Illustrator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Father Goose: His Book, Dot and Tot of Merryland, etc.
Originally published November 10, 1901.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, May 19, 1918
Sir Solomon Tremendous Wise Answers All the Whys
Sir Solomon Tremendous Wise
Gets such a lot of mail,
He sends his footman for it with
Two knapsacks and a pail.
For all Supposies think he knows
Just every why and wherefore,
Each rhyme and reason and because
And every single therefore.
And patiently Sir Solomon,
With specs upon his nose,
Goes through the lot to see what new
Inquiries ’twill disclose.
His quill pen splutters valiantly
Their questions to unravel,
Upon my word, sweethearts, my loves,
That old quill pen can travel.
They say he uses pails of ink
(His writing is so large)
And miles of paper, which the King
Supplies him free of charge.
Each morning in his study there
He writes and writes and writes,
And then to finish up the rest
Sometimes he works at nights.
It’s pretty good of him, I think;
And when the children there
Ask questions vexing and perplexing,
Parents don’t despair!
They just refer the matter to
Old Solomon, and never
Has he been stumped or failed to give
A jolly answer ever.
“Now, why do bills and hills run up?
And why do clocks run down?
Why is the sky so often blue
Instead of merely brown?
“Why am I bald? And how can shoes
Be kept from wearing out?
And could you send a remedy
For me? I’m much too stout!
“How is it that the trees put forth
Their blossoms ’fore the fruit?”
And Solomon he finds them all
A reason just to suit.
“You’re bald, dear sir, because your head
Is such a splendid one—
’Twould never do to hide from view!”
“For stoutness roll and run!”
Do thus and so and so and thus,
Sir Solomon advises.
It is a mystery to me
Why Solomon so wise is!
Gets such a lot of mail,
He sends his footman for it with
Two knapsacks and a pail.
For all Supposies think he knows
Just every why and wherefore,
Each rhyme and reason and because
And every single therefore.
And patiently Sir Solomon,
With specs upon his nose,
Goes through the lot to see what new
Inquiries ’twill disclose.
His quill pen splutters valiantly
Their questions to unravel,
Upon my word, sweethearts, my loves,
That old quill pen can travel.
They say he uses pails of ink
(His writing is so large)
And miles of paper, which the King
Supplies him free of charge.
Each morning in his study there
He writes and writes and writes,
And then to finish up the rest
Sometimes he works at nights.
It’s pretty good of him, I think;
And when the children there
Ask questions vexing and perplexing,
Parents don’t despair!
They just refer the matter to
Old Solomon, and never
Has he been stumped or failed to give
A jolly answer ever.
“Now, why do bills and hills run up?
And why do clocks run down?
Why is the sky so often blue
Instead of merely brown?
“Why am I bald? And how can shoes
Be kept from wearing out?
And could you send a remedy
For me? I’m much too stout!
“How is it that the trees put forth
Their blossoms ’fore the fruit?”
And Solomon he finds them all
A reason just to suit.
“You’re bald, dear sir, because your head
Is such a splendid one—
’Twould never do to hide from view!”
“For stoutness roll and run!”
Do thus and so and so and thus,
Sir Solomon advises.
It is a mystery to me
Why Solomon so wise is!
Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
