My Fairy
I have a fairy by my side
Which says I must not sleep,
When once in pain I loudly cried
It said "You must not weep"
If, full of mirth, I smile and grin,
It says "You must not laugh"
When once I wished to drink some gin
It said "You must not quaff".
When once a meal I wished to taste
It said "You must not bite"
When to the wars I went in haste
It said "You must not fight".
"What may I do?" at length I cried,
Tired of the painful task.
The fairy quietly replied,
And said "You must not ask".
Moral: "You mustn't."
This was written when Lewis Carroll was 13, to amuse his brothers and sisters. They were very strictly brought up, in a rectory, and he always tried to entertain them and make them laugh. So I think this is just about an aspect of their daily life. It also reflected, perhaps, some of his own feelings, because he was a strong willed person and did like his own way.Contributed by Jenny Woolf (biographer of Lewis Carroll) and Oldpoetry reader.
