Author of Speedy in Oz, Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz, The Wish Express, "King, King! Double King!" etc.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, November 23, 1919.
It was a phantom Pilgrim Ship
Sailed down Molasses Bay
And landed in Rock Candy Cove,
Just 'fore Thanksgiving Day.
The Chocolate Chaps who ruled the Isle
Of Sugar Plums came running,
And one was short and one was tall,
But both were awfully cunning!
"Some visitors!" the first one called,
"I wonder now, who comes?
Ho! Ship ahoy and welcome
To the Isle of Sugar Plums!"
The candy folk came running down,
And as the Pilgrims land
They met them with loud cheers
And music from the sugar band!
The phantom Pilgrims doffed their hats:
"We're due in Memory Town
To celebrate Thanksgiving,
But we thought we'd just run down
"And have a little relaxation
Ere they start to boast
'Bout that famous first Thanksgiving
On the 'stern and rock-bound coast!'
"Now what we want's a little cheer,
We never learned to play,
And as for fun! it was not done
In our New England day!"
The Pilgrim children nod their heads
And look with big, round eyes.
The sugar hills and chocolate mills
Just fill them with surprise.
Ho! Ho! the candy folk, my dear,
Soon put them at their ease;
They played at candy hop-scotch -
Climbed the maple sugar trees,
Enjoyed a jolly taffy pull,
And then, on candy horses,
They galloped gayly, ending
With a feast of twenty courses,
Each sweeter than the last, you know;
It almost made them late,
And when their ship reached Memory Town,
They couldn't look sedate.
And if the Pilgrims that you think of,
Or upon the wall
The picture Pilgrims seem to grin,
Don't be surprised at all!
(They're thinking of Sugar Plum Island.)
The Forgetful Poet
It always surprises the dear fellow to see how readily you can supply the words to his verses, but today he feels sure that he has achieved a masterpiece, and that none of you will be able to make head or tail of it. I wonder!
The words missing from last week's verses were ill, got and loses.
COMING
The goose is growing fatter
And the pumpkin's looking prime.
There's ------meat in the making,
For it's most -----time?
The turkey's strutting in the yard.
Ah, soon he'll lose his -----;
The celery's sticking up its leaves
Out in the garden-----.
The pie tins stand expectantly.
The pots and pans and -----
Are mobilizing. Oh, I say,
-----time's delicious!
[Answers next time.]
Copyright © 2012 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
