The Owl and the Pussy-
Cat
by Edward Lear
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.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
“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.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
Questions
1. How many verses are there in the poem? Tick
one. two
three
four
2. Which two adjectives are used to describe the boat in the second line
of the poem?
3. Each verse of the poem has some repeated words. Where do they
appear in the verse? Tick one.
at the beginning
at the end
in the middle
4. The Owl and the Pussy-cat did three things in the last verse of the poem.
What were they?
5. At what time of day is the poem set? How do you know?
6. The animals in the poem can talk. Do you think it would be good if
animals could talk? Explain your answer.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
Answers
1. How many verses are there in the poem? Tick
one. two
three
four
2. Which two adjectives are used to describe the boat in the second line
of the poem?
The two adjectives that are used to describe the boat are beautiful
and pea-green.
3. Each verse of the poem has some repeated words. Where do they
appear in the verse? Tick one.
at the beginning
at the end
in the middle
4. The Owl and the Pussy-cat did three things in the last verse of the poem.
What were they?
They got married, they ate a feast and they danced by the
light of the moon.
5. At what time of day is the poem set? How do you know?
It is night-time. We know because the poet talks about the Owl
looking up at the stars, and the Owl and the Pussy-cat dancing by the
light
of the moon.
6. The animals in the poem can talk. Do you think it would be good if
animals could talk? Explain your answer.
Answer will vary.
