Friday, February 19, 2010

Alexander Beetle

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Alexander Beetle










I found a little beetle, so that beetle was his name,
And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.
I put him in a matchbox, and I kept him all the day...
And Nanny let my beetle out
Yes, Nanny let my beetle out
She went and let my beetle out-
And beetle ran away.








 




She said she didn't mean it, and I never said she did,
She said she wanted matches, and she just took off the lid
She said that she was sorry, but it's difficult to catch
An excited sort of beetle you've mistaken for a match.








 





She said that she was sorry, and I really mustn't mind
As there's lots and lots of beetles which she's certain we could find
If we looked about the garden for the holes where beetles hid-
And we'd get another matchbox, and write BEETLE on the lid.








  





We went to all the places which a beetle might be near,
And we made the sort of noises which a beetle likes to hear,
And I saw a kind of something, and I gave a sort of shout:
"A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!"









  




It was Alexander Beetle I'm as certain as can be
And he had a sort of look as if he thought it might be ME,
And he had a kind of look as if he thought he ought to say:
"I'm very, very sorry that I tried to run away."












And Nanny's very sorry too, for you know what she did,
And she's writing ALEXANDER very blackly on the lid,
So Nan and me are friends, because it's difficult to catch
An excited Alexander you've mistaken for a match.





A A Milne

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37 comments:

  1. Thank you! I learned this poem at the tender age of six, and have felt sorry for the lost beetle ever since, though I do believe he eventually turned up in my garden...

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  2. I'm getting a little anxious, to be able to get outside and look for ALEXANDER BEETLE among flowers myself. Spring weather comes here in March...sometimes!

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  3. This is the first time I have read this poem--thank you for sharing.

    Beetles are very interesting--pretty in color, but when they get in my garden I don't care for them.

    Best
    Tracy :)

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  4. Greetings, Delwyn! This is great! I can't wait to share with my children (I share many of your posts with them ~ I like them to see your world, both the photos and the words.) A.A. Milne had a wonderful way of making the simple so delightful. I am sure he would loved your beetle pictures, too.

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  5. That was delightful! Did you have the poem in mind when you saw the beetle or search it out after you took those beautiful photos? Who knew a beetle could be so inspirational when it comes to poetry!

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  6. I love it! (the pix and the poem) A.A. Milne was so childlike. How thrilled you must have been to find that little Alexander beetle curled up inside the bamboo/banana/rubber plant! Love, me xx

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  7. A large yellow potato bug and I startled each other recently while I was gardening and we were both content to go our separate ways.

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  8. ha ha, i didn't know Milne wrote poetry...now i want to read more!

    ugly little beetle, huh? in a cute sort of way.

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  9. Now as I read this and looked at the photos I had music in my head. My sister had a record album of Melanie "Candles In The Rain" with this poem set to music. It was my favorite. If you haven't listened to it you may want to look it up.

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  10. What a poem. I didn't know Miline wrote this kind of work. Your photos are great.

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  11. This is the second post connected to A.A. Milne I've looked at today. The other one featured a photo of some flowers on the blogger's desk, and there were sketches of Piglet framed on the wall.

    And my two-year-old is big into Pooh right now.

    Your beetle friend is very handsome and dignified.

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  12. I hadn't read that poem before. My second graders will love it. Thank you for sharing it.

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  13. I hadn't read that poem before. My second graders will love it. Thank you for sharing it.

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  14. Oh!!!!!!!!! I didn't know that poem; and so, mid way, I was about to tell you to put those words in a children's book for all future children to enjoy. Lovely share!

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  15. I read A.A. Milne aloud to my children time after time. I loved the cadence, the humor, the little truths. Now, how big is that beetle?

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  16. brings back memories of reading Winnie the Pooh to my young sons, now in their 20's

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  17. delwyn! amazing!! i was addicted to (among others) a.a. milne when i was very young. your photographs - well really they could reissue the poem with your photos and introduce a whole generation to the words!! lovely. steven

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  18. Fantastic accompaniment to the images. Though I must confess, that beetle is a little too big for my comfort zone. He would make me nervous scurrying across the floor.

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  19. Hi Amy

    he was a biggie!
    he's called a a rhinoceros beetle and can be about 2" long

    happy days

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  20. Hello Steven

    I will one day put together some of my critter posts in a book form for the future grandchildren...and will enjoy sharing them with them...

    Happy days

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  21. Hi Donna

    I learned the A A Milne poems as a child and taught them as a teacher and mother...and still love them...

    Happy days

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  22. Hi there Meri

    isn't it amazing that they stick in your mind all these years... a true test of their power...

    he was a couple of inches long, that's why he received the camera treatment...

    Happy days

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  23. Hi Rosaria

    yes AAMilne was such a talented children's poet and well as author...

    Happy days

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  24. Hello Relyn and welcome to my pages...

    the children will love it...I did as a child as still have it memorized...

    Happy days.

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  25. Hello Polly

    do you think AAMilne might have approved of my black rhinoceros beetle as a stand in for Alexander - the only problem might be that he wouldn't fit into a match box...

    Happy days

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  26. Hello Larry
    how are you?

    Yes AAMilne was a great children's poet.

    thanks for the vote of confidence and for stopping by...

    Happy days

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  27. Hello Grace

    thank you for your visit.

    Yes I am familiar with the song by Melanie...and can hear her cute beetle noises now...

    Happy days

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  28. Hi there Tom

    AAMilne put out a number of collections which are probably still available. There are many great poems with a cheerful cadence and rhythm like this one...he had a cheeky sense of humour too...that was most inviting...

    Happy days

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  29. Hello GW

    these rhinoceros beetles are common at home and make a little squeaky accordian noise as they puff out their abdomen attempting to look tough and aggressive...

    Happy days

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  30. Hello Vicky

    I took the photos a while back at my new home and then when I sat down to compose the post the words popped into my head. The poem had been committed to memory when I was a little girl in primer two (year 2)
    We had a teacher called Miss Howell, who treated us to AAMilne every day for the half hour before lunch...
    she also gave me a kitten...

    amazing what a memory can maintain for over 52 years...

    Happy days

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  31. Hi Margaret

    the rhinoceros beetle was about 2 inches long and tried to escape the glare of my camera lens by puffing himself out with a squeaky noise like an old piano accordian ...
    he climbed into a the well of a bromeliad plant...

    It is great to have your company again Margaret

    Happy days

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  32. Hi Ayu

    are you familiar with AAMilne...he wrote Winnie the Pooh...

    Happy days

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  33. Hi Jinksy

    you are funny

    I learned this poem when I was 6 too!!!

    Happy days

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  34. Hi Wanda

    I can imagine that you must be very keen to be able to get your hands into the soil, take Alivia on those lovely walks, see the green bursting out on the trees...

    I have enjoyed seeing all your snow - second hand and from the warmth...

    Happy days Wanda

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  35. Hi tracy

    Beetles have never worried me...I think they are pretty harmless...but the size can be a little scary...this character was puffing up and squeaking putting on a show of aggression and self importance...

    Happy days

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  36. Hi Cyndy

    i'm happy that you can find something interesting in my pages to share with your kids, thank you for the supportive encouragement...

    Happy days

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  37. Such a cute poem. BTW that beetle looks rather large!

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