CHRISTMAS PUDDING
DON'T forget the raisins and the cinnamon;
Don't forget the nutmeg and the spice;
Don't forget the candy-peel, the currants and the brandy
(Or better still, the rum–that's my advice).
Then stir it with a spoon that's large and wooden
Till you haven't any strength left in your arms;
But above all, when you make a Christmas pudden,
Be certain that you don't forget the charms.
Who bites on the wishboneSo–don't forget the raisins and the cinnamon;
His dreams shall come true:
He shall get what he wishes
Without more ado.
But whether 'twill bring him
Contentment or woe
Is a thing that no pudding
Can possibly know.
Who bites on the ring
Shall be wed without fail
In a white satin gown
And her grandmother's veil;
And the parson who weds her
Shall murmur with pride,
"Well, I never clapped eyes on
A bonnier bride."
Who bites on the button
Shall never take wife
But live a gay bachelor
All of his life;
And he'll think, as he sips
His expensive Tokay,
"There's no one, I'll wager,
So lucky as I."
Who bites on the thimble
Shall live by herself
With a cat on the mat
And a clock on the shelf.
And she'll think, as she sups
On a poached egg and tea,
"Well, it's much to be wed,
But it's more to be free."
The person who bites on
The threepenny bit
For love and for liberty
Cares not a whit,
But boasts, as he counts up
His gathering gold,
"Well, mine is a luck
That'll never grow cold."
Don't forget the nutmeg and the spice;
Don't forget the candy-peel, the currants and the brandy
(Or better still, the rum–that's my advice).
Then stir it with a spoon that's large and wooden
Till you haven't any strength left in your arms:
But above all, when you make a Christmas pudden,
Be certain that you don't forget the charms!
From A PocketFul of Pebbles
