Nonsense Madrigals: VI. A Long, Sad Tale
"Mine is a long, sad tale
It is a long tail, certainly
But why do you call it sad?
Fury said to a mouse
That he met in the house
Let us both go to law
I will prosecute you
Come, I'll take no denial
We must have the trial
For really this morning I've nothing to do
Said the mouse to the cur
Such a trial, dear sir
With no jury or judge
Would be wasting our breath
I'll be judge, I'll be jury
Said the cunning old Fury
I'll try the whole cause
And condemn you to death
Off with her head!
Head, heal, teal, tell, tall
tail, tall, tell, teal, heal
Turn witch into fairy!
Witch, winch, wench, tench, tenth
tents, tints, tilts, tills, fills
falls, fails, fairs, fairy
Furies, buries, buried, burked, barked
barred, barrel, barred, barked, burked
buried, buries, furies
Quilt, guilt, guile, guide, glide
slide, slice, spice, spine, spies
shins, shies, shier, sheer, sheet
sheer, shier, shies, shins, spins
spice, slice, slide, glide, guide
guile, guilt, guile, guide, glide
slide"