It's A.A. Milne's Birthday

Thanks to Semicolon for pointing out that today is the birthday of A.A. Milne. He is best known for his delightful Pooh books (if you've never read the original--not the Disney--Pooh, you must click here for a sampling of quotes). But we also love his poetry. Here is a family favorite from When We Were Very Young:

At the Zoo

There are lions and roaring tigers, and enormous camels and things,
There are biffalo-buffalo-bisons, and a great big bear with wings.
There's a sort of a tiny potamus,and a tiny nosserus too--
But I gave buns to the elephant when I went down to the Zoo!

There are badgers and bidgers and bodgers, and a Superintendent's House,
There are masses of goats, and a Polar, and different kinds of mouse,
And I think there's a sort of a something which is called a wallaboo--
But I gave buns to the elephant when I went down to the Zoo!

If you try to talk to the bison, he never quite understands;
You can't shake hands with a mingo--he doesn't like shaking hands.
And lions and roaring tigers hate saying, "How do you do?" --
But I give buns to the elephant when I go down to the Zoo!

And a personal favorite, from the same collection:

Vespers

Little boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head,
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy. I know that's right
Wasn't it fun in the bath tonight?
The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot
Oh! God Bless Daddy-I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more
I can see Nanny's dressing gown on the floor
Its a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood
Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood and if I lie in bed
And put the hood right over my head
And I shut my eyes and curl up small
And nobody knows I am there at all.

Oh! Thank you God, for a lovely day
And what was the other I had to say?
I said "Bless Daddy" so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember it. God Bless me.

Little boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head,
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

(I just found out that this was Milne's best-known and most popular poem--and Christopher Robin's most-hated one!--according to this site.)