Today is A. A. Milne’s birthday! So I went for a suitably related poem. I hope everyone has a good weekend planned ahead of them.

The King’s Breakfast

 

The King asked

The Queen, and

The Queen asked

The Dairymaid:

“Could we have some butter

The Royal slice of bread?”

The Queen asked

The Dairymaid,

The Dairymaid

Said: “Certainly,

I’ll go and tell

The cow

Now

Before she goes to bed.”

 

 

 

The Dairymaid

She curtsied,

And went and told

The Alderney:

“Don’t forget the butter for

The Royal slice of bread.”

The Alderney

Said sleepily:

“You’d better tell

His majesty

That many people nowadays

Like marmalade

Instead.”

 

 

The Dairymaid

Said “Fancy!”

And went to 

Her Majesty.

She curtsied to the Queen, and

She turned a little red:

“Excuse me,

Your Majesty, 

For taking of 

The liberty,

But marmalade is tasty, if 

It’s very

Thickly

Spread.”

 

 

 

The Queen said:

“Oh!”

And went to 

His Majesty:

“Talking of the butter for

The Royal slice of bread,

Many people

Think that 

Marmalade

Is nicer.

Would you like to try a little

Marmalade

Instead?”

 

 

 

The King said:

“Bother!”

And then he said

“Oh, deary me!”

The King sobbed: “Oh, deary me!”

And went back to bed.

“Nobody,”

He wimpered

“Could call me

A fussy man;

I only want

A little bit

Of butter for 

My bread!”

 

 

The Queen said:

“There, there!”

And went to

The Dairymaid.

The Dairymaid

Said: “There, there!”

And went to the shed.

The cow said:

“There, there!

I didn’t really 

Mean it;

Here’s milk for his porringer

And butter for his bread.”

 

 

 

The Queen took

The butter

And brought it to

His Majesty;

The King said:

“Butter, eh?”

And bounced out of bed.

“Nobody,” he said:

As he kissed her

Tenderly,

“Nobody,” he said,

As he slid down

The banisters,

“Nobody,

My darling,

Could call me

A fussy man-

BUT

I do like a bit of butter to my bread!”

 

A. A. Milne

 

Lady Book Dragon.