I hate
To tell again a tale once fully told.

I hate
To tell again a tale once fully told.

If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.

If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.

A schoolboy's tale, the wonder of an hour!

A schoolboy's tale, the wonder of an hour!

A story, in which native humour reigns,
Is often useful, always entertains;
A graver fact, enlisted on read more

A story, in which native humour reigns,
Is often useful, always entertains;
A graver fact, enlisted on your side,
May furnish illustration, well applied;
But sedentary weavers of long tales
Give me the fidgets, and my patience fails.

Why do you laugh? Change but the name, and the story s told of
yourself.
[Lat., Quid rides?]
read more

Why do you laugh? Change but the name, and the story s told of
yourself.
[Lat., Quid rides?]
Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur.]

In after-dinner talk,
Across the walnuts and the wine.

In after-dinner talk,
Across the walnuts and the wine.

But that I am forbid
To tell the secrets of my prison house,
I could a tale read more

But that I am forbid
To tell the secrets of my prison house,
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part,
And each particular hair to stand on end
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.

For seldom shall she hear a tale
So said, so tender, yet so true.

For seldom shall she hear a tale
So said, so tender, yet so true.

Soft as some song divine, thy story flows.

Soft as some song divine, thy story flows.