New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-19
THE PEOPLES COLUMN

ryl. author also Of THE Admiral's Cara
van" and illustrated with pictures every
line and shadow Of which know by heart.
Those who consult Chapter VII OF
"Davy and the Goblin In book form
uIoughton. Miffiin & Co. 1850 VIII ma
eight later ines that seem never TO have
been heard Of at Groton and New Haven.
Here is the classic in its final authentic
form. ] have italicized these eight lines
\ capital ship for an ocean trip
Was The Walloping Window Blind
40 gale that blew dismayed her crew
or troubled the captains mind;
The man at the wheel was taught TO
Contempt FOR the widest blow.
And il often appeared when the weather
That "f he'd been been in his bunk below.
The boats wan's mate was very sedate.
Yet fond OF amusement. too
And he played hop-scotch with the star
board watch
While the captain ticlled the crew.
And the gunner We had was apparently
For he sat on the after rail
And fired sslutes with the captains
boots.
Ia the teeth OF the booming gale.
The captain sat in commodore's hat
And dined in royal way
on toasted pigs and pickles and figs
And gummery bread each day.
But the cook was Dutch and behaved
as such.
For the diet he gave the crew
Was a number of tons OF hot-cross buns
Chopped mp with sugar and glue.
4 nd uc ell fen ia as mariners WiH
ON Diet Hdfs cheap aud rude,
And nee shireTcd and shook as tCe dipped
the cook
IN q tho OF his 0lueSome food.
Then nautical pride we laid aside.
And we cast the vessel ashore
ON the Gulliby Isles, where the Poohpooh
smiles
And the Anagazanders roar.
Composed Of sand icdS that fduored land
And trimmed nth cinnamon sfrdtcs:
and pink and blue iGdS the pleasing hue
Of the TickietoetedSer'S claus.
And we sat on the edge OF sandy
ledge
And shot at the whistlng bee
And the Bnnacle-bats wore waterproof
hats
AS they danced in the sounding sea
ON rubagub bark, from dawn till dark,
We fed till we all had grown
Uncommonly shrunk-tll Chinese junk
Came by from the Torriby zone.
She was stubby and square, but We
didn't much care,
And We cheerily put TO sea.
And We left the crew Of the junk to
chew
The bark OF the rubagub tree.
BY comparing the above with the YER
sion III. j." sent in you will detect
great number OF serious differences. For
example think Of the outrage against
Poetry in teaching schoolboys to sing:
And the rubbly Ubdugs roar
when the st Nicholas" version is:
And the Rumbletumbunders roar"
and when In the final reading Of the book
the poet has written:
And the Anagazanders roar.
And how can young minds be trained in
accuracy and an adherence of nature
taking IL they are permitted to confuse
rubagub trees with things called Rug
bug trees" which, OF course. never eX-
listed.
You will note also that the chorus is
not Carryis at all. Very likely 1t is a
parody on chorus of some old sea bal
lad that has been tackled on to these verses
OF blessed memory.
'Davy and the Goblin" in st. Nicholas
does not, by the way. contain the charm
ing dedication found in the book. The
dedication recltes the fact that the tale
Is spun OF stories told long since to Guy.
the authors son, and closes with these
lines;
would that the glamour OF those cloud
less days
Might cheer thee still. what time the
tOllsOme maze
OF riper years hath banshed fairy lore
And blthesome youth hath fled To come
no more 80
JOSEPH RODMAN
New York. Dec. 10. 1913