THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

Ogden Nash

Solo 1: Belinda, Solo 2: Kitten (Ink), Solo 3: Mouse (Blink),

Solo 4: Yellow Dog (Mustard), Solo 5: Red Wagon, Solo 6: Dragon,

and Solo 7: Pirate.

Solo 1: Belinda lived in a little white house,

Solo 2: With a little black kitten

Solo 3: And a little gray mouse

Solo 4: And a little yellow dog

Solo 5: And a little red wagon,

All: And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.

Solo 2: Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,

Solo 3: And the little gray mouse, she called her Blink,

Solo 4: And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,

Solo 6: But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.

All: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,

Spikes on top of him, scales underneath,

Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,

And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.

Solo 1: Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,

Solo 2: And Ink

Solo 3: And Blink chased lions down the stairs,

Solo 4: Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,

Solo 6: But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Solo 1: Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,

Solo 2: Ink,

Solo 3: Blink,

Solo 4: And Mustard,

2, 3 4: They rudely called him Percival,

Solo 5: They all sat laughing in the little red wagon,

All: At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.

Solo 1: Belinda giggled till she shook the house,

Solo 3: And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse,

Solo 2: Ink

Solo 4: And Mustard rudely asked his age,

Solo 6: When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

All: Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,

Solo 4: And Mustard growled,

All: And they all looked around,

Solo 2: “Meow!”

All: Cried Ink and

Solo 1: “Ooooh!”

All: Cried Belinda,

Solo 7: For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda,

All: Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,

And he held in his teeth a cutlass birght,

His beard was black, one leg was wood:

Solo 7: It was clear that the pirate meant no good.

Solo 1: Belinda paled, and she cried Help! Help!

Solo 4: And Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,

Solo 2: Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,

Solo 3: And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.

All: But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,

Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,

With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm,

He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.

Solo 7: The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon,

And gulped some grog from a pocket flagon,

All: He fired two bullets, but they didn’t hit,

Solo 6: And Custard gobbled him, every bit.

Solo 1: Belinda embraced him,

Solo 4: Mustard licked him

All: No one mourned for his pirate victim.

Solo 2: Ink

Solo 3: And Blink in glee did gyrate

Around the dragon that ate the pirate.

Solo 1: Belinda still lives in her little white house,

Solo 2: With her little black kitten

Solo 3: And her little gray mouse.

Solo 4: And her little yellow dog

Solo 5: And her little red wagon,

All: And her realio, trulio, little pet dragon.

Solo 1: Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,

Solo 2: And Ink

Solo 3: And Blink chase lions down the stairs,

Solo 4: Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,

Solo 6: But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.