I measured out my poison
And baked a loaf of bread
I sat it on the windowsill -
But I didn't eat it.
I spooned brown sugar
And I broke the loaf of bread
Then I took a cup of poison -
But I didn't drink it
I boiled my cup of poison
Eggs made it fine and silky smooth
Added sugar and broken bread -
And then I froze it
So now I have my poison
Set at minus ten degrees
Grab yourself a spoon
Have a helping if you please.
But don't say I never told you
My words are clear as day
- Eat me - Drink me -
In curiously large letters.A.J. Ponder
Pictures by, Sir John Tenniel,1865 for 1890 Nursery Version.
It's kind of a shame - I really wanted a picture of little red hen in there - but the only ones I could find either weren't red, or looked far too recent to be out of copyright. Apologies for not posting earlier, was too sick to post last night and all because I couldn't resist a bit of cream. In my defence I had been able to eat it until recently. Damn my severe allergies :/ By the way, I'd love to hold you by the hand and weave you through the truly improbable bits of this poem, but that would be too unbelievable is somewhat of an understatement, and so I leave you only with this most curious of warnings and the image of little red hen, baking.
