weh
Ogled Doodle-Dum-Dey (which was wrong),
And neat little Titty-Fol-Leh
Said, “Tootle-Tum, you go along!
You naughty old dear, go along!”
And rollicking Tral-the-Ral-Lah
Tapped Alack-a-Dey-Ah with her fan;
And musical Doh-Reh-Mi-Fah
Said, “Pish, go away, you bad man!
Go away, you delightful young man!”
And the Amazons simpered and sighed,
And they ogled, and giggled, and flushed,
And they opened their pretty eyes wide,
And they chuckled, and flirted, and blushed
(At least, if they could, they’d have blushed).
But haughty Pish-Tush-Pooh-Bah
Said, “Alack-a-Dey, what does this mean?”
And despairing Alack-a-Dey-Ah
Said, “They think us uncommonly green!
Ha! ha! most uncommonly green!”
Even blundering Doodle-Dum-Dey
Was insensible quite to their leers,
And said good little Tootle-Tum-Teh,
“It’s your blood we desire, pretty dears—
We have come for our dinners, my dears!”
And the Queen of the Amazons fell
To Borria Bungalee Boo,—
In a mouthful he gulped, with a yell,
Tippy-Wippity Tol-the-Rol-Loo—
The pretty Queen Tol-the-Rol-Loo.
And neat little Titty-Fol-Leh
Was eaten by Pish-Pooh-Bah,
And light-hearted Waggety-Weh
By dismal Alack-a-Dey-Ah—
Despairing Alack-a-Dey-Ah.
And rollicking Tral-the-Ral-Lah
Was eaten by Doodle-Dum-Dey,
And musical Doh-Reh-Mi-Fah
By good little Tootle-Dum-Teh—
Exemplary Tootle-Tum-Teh!