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_The_
MAGIC PUDDING
_Written and Illustrated by_
NORMAN LINDSAY
[Illustration]
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Mineola, New York
_Bibliographical Note_
This Dover edition, first published in 2006, is an unabridged
republication of the work published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd.,
Sydney, Australia, in 1918.
_International Standard Book Number: 0-486-45281-6_
Manufactured in the United States of America
Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501
* * * * *
First Slice
[Illustration]
This is a frontways view of Bunyip Bluegum and his Uncle Wattleberry. At
a glance you can see what a fine, round, splendid fellow Bunyip Bluegum
is, without me telling you. At a second glance you can see that the
Uncle is more square than round, and that his face has whiskers on it.
[Illustration]
Looked at sideways you can still see what a splendid fellow Bunyip is,
though you can only see one of his Uncle's whiskers.
[Illustration]
Observed from behind, however, you completely lose sight of the
whiskers, and so fail to realize how immensely important they are. In
fact, these very whiskers were the chief cause of Bunyip's leaving home
to see the world, for, as he often said to himself--
'Whiskers alone are bad enough
Attached to faces coarse and rough;
But how much greater their offence is
When stuck on Uncles' countenances.'
[Illustration]
The plain truth was that Bunyip and his Uncle lived in a small house in
a tree, and there was no room for the whiskers. What was worse, the
whiskers were red, and they blew about in the wind, and Uncle
Wattleberry would insist on bringing them to the dinner table with him,
where they got in the soup.
Bunyip Bluegum was a tidy bear, and he objected to whisker soup, so he
was forced to eat his meals outside, which was awkward, and besides,
lizards came and borrowed his soup.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
His Uncle refused to listen to reason on the subject of his whiskers. It
was quite useless giving him hints, such as presents of razors, and
scissors, and boxes of matches to burn them off. On such occasions he
would remark--
'Shaving may add an air that's somewhat brisker,
For dignity, commend me to the whisker.'