The Tale of Custard the Dragon

THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

By Ogden Nash

Copyright Linell Nash Smith and Isabel Nash Eberstadt

Belinda lived in a little white house, 
With a little black kitten and a little gray mouse, 
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon, 
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon. 
Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little gray mouse, she called her Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.
Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.
Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Week!, which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and Ooh! cried Belinda,
For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.
Belinda paled, and she cried, Help! Help!
But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,
Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.
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.
The pirate gaped at Belinda's dragon,
And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon,
He fired two bullets but they didn't hit,
And Custard gobbled him, every bit.
Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,
No one mourned for his pirate victim
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate
Around the dragon that ate the pyrate.
Belinda still lives in her little white house,
With her little black kitten and her little gray mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.


1936

found at https://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/Custard.html

Poems -- April 2018

We never know how high we are (1176)

Emily Dickinson, 1830 - 1886

We never know how high we are  
  Till we are called to rise;  
And then, if we are true to plan,  
  Our statures touch the skies—  
   
The Heroism we recite
  Would be a daily thing,  
Did not ourselves the Cubits warp  
  For fear to be a King—

In Just 
by e.e. cummings


IN Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame baloonman
 
whistles far and wee
 
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
 
when the world is puddle-wonderful
 
the queer
old baloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
 
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
 
it's
spring
and
the
 
goat-footed
 
baloonMan whistles
far
and
wee







Read more at http://www.poetry-archive.com/c/in_just.html#uE2J0H2vlQdiUaAS.99

The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling

Looking at Meaning

Background: 

“The White Man’s Burden”: Kipling’s Hymn to U.S. Imperialism

In February 1899, British novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem entitled “The White Man’s Burden: The United States and The Philippine Islands.” In this poem, Kipling urged the U.S. to take up the “burden” of empire, as had Britain and other European nations. Published in the February, 1899 issue of McClure’s Magazine, the poem coincided with the beginning of the Philippine-American War and U.S. Senate ratification of the treaty that placed Puerto Rico, Guam, Cuba, and the Philippines under American control. Theodore Roosevelt, soon to become vice-president and then president, copied the poem and sent it to his friend, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, commenting that it was “rather poor poetry, but good sense from the expansion point of view.” Not everyone was as favorably impressed as Roosevelt. The racialized notion of the “White Man’s burden” became a euphemism for imperialism, and many anti-imperialists couched their opposition in reaction to the phrase.

                               from http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5478/

Imperialism is the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies.  (dictionary.com)


The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling   with annotations 
   (As a superior type of people, it is your duty to rule inferior people.)

Take up the White Man’s burden—

Send forth the best ye breed—          (You're sending your grown children 

Go send your sons to exile                        to foreign lands.)

To serve your captives' need    (You conquer people, then rule them.)

To wait in heavy harness          (It's hard work to rule conquered people.)

On fluttered folk and wild—         (The people you rule aren't civilized.)

Your new-caught, sullen peoples,    (Sullen means "bad-tempered, sulkey, gloomy.)

Half devil and half child                 (They don't really seem human.)

Take up the White Man’s burden

In patience to abide                        (Abide means to hold to your decision.)

To veil the threat of terror

And check the show of pride;          (Check means to stop.)

By open speech and simple

An hundred times made plain

To seek another’s profit

And work another’s gain

Take up the White Man’s burden—

And reap his old reward:

The blame of those ye better          (You are doing this to help them, 

The hate of those ye guard—               but they blame and hate you.)

The cry of hosts ye humour

(Ah slowly) to the light:

"Why brought ye us from bondage,   (You are there to help them advance,

“Our loved Egyptian night?”                   to become civilized.) 

Take up the White Man’s burden-

Have done with childish days-

The lightly proffered laurel,                   (It's going to be hard work, 

The easy, ungrudged praise.                     and they won't thank you for it.)

Comes now, to search your manhood

Through all the thankless years,

Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,    

The judgment of your peers!                   (Other white men will think you 

                                                                have done the right thing.)

Looking at it as a Poem 

Meter:  (rhythm or beat)   Which syllables or words are emphasized? 

Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child. (1-7)

daDUM daDUM daDUMda
daDUM daDUM daDUM

Rhyme:  Every other line rhymes. 

"Every stanza follows the same pattern—not a word, or a rhyme, out of place.

