by (Joseph) Hilaire Belloc (1870 - 1953)
Matilda told such dreadful lies
Language: English
Matilda told such dreadful lies, It made one gasp and stretch one's eyes; Her aunt, who, from her earliest youth, Had kept a strict regard for truth, Attempted to believe Matilda: The effort very nearly killed her, [And would have done so, had not she Discovered this Infirmity.]1 [For]2 once, towards the Close of Day, [Matilda, growing tired of play,]1 And finding she was left alone, Went tiptoe to the telephone And summoned the Immediate Aid Of London's noble Fire-Brigade. [Within an hour the Gallant Band Were pouring in on every hand,]1 From Putney, Hackney Downs and Bow, With courage high and hearts a-glow They galloped, roaring though the town, 'Matilda's house is burning down!' [Inspired by British Cheers and Loud Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,]1 They ran their ladders through a score Of windows on the ball-room Floor; And took peculiar pains to souse The pictures up and down the house, Until Matilda's Aunt succeeded In showing them they were not needed And even then she had to pay To get the Men to go away! It happened that a few weeks later Her Aunt went off to the Theatre To see that [interesting]3 Play 'The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.' [She had refused to take her Niece To hear this Entertaining Piece: A Deprivation Just and Wise To Punish her for Telling Lies.]1 That night a fire did break out -- You should have heard Matilda Shout! You should have heard her scream and bawl, And throw the window up and call [To People passing in the Street -- (The rapidly increasing Heat Encouraging her to obtain Their confidence) -- but it was all in vain!]1 [For]4 every time she shouted "Fire!" They only answered "Little liar!" And therefore when her Aunt returned, Matilda, and the house, were burned.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Lehmann.
2 Lehmann: "Now"
3 Lehmann: "entertaining"
4 Lehmann: "But"
Authorship:
- by (Joseph) Hilaire Belloc (1870 - 1953), "Matilda, Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death", appears in Cautionary Tales, first published 1907 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Matilda (who told such dreadful lies)", 2005 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano ], from From Cautionary Tales for Children, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Bergmann , "Matilda, a cautionary tale for children", published 1967 [ voices, descant recorder, tenor recorder, glockenspiel, xylophone, violoncello, percussion, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "Matilda", published 1909 [ vocal duet with piano ], from Four Cautionary Tales and a Moral, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
This text was added to the website: 2004-01-26
Line count: 50
Word count: 296