The New Book of Nonsense / Contribution to the Great Central Fair in Aid of the Sanitary Commission
Date: 2014-04-24T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Limericks

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The New Book of Nonsense

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Title: The New Book of Nonsense

Author: Anonymous

Release date: April 24, 2014 [eBook #45482]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45482

Credits: Produced by David Widger from page images generously
provided by the Internet Archive

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEW BOOK OF NONSENSE ***

THE NEW BOOK OF NONSENSE

By Anonymous

Contribution to the Great Central Fair

In Aid of the Sanitary Commission

Asmead and Evans

1864

Original

A dandy came on from New York,

As pompous and stiff as a stork,

When he said, "if you dont know how to get up a show,"

They just raffled a dandy from York.

Original

There lived and Old Maid in the city of Trenton, who to marry a youth,
all her faculties bent on,

She essay'd every art, to inveigle the heart of every young Dandy in Trenton.

Original

There was an old King of Dahomey,

Whose realm was more sterile than loamy;

So he bagged little "niggers"

Which he sold at high Jiggers,

To the Yankees who trade at Dahomey.

Original

There was a young person of Boston,

And the vaguest of doubts she was tossed on.

Of effect and of cause

She discoursed without pause:

Remarkable person of Boston!

Original

There was a young lady who said

"I seldom wear hair on my head;

I carry my locks about in a box,

For such is the fashion" she said.

Original

There was ol young lass of Kentucky,

Who tho' little was loyal and plucky:

When her spark turned secesh

Though dear as her flesh.

She drummed him herself from Kentucky.

Original

There was a young lady of Cork,

Who partook of her soup with a fork,

"If I eat it like that

I shall never get fat!"

Said this clever young lady of Cork.

Original

There was a young lady of Georgia,

Who always admired Lou Borgia,

So she punished her slaves

And danced over their graves,

And was publicly thanked throughout Georgia.

Original

There was an old man of the plains,

Who said, "I believe that it rains

So he buttoned his coat, and got into a boat

To wait for a flood on the plains.

Original

There was a young Croesus said, "I

Will, whatever you offer me buy"

When a thousand he'd spent, to his banker he went,

And came back with a large supply.

Original

There was a young girl who wore bows

Who said, 'if you choose to suppose

This hair is all mine

You are wrong I opine,

And you can't see the length of your nose."

Original

There was a young Lady of Lynn,

Who was nothing but bones except skin

So she Wore a false bust,

For says she "well I must,"

This degraded young creature of Lynn.

Original

A fine noble fellow is "Bull,"

Of courage and energy full;

But easily led

By a slight cotton thread,

So gentle and mild is our Bull.

Original

There was a dear lady of Eden,

Who on apples was quite, fond of feedin,

So she gave one to Adam,

Who said, "thank you madam."

And so they both skedaddled from Eden.

Original

There was an old miser who said, "why

Do you still importune me to buy?"

Because its so funny to handle your money,

That's why we importune you to buy.

Original

There was a young female of Zab,

Who was cursed, with the gift of gab,

With her husband she wrangled,

And he had her strangled

By the conjugal custom of Zab.

Original

There was an odd man of Woonsocket, who carried bomb-shells in his pocket;

Endeavoring to cough one day-they went off, and of course, up he went like a rocket.

Original

There was a young girl of Quebec,

Who dressed very low in the neck,

Her friends said, "that's not decent,"

"Oh! the fashion's quite recent

Said this vulgar young girl of Quebec.

Original

An innocent stranger asked, "where

Is the funiest place in the fair."

"Where the Nonsense Book lies" the committee replied,

Is the funniest place in the Fair.

Original

There once was a small girl of Chilka, who ran at a cow and would milk her;

But it kicked up its heels and said, "see how it feels!

You meddlesome Matty of Chilka.

Original

There was a young man of Calcutta, who eat at his meals too much butter;

Till a very kind niece boiled him down into grease:

Which dissolved this young man of Calcutta.

Original

There was an old lady of Norfolk, who always was saying before folk,

I to a mean yankee will never say "thankee," this civil old lady of Norfolk.

Original

There was a young person in Maine, who, although undeniably plain,

Was possessed of such "chic," that before she could speak, "she did for"

the "male sect in Maine.

Original

There was a young man of Lancaster, who walked ever faster and faster,

Till though he began by 'walking, he ran and galloped all over Lancaster.

Original

There was an old party in Rome,

Who kept a house in a very fine dome,

With a spavined old bull

That no longer could pull

The coach of this party in Rome.