As a result, the poem takes on an orderly, regimented feel, almost like a march. It also reminds us of those cheers that we would hear at high school football games: "Push 'em back. Push 'em back. Waaaay back!" In both cases, the form of the poem is totally appropriate. Here we have a speaker who acts like a kind of cheerleader, encouraging white men to go out and establish their order, their way of life on the "wild" natives of other countries. Push 'em back, indeed."

                                                           http://www.shmoop.com/white-mans-burden/rhyme-form-meter.html

The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling   with annotations 

Take up the White Man’s burden—

Send forth the best ye breed—       (burden, best, breed = alliteration)    

Go send your sons to exile                        

To serve your captives' need           (Rhyme -- breed/need)

To wait in heavy harness                (heavy harness = alliteration)      

On fluttered folk and wild—         

Your new-caught, sullen peoples,    

Half devil and half child                   (Rhyme -- wild/child)  

Take up the White Man’s burden       Rhythm =   ︶/︶/︶/︶

In patience to abide                         Rhythm =   ︶/︶/︶/       

To veil the threat of terror

And check the show of pride;          

By open speech and simple

An hundred times made plain

To seek another’s profit

And work another’s gain

Take up the White Man’s burden—

And reap his old reward:

The blame of those ye better          

The hate of those ye guard—               

The cry of hosts ye humour

(Ah slowly) to the light:

"Why brought ye us from bondage,     (allusion to the children of Israel 

“Our loved Egyptian night?”                     in Egypt -- Think Moses.)           

Take up the White Man’s burden-         

Have done with childish days-

The lightly proffered laurel,                (allusion: laurel wreaths were awarded
 The easy, ungrudged praise.                  to winners of Olympic Games)  

Comes now, to search your manhood

Through all the thankless years,

Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,    

The judgment of your peers!                   

           

Source: Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden: The United States & The Philippine Islands, 1899.” Rudyard Kipling’s Verse: Definitive Edition (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1929).

Poetry by e.e. cummings

[in Just-]

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

in Just-

spring          when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

whistles          far          and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far          and             wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's

spring

and

         the

                  goat-footed

balloonMan          whistles

far

and

wee

_____________________________________________

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e. cummings

1894-1962

The Little Horse Is Newly

e.e. cummings

the little horse is newlY

Born)he knows nothing,and feels
everything;all around whom is

perfectly a strange
ness(Of sun
light and of fragrance and of

Singing)is ev
erywhere(a welcom
ing dream:is amazing)
a worlD.and in

this world lies:smoothbeautifuL
ly folded;a(brea
thing a gro

Wing)silence,who;
is:somE

oNe.

anyone lived in a pretty how town










E. E. Cummings, 1894 - 1962








anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

Spring is like a perhaps hand








E. E. Cummings, 1894 - 1962








          III

Spring is like a perhaps hand 
(which comes carefully 
out of Nowhere)arranging 
a window,into which people look(while 
people stare
arranging and changing placing 
carefully there a strange 
thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

spring is like a perhaps 
Hand in a window 
(carefully to 
and fro moving New and 
Old things,while 
people stare carefully 
moving a perhaps 
fraction of flower here placing 
an inch of air there)and

without breaking anything.

maggie and milly and molly and may








E. E. Cummings, 1894 - 1962








              10

maggie and milly and molly and may 
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang 
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing 
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone 
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me) 
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

Poetry

3. iReadPoetry

Watch for Author's purpose?   

Watch for Mood?   

Fast Break

In Memory of Dennis Turner, 1946-1984

EDWARD HIRSCH

A hook shot kisses the rim and                 Do you see personification?
hangs there, helplessly, but doesn't drop,

and for once our gangly starting center
boxes out his man and times his jump

perfectly, gathering the orange leather
from the air like a cherished possession

and spinning around to throw a strike
to the outlet who is already shoveling           How about a great verb?

an underhand pass toward the other guard
scissoring past a flat-footed defender            How about another great verb?

who looks stunned and nailed to the floor     Hyperbole?!
in the wrong direction, trying to catch sight

of a high, gliding dribble and a man
letting the play develop in front of him

in slow motion, almost exactly
like a coach's drawing on the blackboard,

both forwards racing down the court
the way that forwards should, fanning out

and filling the lanes in tandem, moving
together as brothers passing the ball

between them without a dribble, without
a single bounce hitting the hardwood

until the guard finally lunges out
and commits to the wrong man

while the power-forward explodes past them
in a fury, taking the ball into the air

by himself now and laying it gently
against the glass for a lay-up,

but losing his balance in the process,
inexplicably falling, hitting the floor

with a wild, headlong motion
for the game he loved like a country

and swiveling back to see an orange blur
floating perfectly through the net.

found on http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/109.html

Author's purpose?  

