` "You may seek it with thimbles--and seek it with care--
You may hunt it with forks and hope;
You may threaten its life with a railway-share;
You may charm it with smiles and soap--" '(`That's exactly the method,' the Bellman bold
In a hasty parenthesis cried,
`That's exactly the way I have always been told
That the capture of Snarks should be tried!')` "But oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day,
If your Snark be a Boojum! For then
You will softly and suddenly vanish away,
And never be met with again!"`It is this, it is this that oppresses my soul,
When I think of my uncle's last words:
And my heart is like nothing so much as a bowl
Brimming over with quivering curds!`It is this, it is this--' `We have had that before!'
The Bellman indignantly said.
And the Baker replied `Let me say it once more.
It is this, it is this that I dread!`I engage with the Snark--every night after dark--
In a dreamy delirious fight:
I serve it with greens in those shadowy scenes,
And I use it for striking a light:`But if ever I meet with a Boojum, that day,
In a moment (of this I am sure),
I shall softly and suddenly vanish away--
And the notion I cannot endure!'
THE Bellman looked uffish, and wrinkled his brow.
`If only you'd spoken before!
It's excessively awkward to mention it now,
With the Snark, so to speak, at the door!
`We should all of us grieve, as you well may believe,
If you never were met with again--
But surely, my man, when the voyage began,
You might have suggested it then?`It's excessively awkward to mention it now--
As I think I've already remarked.'
And the man they called `Hi!' replied, with a sigh,
`I informed you the day we embarked.`You may charge me with murder--or want of sense--
(We are all of us weak at times):
But the slightest approach to a false pretence
Was never among my crimes!`I said it in Hebrew--I said it in Dutch--
I said it in German and Greek:
But I wholly forgot (and it vexes me much)
That English is what you speak!'`'Tis a pitiful tale,' said the Bellman, whose face
Had grown longer at every word:
`But, now that you've stated the whole of your case.
More debate would be simply absurd.`The rest of my speech' (he exclaimed to his men)
`You shall hear when I've leisure to speak it.
But the Snark is at hand, let me tell you again!
'Tis your glorious duty to seek it!`To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with care;
To pursue it with forks and hope;
To threaten its life with a railway-share;
To charm it with smiles and soap!`For the Snark's a peculiar creature, that wo'n't
Be caught in a commonplace way.
Do all that you know, and try all that you don't:
Not a chance must be wasted to-day!`For England expects--I forbear to proceed:
'Tis a maxim tremendous, but trite:
And you'd best be unpacking the things that you need
To rig yourselves out for the fight.'
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