The Pobble Who Has No Toes Poem by Edward Lear

The Pobble Who Has No Toes

Rating: 2.8


The Pobble who has no toes
Had once as many as we;
When they said "Some day you may lose them all;"
He replied "Fish, fiddle-de-dee!"
And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink
Lavender water tinged with pink,
For she said "The World in general knows
There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!"

The Pobble who has no toes
Swam across the Bristol Channel;
But before he set out he wrapped his nose
In a piece of scarlet flannel.
For his Aunt Jobiska said "No harm
Can come to his toes if his nose is warm;
And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe, -- provided he minds his nose!"

The Pobble swam fast and well,
And when boats or ships came near him,
He tinkledy-blinkledy-winkled a bell,
So that all the world could hear him.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,
When they saw him nearing the further side -
"He has gone to fish for his Aunt Jobiska's
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!"

But before he touched the shore,
The shore of the Bristol Channel,
A sea-green porpoise carried away
His wrapper of scarlet flannel.
And when he came to observe his feet,
Formerly garnished with toes so neat,
His face at once became forlorn,
On perceiving that all his toes were gone!

And nobody ever knew,
From that dark day to the present,
Whoso had taken the Pobble's toes,
In a manner so far from pleasant.
Whether the shrimps, or crawfish grey,
Or crafty Mermaids stole them away -
Nobody knew: and nobody knows
How the Pobble was robbed of his twice five toes!

The Pobble who has no toes
Was placed in a friendly Bark,
And they rowed him back, and carried him up
To his Aunt Jobiska's Park.
And she made him a feast at his earnest wish
Of eggs and buttercups fried with fish, -
And she said "It's a fact the whole world knows,
That Pobbles are happier without their toes!"

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Leon Ives-Keeler 06 February 2020

WOW! The Pobble app is so amazing.

0 0 Reply
Raghavendrs Mannur 21 February 2018

Pl. explain the meaning of this poem.

0 2 Reply
Pam Pratt. 11 January 2007

I remember learning this poem over 60 years ago from a book that had some wonderful illustrations in it.I can still remember most of the poem and it still makes me smile.

13 4 Reply
Dean Scheibel 17 August 2019

I remembered just the beginning of the poem. I remember my mom reading it to me when I was a little kid. When I looked it up, I was quite moved reading it again.

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Edward Lear

Edward Lear

London / England
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