Just a span and half a span From head to heel was this little man. Scarcely a capful of small bones Raised up erect this Midget once. Yet not a knuckle was askew; Inches for feet God made him true; And something handsome put between His coal-black hair and beardless chin. But now, forsooth, with mole and mouse, He keeps his own small darkened house.
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Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), no title, appears in Ding Dong Bell, first published 1924 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Theodore Ward Chanler (1902 - 1961), "A midget", published 1939 [ voice and piano ], from Eight Epitaphs, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Christopher Kaye Le Fleming (b. 1908), "A midget", published 1953 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], from A Quiet Company [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2015-10-08
Line count: 10
Word count: 65