The King’?s Breakfast

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  The King asked
  The Queen, and
  The Queen asked
  The Dairymaid:
  “Could we have some butter for
  The Royal slice of bread?”
  The Queen asked
  The Dairymaid,
  The Dairymaid
  Said, “Certainly,
  I’?ll go and tell
  The cow
  Now
  Before she goes to bed.”
 
  The Dairymaid
  She curtsied,
  And went and told
  The Alderney:
  “Don’?t forget the butter for
  The Royal slice of bread.”
 
  The Alderney
  Said sleepily:
  “You’?d better tell
  His Majesty
  That many people nowadays
  Like marmalade
  Instead.”
 
  The Dairymaid
  Said, “Fancy!”
  And went to
  Her Majesty.
  She curtsied to the Queen, and
  She turned a little red:
  “Excuse me,
  Your Majesty,
  For taking of
  The liberty,
  But marmalade is tasty, if
  It’?s very
  Thickly
  Spread.”
 
  The Queen said
  “Oh!”
  And went to
  His Majesty:
  “Talking of the butter for
  The Royal slice of bread,
  Many people
  Think that
  Marmalade
  Is nicer.
  Would you like to try a little
  Marmalade
  Instead?”

  The King said,
  “Bother!”
  And then he said,
  “Oh, dear me!”
  The King sobbed, “Oh, deary me!”
  And went back to bed.
  “Nobody,”
  He whimpered,
  “Could call me
  A fussy man;
  I only want
  A little bit
  Of butter for
   My bread!”

  The Queen said,
  “There, there!”
  And went to
  The Dairymaid.
  The Dairymaid
  Said, “There, there!”
  And went to the shed.
  The cow said,
  “There, there!
  I didn’?t really
  Mean it;
  Here’?s milk for his porringer
  And butter for his bread.”
 
  The Queen took
  The butter
  And brought it to
  His Majesty;
  The King said,
  “Butter, eh?”
  And bounced out of bed.
  “Nobody,” he said,
  As he kissed her
  Tenderly,
  “Nobody,” he said,
  As he slid down
  The banisters,
  “Nobody,
  My darling,
  Could call me
  A fussy man—
  BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!”

© Alan Alexander Milne