by (Joseph) Hilaire Belloc (1870 - 1953)
The Chief Defect of Henry King
Language: English
The Chief Defect of Henry King Was chewing little bits of String. At last he swallowed some which tied Itself in ugly Knots inside. Physicians of the Utmost Fame Were called at once; but when they came They answered, as they took their Fees, "There is no cure for this disease. "Henry will very soon be dead." His Parents stood about his Bed Lamenting his Untimely Death, When Henry, with his latest Breath, Cried - "Oh, my Friends, be warned by me, That Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch and Tea Are all the Human Frame requires..." With that the Wretched Child expires.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by (Joseph) Hilaire Belloc (1870 - 1953), "Henry King, Who Chewed Little Bits of String, and Was Early Cut off in Dreadful Agonies", appears in Cautionary Tales, first published 1907 [author's text not yet checked 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), "Henry King", 2005 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano ], from From Cautionary Tales for Children, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Norman Gilbert (b. 1912), "Henry King", published 1964 [ canon: equal voices and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "Henry King", published 1909 [ vocal duet with piano ], from Four Cautionary Tales and a Moral, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 99