Cautionary Tales for Children

CAUTIONARY TALES FOR CHILDREN




 CAUTIONARY TALES FOR
 CHILDREN

 _Designed for the Admonition of Children between the ages
 of eight and fourteen years_


 Verses by
 H. BELLOC

 Pictures by
 B. T. B.

 [Illustration]


 DUCKWORTH
 3 HENRIETTA STREET, LONDON, W.C.




 First published by Eveleigh Nash, 1907
 First published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd., 1918
 Thirteenth Impression, 1957

 _All rights reserved_


 _Made and Printed in Great Britain by_
 _Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd_
 _London and Edinburgh_




 DEDICATED
 TO
 BOBBY, JOHNNY, AND EDDIE
 SOMERSET




INTRODUCTION


Upon being asked by a Reader whether the verses contained in this book
were true.


[Illustration]

    And is it True? It is not True.
    And if it were it wouldn't do,
    For people such as me and you
    Who pretty nearly all day long
    Are doing something rather wrong.
    Because if things were really so,
    You would have perished long ago,
    And I would not have lived to write
    The noble lines that meet your sight,
    Nor B. T. B. survived to draw
    The nicest things you ever saw.
                                 H. B.

       *       *       *       *       *




JIM,

_Who ran away from his Nurse, and was eaten by a Lion._


[Illustration]

    There was a Boy whose name was Jim;
    His Friends were very good to him.
    They gave him Tea, and Cakes, and Jam,
    And slices of delicious Ham,
    And Chocolate with pink inside,
    And little Tricycles to ride,
    And

[Illustration]

        read him Stories through and through,
    And even took him to the Zoo--
    But there it was the dreadful Fate
    Befell him, which I now relate.

    You know--at least you _ought_ to know.
    For I have often told you so--
    That Children never are allowed
    To leave their Nurses in a Crowd;

    Now this was Jim's especial Foible,
    He ran away when he was able,
    And on this inauspicious day
    He slipped his hand and ran away!
    He hadn't gone a yard when--

[Illustration]

                                Bang!
    With open Jaws, a Lion sprang,
    And hungrily began to eat
    The Boy: beginning at his feet.

    Now just imagine how it feels
    When first your toes and then your heels,
    And then by gradual degrees,
    Your shins and ankles, calves and knees,
    Are slowly eaten, bit by bit.

[Illustration]

    No wonder Jim detested it!
    No wonder that he shouted "Hi!"
    The Honest Keeper heard his cry,
    Though very fat

[Illustration]

                    he almost ran
    To help the little gentleman.
    "Ponto!" he ordered as he came
    (For Ponto was the Lion's name),
    "Ponto!" he cried,

[Illustration]

                       with angry Frown.
    "Let go, Sir! Down, Sir! Put it down!"

    The Lion made a sudden Stop,
    He let the Dainty Morsel drop,
    And slunk reluctant to his Cage,
    Snarling with Disappointed Rage
    But when he bent him over Jim,
    The Honest Keeper's

[Illustration]

                          Eyes were dim.
    The Lion having reached his Head,
    The Miserable Boy was dead!

[Illustration]

    When Nurse informed his Parents, they
    Were more Concerned than I can say:--
    His Mother, as She dried her eyes,
    Said, "Well--it gives me no surprise,
    He would not do as he was told!"
    His Father, who was self-controlled,
    Bade all the children round attend
    To James' miserable end,
    And always keep a-hold of Nurse
    For fear of finding something worse.




HENRY KING,

_Who chewed bits of String, and was early cut off in Dreadful Agonies._


    The Chief Defect of Henry King
    Was

[Illustration]

        chewing little bits of String.
    At last he swallowed some which tied
    Itself in ugly Knots inside.

[Illustration]

    Physicians of the Utmost Fame
    Were called at once; but when they came
    They answered,

[Illustration]

                    as they took their Fees,
    "There is no Cure for this Disease.
    Henry will very soon be dead."
    His Parents stood about his Bed
    Lamenting his Untimely Death,
    When Henry, with his Latest Breath,
    Cried--
    "Oh, my Friends, be warned by me,

[Illustration]

    That Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch and Tea
    Are all the Human Frame requires ..."
    With that the Wretched Child expires.




MATILDA,

_Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death._


    Matilda told such Dreadful Lies,

[Illustration]

    It made one Gasp and Stretch one's Eyes;
    Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,
    Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth,

[Illustration]

    Attempted to Believe Matilda:
    The effort very nearly killed her,
    And would have done so, had not She
    Discovered this Infirmity.
    For once, towards the Close of Day,
    M