The Jabberwocky as depicted by John Tenniel

Welcome back to the Richmond Read-along! Today’s read may be familiar to you – we’re looking at “Jabberwocky,” by Lewis Carroll.

Appearing in “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” – the sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” – “Jabberwocky” features a multitude of nonsense words in a poem about killing a monstrous creature, the Jabberwock. It’s since become a famous poem in its own right, beloved by children and adults. Some of the words first used in “Jabberwocky” have even passed into common use. We think it’s perfect for brightening up a dreary day at home:

“‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought —
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”

You can see the poem, along with a wealth of other information about it and Alice in Wonderland, on Alice-in-wonderland.net. If you’d like to hear it read aloud, you can find a dramatisation featuring Brian Blessed on the BBC website.

Come back tomorrow for the next Richmond Read-along!