Poem by Alan Alexander Milne

Explained

Elizabeth Ann
Said to her Nan:
“Please will you tell me how God began?
Somebody must have made Him. So
Who could it be, ’cos I want to know?”
And Ann said, “Well?”
I know you know, and I wish you’d tell.”
And Nurse took pins from her mouth, and said,
“Now then, darling, it’s time for bed.”

Elizabeth Ann
Had a wonderful plan:
She would run round the world till she found a man
Who knew exactly how God began.

She got up early, she dressed, and ran 
Trying to find an Important Man. 
She ran to London and knocked at the door 
Of the Lord High Doodelum’s coach-and-four. 
“Please, sir (if there’s anyone in), 
However-and-ever did God begin?”

The Lord High Doodelum lay in bed, 
But out of the window, large and red,
Came the Lord High Coachman’s face instead. 
And the Lord High Coachman laughed and said: 
“Well, what put that in your quaint little head?”

Elizabeth Ann went home again
And took from the ottoman Jennifer Jane.
“Jenniferjane,” said Elizabeth Ann,
“Tell me at once how God began.”
And Jane, who didn’t much care for speaking,

Replied in her usual way by squeaking.
What did it mean? Well, to be quite candid, 
I don’t know, but Elizabeth Ann did. 
Elizabeth Ann said softly, “Oh! 
Thank you, Jennifer. Now I know.”

1. Jonathan Jo
2. Cottleston Pie
3. Sand-Between-The-Toes
4. In the Fashion
5. The Four Friends

Print

1796 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version