Lio by Mark Tatulli for August 06, 2015

The poem about the Jabberwock is “Jabberwocky”.(“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!”)

My “Freshman Comp” professor in undergraduate school, when grading papers, would sometimes red-circle an awkward phrase and write in the margin, “Shun the frumious bandersnatch.” Though students sometimes contested his other comments on their work, he claimed none had ever contested this one, nor had any given any hint that they recognized its origin… until I called him on it. This was in his twentieth year of university level teaching!

You have to feed your pets every day, Lio. No exceptions! Wouldn’t want a hungry Jabberwock running about the house, now would we?

Purina make a Chow for everything! (I used to buy Rat Chow)

After feeding Cybil, feeding this guy is kind of an anti-climax

“And hast thou fed the Jabberwock? Come to my arms my beamish boy.”

Looks like your basic, run-of-the-mill dragon to me.

OK then.

I remember when they did it on Sesame Street.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9o6DH_uzE

A few years after my eldest niece started reading, I showed her this poem and asked her to read it to me. Her 3-year younger sister thought it was hilarious the way her big sister kept tripping over the odd words!

Ah, chow time….must be Brillig.

“Jabberwocky”

’Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid 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 shunThe 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 throughThe vorpal blade went snicker-snack!He left it dead, and with its headHe 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 tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.“”from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)

The creature is the Jabberwock. The poem is the Jabberwocky.

Chex cereals are Purina people chow.

The heck with Purina. I prefer to feed my jabberwock Snicker-Snacks™!