George,
Reading edition
Who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions.
When George’s Grandmamma was told
That George had been as good as Gold, She Promised in the Afternoon To buy him an Immense BALLOON. And
so she did; but when it came, It got into the candle flame, And being of a dangerous sort Exploded
with a loud report!
The Lights went out! The Windows broke! The Room was filled with reeking smoke. And in the darkness shrieks and yells Were mingled with Electric Bells, And falling masonry and groans, And crunching, as of broken bones, And dreadful shrieks, when, worst of all, The House itself began to fall! It tottered, shuddering to and fro, Then crashed into the street below— Which happened to be Savile Row.
When Help arrived, among the Dead
Were
Cousin Mary,
Little Fred,
The Footmen
(both of them),
The Groom,
The man that cleaned the Billiard-Room,
The Chaplain, and
The Still-Room Maid. And I am dreadfully afraid That Monsieur Champignon, the Chef, Will now be
permanently deaf— And both his
Aides
are much the same; While George, who was in part to blame, Received, you will regret to hear, A nasty lump
behind the ear.