Mood?   

Poems to Imitate, to be INSPIRED BY

Core Target:  Students will identify main idea and emotion in a variety of poems.

Poems to Imitate, to be INSPIRED BY

 The Red Wheelbarrow

by William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

 _________________________________ 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Robert Frost _____________________________________ “The Tiger” by William Blake TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire? And what shoulder and what art Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand and what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp? When the stars threw down their spears, And water'd heaven with their tears, Did He smile His work to see? Did He who made the lamb make thee? Tiger, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? __________________________________  The Pasture” by Robert Frost I'm going out to clean the pasture spring; I'll only stop to rake the leaves away (And wait to watch the water clear, I may): I sha'n't be gone long. You come too. I'm going out to fetch the little calf That's standing by the mother. It's so young, It totters when she licks it with her tongue. I sha'n't be gone long. You come too. _________________________________________ The Lamb  by William Blake Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Little Lamb, I'll tell thee, Little Lamb, I'll tell thee. He is called by thy name, For He calls Himself a Lamb. He is meek, and He is mild; He became a little child. I a child, and thou a lamb, We are called by His name. Little Lamb, God bless thee! Little Lamb, God bless thee! ________________________________________ “Dog” by Valerie Worth Under a maple tree The dog lies down, Lolls his limp Tongue, yawns, Rests his long chin Carefully between Front paws; Looks up alert; Chops, with heavy Jaws, at a slow fly, Blinks, rolls On his side, Sighs, closes His eyes: sleeps All afternoon In his loose skin. _________________________________ Street Music” by Arnold Adoff T h i s    c i t y: t h e a l w a y s            n o i s e g  r  i  n  d  i  n  g up     from     the s u b w a y s u n d e r    g r o u n d: slamming from bus tires and taxi horns and engines of cars and trucks in all v  o  c  a  b  u  l  a  r  i  e  s of clas flash screeching hot  metal    l a n g u a g e c  o  m  b  i  n  a  t  i  o  n  s: as    p l a n e s o v e r h e a d              r o a r an o r c h e s t r a of rolling  drums and battle blasts assaulting                my ears w i t h t h e a l w a y s     n o i s e   of t h i s   c i t y: street    music. _________________________ Love that Boy” by Walter Dean Myers Love that boy, like a rabbit loves to run I said love that boy like a rabbit loves to run Love to call him in the morning love to call him “Hey there, son!”

September 25/28, 2009

September 25/28, 2009

Announcements:
Students who were not at Parent-Teacher Conference will receive a progress report to take home and have signed by a parent to be returned for 5 points required and 5 points extra credit.

If you did not finish your Book Assessment, or did not save it onto your own wiki page, please do that from home or during Cave Time in lab 223. Tape your user name and password into your planner if you haven't. If you lose it, you may see me to get it again. DO NOT CHANGE OR EDIT ANY PAGE EXCEPT YOUR OWN. MAKE SURE YOU ARE SEEING YOUR NAME IN LARGE LETTERS AT THE UPPER LEFT OF THE PAGE BEFORE YOU CHANGE ANYTHING ON A PAGE. You may make comments (in a comment box) on other pages, but please keep it appropriate and helpful.

For 9-29-09 -- B4 bring a picture, a poem, or song lyrics with (written down) a topic and at least one theme.

Today's class:

1. Writing time -- Self-starter:
a. Write today's date, then any questions you have for me about the class, or about practically anything. Write at least one question. (Under Writing in your composition book.)
b. Check your composition book to make sure you've done all you need to so far.

2. Review how to get to your own wiki page. We weren't able to do this with B1, but did with B2 and B4. We will do it with B1 on 9-29-09. Done!

B1 -- Go to caveman-b1.pbworks.com (other classes go to your own wiki), and go to the navigator box on the right hand side.
Click on Student Pages 2009-2010.
Click on your own name.
When you see your name in the upper left hand corner in large colored letters, you may edit the page.
Log in -- click on "Log In" at the upper right, and use your user name and password.
When you are back to your page, click on the Edit tab at the upper left (next to the View tab).
A tool bar will appear so you can edit your page.
Do any writing and editing you need to do.
Don't forget to save when you are finished by clicking on SAVE in the lower left hand corner.
Sign out in the upper right hand corner.