Original

There was a young man with a rose, who said to his girl, "I suppose

This gift is as pretty as my love she is witty-"

So she courtesied, and forthwith arose.

Original

There came a young lady, from Hayti, whose complexion was rather too slaty

Whose hair was too curled, and yet the gay world, paid court to this lady from Hayti.

Original

There once were five women of Wells, who thought themselves terrible belles;

They never could wald, but the people would talk,

And dilate on these beauties of Wells.

Original

There was an old lady of Venezuela,

So ill that no physician could heal her,

She called her kind "nuss"

"A sleepy old cuss,"

This morbid old lady of Venezuela.

Original

There was an old man and his wife, who lived in the bitterest strife;

He opened the stove, and pushed her in with a shove,

And cried, "there! you pest of my life."

Original

There was a young student at Yale, Who became thin, abstracted and pale;

His friends said it was drinking, He declared it was thinking,

But one can't believe students at Yale.

Original

There was a young woman of Zug, who said "do I see a huge bug?

With my heel will I try to make this thing die,

Which might sting all my kinsman of Zug."

Original

There was a fine lady of Metz, continually surrounded by pets:

Two cats very small, and three dogs rather tall,

With which she would walk about Metz.

Original

There was an old man of the Niger, who was savagely chased by a tiger;

When he climbed up a palm, and remained there all calm;

Which perplexed this mad beast af the Niger.

Original

There was a young man of the world, who said, his moustache as he twirled,

"My manners are fair, so I really don't care

How honest I am to the world!"

Original

There was a young woman of Baden, whom nothing whatever could sadden;

While her friends were in tears, she just laughed with her jeers.

This accomplished young woman of Baden.

Original

There was a bold preacher named Bellows, who devoted himself to our fellows,

Got up a Commission to improve their condition, and worked like a forty horse bellows.

Original

There was a young lady of Florida, No creature could ever be horrider,

For she liked alligators and very black waiters, degraded young female of Florida.

Original

There was an old cove in a church, who nodded and then gave a lurch;

But he cried, "I'm awake! You have made a mistake

To suppose that I'd sleep in the church!"

Original

There was an old buffer in Uz, and it's troubled "indeed" that he was,

He declined to swear loud but "let out" on the crowd that did the consoling in Uz.

Original

There was a young lady at Rome, who eternally sang "Home, Sweet Home"

Till they wished she was there, for what did they care

To hear aught so homely in Rome?

Original

There was a young person of Leers, who had such a long pair of ears,

That the people who'd pass deemed him, more of an ass

Than even the donkeys of Leers.

Original

There was a prodigious young fop, dressed to kill from the foot to the top

All the girls at the Fair could do nothing but stare

And keep clear of that killing young fop.

Original

There was an old crazy perfumer, who took for his wife a young "Bloomer:"

He wished a new scent, so, on roasting intent, he said it would pay to consume her.

Original

There was a sweet girl of Kingsessing, whose actions were truly destressing;

For she sat on the pump, and threw knives at a stump,

An appearance not quite prepossessing.

Original

There was a stout lady of Boston, whose clothes looked as if they were tossed on;

But her boots were so tight that to get them on right,

They had to be taken and forced on.

Original

There once were a number of Quakers, who would meet, become such queer shakers:

That they never did smile, but just shook all the while,

These quivering, quaking old shakers.

Original

There was a young girl at a ball, who would cling so close to the wall,

That not a man there to approach her did dare,

Though they called her the "flower" of the ball.

Original

There is a great German tenor, so bewitching and charming in manner,

The belles of upper-ten call him "sweetest of men,"

And dote on the great German tenor.

Original

There was an old man of Carlisle, who left the rebels in style;

For said he "I will flee, I never liked Lee, and some day I'll come back to Carlisle."

Original

There was a young lady of Rittenhouse Square,

Attacked by a worm as she went to the Fair,

But a champion brave was destined to save

This frightened young lady of Rittenhouse Square.

Original

There was a bold painter who said, I will paint such a wonderful head,

That I'll make the whole Fair, with astonishment stare

When they see this miraculous head."

Original

My good Southern Brother look here, one thing to my mind is quite clear

If we put out this Furness, it no longer will burn us,

Nor warm little darkies up here.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEW BOOK OF NONSENSE ***

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Table of Contents

- THE NEW BOOK OF NONSENSE

- Contribution to the Great Central Fair In Aid of the Sanitary Commission Asmead and Evans 1864

- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE