pelican

[jts]

A wonderful bird is the pelican.

His beak holds more than his belly can.

He takes in his beak

Enough food for a week.

But I don't see how the hell he can.

[Selene]

Very nice. Who is the author of the ditty?

[jts]

Very nice. Who is the author of the ditty?

Dunno. It ain't me.

[Mikee]

THE PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN - Ogden Nash

A wonderful bird is the pelican,

His bill will hold more than his belican;

He takes in his beak enough food for a week,

But I'm damned if I see how the helican.

[Jonathan]

Dixon Lanier Merritt

J

[Selene]

THE PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN - Ogden NashA wonderful bird is the pelican,His bill will hold more than his belican;He takes in his beak enough food for a week,But I'm damned if I see how the helican.

Than was one of my guesses - it had that scheme.

The Bronx

No Thonx

I think that is his shortest poem...

[Selene]

Looks like there is a dispute here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixon_Lanier_Merritt

Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879 – 1972) was a poet and humorist. He was a newspaper editor for the Tennessean, Nashville's morning paper, and President of the American Press Humorists Association. He penned this well-known limerick in 1910:^[1]

• A wonderful bird is the
  pelican
  ,
• His bill will hold more than his belican,
• He can take in his beak
• Enough food for a week
• But I'm damned if I see how the helican!

or:

• A funny old bird is a pelican.
• His beak can hold more than his bellican.
• Food for a week
• He can hold in his beak,
• But I don't know how the hellican.

[Selene]

Misattributed

• Adam

  Had 'em.

  • This poem has widely been credited to Nash as a poem with the title "Fleas", but is actually the work of Strickland Gillilan and was originally titled "Lines on the Antiquity of Microbes." It has been dated to at least 1927, as published in the Mt Rainier Nature News Notes (1 July 1927).
• A wonderful bird is a pelican,

  His bill will hold more than his belican.

  He can take in his beak

  Food enough for a week;

  But I'm damned if I see how the helican.

  • "The Pelican" (1910) by Dixon Lanier Merritt is another poem often misattributed to Nash

[Selene]

To those of you who love baseball like I do here is Nash's brilliant ode to the games greats...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-Up_for_Yesterday

Letter Player Verse A Grover Cleveland Alexander A is for Alex

The great Alexander;

More Goose eggs he pitched

Than a popular gander.

B Roger Bresnahan B is for Bresnahan

Back of the plate;

The Cubs were his love,

and McGraw his hate.

C Ty Cobb C is for Cobb

Who grew spikes and not corn,

And made all the basemen

Wish they weren't born.

It continues down the entire alphabet - simply great!