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.
