by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888)
Turkey Discipline
Language: English
Horrid Turkeys! what a pother! Leave my Mother's gulls alone! We, alas! can get no other, If those precious two are gone! — Still you persevere! — You Monsters! — Over you have come — pell-mell! — Oh! my gulls! — if you come near them I will utter such a yell!!! " Bless my heart — nine monstrous turkeys! — Gracious! — all the garden's full! — And one great one with a jerk has Pounced upon my favourite gull!" — Through the noise of turkeys calling, Now was heard, distinct and well, From the Southern window squalling Many a long and awful yell. Down rushed Fanny and Eliza; — — Screams and squeaks and yowlings shrill, — — Gulls and turkeys with their cries around them echoed o'er the hill: — What would they not give to fetch them Such a blow! — sad to tell — As poor Fanny ran to catch them, Evil turkeys — down she fell! —
(adapted to the tune of " Shades of Evening")
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) [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 Ash Graham , "Turkey Discipline", 2014 [ baritone, violin, clarinet, violoncello and piano ], from Five Poems of Edward Lear, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-01-22
Line count: 23
Word count: 163