2. Confusing Words Presentations

3. About Topic and Theme -- with poems and with your Outsiders Anticipation Guides
Topic: what something is about, the subject
Theme: a big idea about life that is presented in a book, story, poem, etc.

4. The Outsiders


Reading The Outsiders -- Watch for themes.
B1 -- from page 31, page break (Ponyboy is telling about Johnny being beaten by the Socs.) to page 45 to "If you're looking for a fight. . . "
B2 -- from page 45 about 1/3 of the way down to page 51, halfway down.
B4 -- from the top of page 52 (not quite done with chapter 3) to page 60, 1/3 of the way down.

A1 -- from page 25, halfway down, to page 30, top to page 38 "She was coming through to me. . . "
A1 needs to do the anticipation guide/talk about themes.
A2 -- from page 33, 1/3 of the way down to page to page blue mustang pulls up Top of page 41 to the bottom of page 46.
"I thought I had plenty of time."
A4 --from page 28, top of page to page 37 (the beginning of chapter 3) to page 45 "pity the back seat."

August 31/September 1, 2009

August 31/September 1, 2009

Spelling Test -- No, not the prince-into-frog sort of "spelling."
1. Students took a practice spelling test on their teachers' names, the names of the principal and assistant principals, and the name of their counselor. The real test will be in class next time.
See August 21/24 blog for the original assignment.

Everyday Editing
2. Students recombined sentences. The teacher had split up single sentences (which used commas in a series) from books into several sentences. The students then recombined each set of sentences into one. If you were absent, here are your sentences to combine:
_______________________
Example:
The fox coughed.
The fox gagged.
The fox sneezed.
The Stinky Cheese Man flew off his back and into the river, where he fell apart.
(from Jon Scieszka, "The Stinky Cheese Man")

Example of combining the above sentences:
The fox coughed, gagged, and sneezed, and the Stinky Cheese Man flew off his back and into the river, where he fell apart.
_______________________________

In your composition books, write today’s date, then combine these sentences into one using commas in a series. Try not to lose or change any of the meaning. (If you were absent, you may do this on a separate sheet of paper, and then tape it into your notebook.)

1st set of sentences to combine into one that uses commas in a series:

Her cleats were in her backpack.
Her shin pads were in her backpack.
Her sweats were in her backpack.
Her backpack was slung over her shoulder and heavy with homework.

2nd set of sentences to combine into one that uses commas in a series:

I have hair the color of carrots in an apricot glaze.
My skin is fair and clear where it isn’t freckled.
I have eyes like summer storms.

Combine these sentences into one using commas in a series. Try not to lose or change any of the meaning.

Vocabulary
3. Students copied into their composition books this phrase and definition:
character development: how the author tells you about the character

Copy also these ways that an author tells you about a character:
l What the character says and how he or she says it
l What the character does
l What other characters say about him or her
l What the author tells you about the character

3. Poems as examples of how an author (or poet) reveals character:
Literature text -- page 227 "Madam and the Rent Man"
and page 240 "Mama is a Sunrise"

Madam and the Rent Man by Langston Hughes

The rent man knocked.
He said, Howdy-do?
I said, What
Can I do for you?
He said, You know
Your rent is due.

I said, Listen,
Before I'd pay
I'd go to Hades
And rot away!

The sink is broke,
The water don't run,
And you ain't done a thing
You promised to've done.

Back window's cracked,
Kitchen floor squeaks,
There's rats in the cellar,
And the attic leaks.

He said, Madam,
It's not up to me.
I'm just the agent,
Don't you see?

I said, Naturally,
You pass the buck.
If it's money you want
You're out of luck.

He said, Madam,
I ain't pleased!
I said, Neither am I.
So we agrees!

Mama Is a Sunrise
by Evelyn Tooley Hunt

When she comes slip-footing through the door,
she kindles us
like lump coal lighted,
and we wake up glowing.
She puts a spark even in Papa's eyes
and turns out all our darkness.

When she comes sweet-talking in the room,
warms us
like grits and gravy,
and we rise up shining.
Even at nighttime Mama is sunrise
that promises tomorrow and tomorrow.

4. During the day, we spent some time looking at our class library, some students checking out books, some reading. Students also signed up for their Book-of-the-Month club books.

5. We began reading The Outsiders.
B1 --page 2, 3rd paragraph
B2 --page 4, end of paragraph 4
B4 -- page 3, line 5
A1 -- page 2,
A2 -- page 8, 1/2 of the way down
A4 -- page 3, 2nd paragraph