This excerpt is from lewis carroll's longest poem. it is a fantasy tale that recounts the adventures of an unusual group of nine tradesmen and a beaver who are hunting an imaginary creature—the snark.

the landing
excerpt adapted from the hunting of the snark
by lewis carroll

"just the place for a snark! " the bellman cried,
as he landed his crew with care;
supporting each man on the top of the tide
by a finger entwined in his hair.

"just the place for a snark! i have said it twice:
that alone should encourage the crew.
just the place for a snark! i have said it thrice:
what i tell you three times is true."

the crew was complete: it included a boots—
a maker of bonnets and hoods—
a barrister, brought to arrange their disputes—
and a broker, to value their goods.

a billiard-marker, whose skill was immense,
might perhaps have won more than his share—
but a banker, engaged at enormous expense,
had the whole of their cash in his care.

there was also a beaver, that paced on the deck,
or would sit making lace in the bow:
and had often (the bellman said) saved them from wreck,
though none of the sailors knew how.

there was one who was famed for the number of things
he forgot when he entered the ship:
his umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
and the clothes he had bought for the trip.

he had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,
with his name painted clearly on each:
but, since he omitted to mention the fact,
they were all left behind on the beach.

the loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
he had seven coats on when he came,
with three pairs of boots—but the worst of it was,
he had wholly forgotten his name.

he would answer to "hi! " or to any loud cry,
such as "fry me! " or "fritter my wig! "
to "what-you-may-call-um! " or "what-was-his-name! "
but especially "thing-um-a-jig! "

while, for those who preferred a more forcible word,
he had different names from these:
his intimate friends called him "candle-ends,"
and his enemies "toasted-cheese."

"his form is ungainly—his intellect small—"
(so the bellman would often remark)
"but his courage fights bravely! and that, after all,
is the thing that one needs with a snark."