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More Bab Ballads

by W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911)

  • Free to read
  • 2 hours to read
  • 38 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"More Bab Ballads" by W. S. Gilbert is a collection of humorous verse, likely written in the late 19th century. This work showcases Gilbert's wit and satire, employing whimsical rhymes and playful storytelling to explore various subjects, often highlighting the foibles of society, relationships, and human behavior. The opening portion of "More Bab Ballads" sets the tone with a variety of stories told in verse. It introduces characters like Poll Pineapple, an aged bumboat woman reminiscing about her adventurous youth and her infatuation with Lieutenant Belaye. The tone is both nostalgic and humorous, as Poll reflects on her past experiences while also revealing the absurdities of her youthful escapades. As various ballads unfold, we encounter other quirky narratives about ogres, a sailor's ill-fated romance, and humorous takes on morality, love, and social norms, all wrapped in Gilbert's clever rhymes, inviting readers into a whimsical yet critical examination of Victorian society.

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  • English wit and humor
  • Humorous poetry, English

Read the opening

The Bumboat Woman’s Story

I’M old, my dears, and shrivelled with age, and work, and grief,
My eyes are gone, and my teeth have been drawn by Time, the Thief!
For terrible sights I’ve seen, and dangers great I’ve run—
I’m nearly seventy now, and my work is almost done!

Ah! I’ve been young in my time, and I’ve played the deuce with men!
I’m speaking of ten years past—I was barely sixty then:
My cheeks were mellow and soft, and my eyes were large and sweet,
POLL PINEAPPLE’S eyes were the standing toast of the Royal Fleet!

A bumboat woman was I, and I faithfully served the ships
With apples and cakes, and fowls, and beer, and halfpenny dips,
And beef for the generous mess, where the officers dine at nights,
And fine fresh peppermint drops for the rollicking midshipmites.

Of all the kind commanders who anchored in Portsmouth Bay,
By far the sweetest of all was kind LIEUTENANT BELAYE.’
LIEUTENANT BELAYE commanded the gunboat Hot Cross Bun,
She was seven and thirty feet in length, and she carried a gun.

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Contents

Show all 38 chapters
  1. The Bumboat Woman’s Story
  2. The Two Ogres
  3. Little Oliver
  4. Ballad
  5. Mister William
  6. Pasha Bailey Ben
  7. Lieutenant-Colonel Flare
  8. Lost Mr. Blake
  9. The Baby’s Vengeance
  10. The Captain and the Mermaids
  11. A Legend of Stratford-Le-Bow
  12. An Unfortunate Likeness
  13. Gregory Parable, Ll.D
  14. The King of Canoodle-Dum
  15. First Love
  16. Brave Alum Bey
  17. Sir Barnaby Bampton Boo
  18. The Modest Couple
  19. The Martinet
  20. The Sailor Boy to His Lass
  21. The Reverend Simon Magus
  22. My Dream
  23. The Bishop of Rum-Ti-Foo Again
  24. A Worm Will Turn
  25. The Haughty Actor
  26. The Dream
  27. The Two Majors
  28. A Derby Legend
  29. The Perils of Invisibility
  30. Old Paul and Old Tim
  31. The Mystic Selvagee
  32. The Cunning Woman
  33. Phrenology
  34. The Fairy Curate
  35. The Way of Wooing
  36. A Richardson Melodrama
  37. Etiquette
  38. Footnotes

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About this edition

This free edition of More Bab Ballads by W. S. Gilbert comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #933, released 1997-06-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, Humour, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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