Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Adventures of Isabel

Isabel met an enormous bear;
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care.

Small Girl with Large Bear, Retro


The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, "Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you"!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry;
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.

Once on a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
Witch Working Her Spells by Harry Rountree


The witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry;
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She showed no rage and she showed no rancor,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.

Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self-reliant.

Portrait of Actor Jack Palance Looking Like a Jack O' Lantern by Loomis Dean


The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forehead.
"Good morning, Isabel," the giant said,
"I'll grind your bones to make my bread."
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry;
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She Nibbled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.

Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and poked till he really shocked her.

Surgeons by William Swartz



The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills,
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry;
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill-concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.
--Ogden Nash

Where do you think Isabel's adventures took place? Was it in her neighborhood, in her imagination, or in the poet's mind? Can you recall making up gruesome stories as a child? From the nature of her adventures, what three well-known children's stories do you think Isabel, or the poet, may have read?


pictures courtesy of all posters.


lesson for the day,
Mimi

9 comments:

Dawn said...

I have no idea, but they are indeed gruesome! But good endings, at least!

Melissa said...

Very, very, very fun...

Denise said...

Isabel and her adventures......... I have no idea but great stories.......... that was fun to read.......

Have a blessed Thursday.............

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

goood stories...m.

Jodi said...

Okay ... I'll play. ;o)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Heggedy Peggedy
Jack and the Beanstalk or Hansel and Gretel

Did I get at least one right ~ lol?

I just read up on Ogden Nash. Interesting chap; I'd never heard of him before.

Denise said...

Thanks for coming by and life is so busy! YOu come by when you can and I am thrilled........ blessings girl and you have a wonderful weekend.............

Jodi said...

Hey - inquiring minds want to know what the answers were! ;o)

Cathy said...

Neat story, Mimi ~ I believe Jodi is right. I don't know how you ever found all those pictures to go with it!
Thanks for visiting today and for your sweet comment. I'm glad you enjoyed your sisters visits.

Mimi said...

To Inquiring Mind!
You actually guessed three of them the same as I did.
1. Goldilocks & the three bears
2. Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood.
3. Jack & the beanstalk

I can't remember Heggedy Peggedy (what was that one?)

actually

while Cindy was here visiting... she, dad and I were browsing the used book store...I found a textbook on poetry...it reminded me so much of a class you had in A.P. Literature (I think) where you had to read the prose or poetry..and determine what the author had in mind when he wrote it...or at least give your interpretation of it...

SO,

of course I had to get it ...so I could blog some of them...and inquiring minds such as yours could try to figure out who, what,why, when, and where.....

SO

Mrs. inquiring mind look for more to come.....

love,
Mimi (another inquiring mind)