The Bellman's Speech - Bajka

«Come, listen, people, while I tell you again

The five unmistakable marks

By which you may know, wherever you go

The warranted genuine Snarks

«Let us take them in order.

The first is the taste

Which is meagre and hollow, but crisp:

Like a coat that is rather too tight in the waist

With a flavour of Will-o'-the-wisp

«We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days

(Seven days to the week I allow)

But a true Snark on who, we might lovingly gaze

We have never beheld till now!

«Its habit of getting up late you’ll agree

That it carries too far, when I say

That it frequently breakfasts at five-o'clock tea

And dines on the following day

«The third is its slowness in taking a jest

Should you happen to venture on one

It will sigh like a thing that is deeply distressed:

And it always looks grave at a pun

«We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days

(Seven days to the week I allow)

But a true Snark on who, we might lovingly gaze

We have never beheld till now!

«The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines

Which it constantly carries about

And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes—

A sentiment open to doubt

«The fifth is ambition.

It next will be right

To describe each particular batch:

Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite

From those that have whiskers, and scratch

«For, though common Snarks do no manner of harm

Yet, I feel it my duty to say

Some are Boojums—» The Bellman broke off in alarm

For the Baker had fainted away

«We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days

(Seven days to the week I allow)

But a true Snark on who, we might lovingly gaze

We have never beheld till now!