The King’s Beard

There lived a king with beard so long And scalp with scarcely hair! He used a comb and sang a song And groomed it with great care. The king was proud of his long beard That made him look so wise! The queen, his wife knew he looked weird And cursed him for its size! The queen was therefore always sad; His lip got hid by hair! But one day, she was rather glad; She told him, she couldn’t bear! One day, the king slept while he read A book that was folklore! He had a dream asleep in bed; “His beard had grown some more! ” A burning candle-stick fell down And lit the curtain-blind; His beard had caught the fire sown! The king was off his mind! His nose smelt smoke: he woke in fright; His beard was all aflame! He shaved the stubs of hair by night And took on him all blame! The next day when the people saw The king, they couldn’t believe Their eyes and gazed at him with awe! “Could eyes of dawn deceive? ”