The Owl and the Pussycat

I've always like "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear. Here is a vintage illustration by my favorite children's book illustrators, Alice and Martin Provensen. It is from the 1965 Childcraft Series Volume 1-Poems and Rhymes. I purchased it as as single page from The Print Makers.


I did this linoleum block version for my 2012 Calendar (Available October 24 in my Etsy shop!) This is just a proof- the final version is in Pea Green, of course.


And here is the poem, in case you have forgotten the words...

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.