Author of The Runaway in Oz, The Wonder City of Oz, Lucky Bucky in Oz, etc.
Originally published in the Philadelphia North American, May 20, 1906.
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THE FORGETFUL POET
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, January 2, 1921.
Most of you got the Forgetful Poet’s message in cipher, for he just said “Happy New Year” backward, and today he repeats it forward. And to begin the new year right he will answer his puzzles first. The dog was a pug, the cities in Georgia were Macon and Augusta and a man can have three ears because he has two of his own and a long-distance telephone ear. The two distinctly American-named states are Washington and Indiana and the precious stone a solitaire.
Now he would like to know—
What bird can go into four twice?
In what two parts of a tree can be found two great Americans of the present—a diplomat and a soldier.
Sure Cures
Dr. Duck made a speech
In the henhouse last night,
Of cures he had made,
And of ills he’d set right.
He took off his specs
And he said, to begin,
He’d cured an old shad
Of a pain in its shin!
That he’d untied a knot
In the tail of a frog,
And poulticed the wing
Of a suffering dog!
Besides he’d restored
An old jelly fish, too,
It was chilled to the bone
And rheumatic clear through.
The hens were impressed
At the doctor’s facility,
But I say his cures
Are an impossibility!
But when I told the Forgetful Poet so, he said he didn’t see why. “Well, the boys and girls will soon tell you,” said I. And between you and me I’m afraid Dr. Duck is a bit of a quack.
______
The Forgetful Poet says he has an animal riddle for you. He wants to know how many lions you can think of. I can think of only two, but he says there are more. How many can you think of?
[Answers next time.]
Copyright © 2017 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
