The Tale of Custard the Dragon

It is explained briefly with animated pictures.

1. The Tale of Custard the Dragon Ogden Nash Presented by Berachah Babu A

2. OGDEN NASH Born : 19 August 1902, Rye, New York, United States Died: 19 May 1971, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Spouse: Frances Rider Leonard (m. 1931–1971) Movies : The Firefly, The Shining Hour, The Feminine Touch, The Wizard of Oz, Poezija Ogdena Neša

3. Belinda lived in a little white house, With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse, And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon, And a realio , trulio , little pet dragon. Words meaning Kitten : a young cat Realio : really Trulio : truly Belinda a little girl who lived in a small house ,with a black kitten, grey coloured mouse and yellow coloured dog in a wagon. Really truly she had a Dragon as a pet.

4. Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink, And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink, And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard, But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard. Words meaning Grey: its colour Mustard : The name of the small kitten is Ink. T he name of the mouse is Blink. A nd the dog was very sharp like a mustard seed , so it’s name is mustard. The dragon was coward and its name is custard.

5. Mustard Ink Blink Custard Belinda Characters

6. Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, And realio , trulio daggers on his toes. Words meaning Kitten : a young cat Dagger: Spikes Scales Chimney

7. Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears , And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage , But Custard cried for a nice safe cage . brave courageous brave coward Words meaning barrel full of bears: a person without fear

8. Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful, Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival, They all sat laughing in the little red wagon At the realio , trulio , cowardly dragon. Words meaning Tickle : moved finger on the sensible part of the body Rudely : in a rude manner Percival: a hero Belinda tickled the dragon unmercifully. The cat and rat rudely called the dragon as a hero. All together laughed at dragon telling it is really a coward.

9. Belinda giggled till she shook the house, And Blink said Weeck ! which is giggling for a mouse, Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age, When Custard cried for a nice safe cage . Words meaning Giglled : laughing Weeck : giggled like a mouse Rudly : an insulting manner Belinda laughed happily and the Blink laughed Weeck ! T he ink and mustard rudely asked dragon’s age. But the dragon cried for the safe cage.

10. Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound, And Mustard growled, and they all looked around. Meowch ! cried Ink, and ooh! cried Belinda, For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda . Words meaning Nasty : bad Growled: make a low rough noise Meowch : cry like a cat Pirate : a sea robber Winda : a passage in the wall for the for the fresh air and sunlight Suddenly they heard a frightful sound , Mustard the dog growled , all others were looking around. The cat cried M eowch and Belinda cried hoo . On the other side the robber was climbing through the window.

11. Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right, And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright, His beard was black, one leg was wood; It was clear that the pirate meant no good. Words meaning Cutlass: dagger M eant no good: H is intention was not good The robber had pistol in his right and left hand. And also holding a sharp knife in his mouth . He had black beard and one leg was wooden. Its very clear his intention was very bad.

12. Belinda paled, and she cried Help! Help! But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp, Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household, And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed Words meaning Paled : faded dull Fled : ran away Yelp : cry Trickled : to reached Strategically : as situation demanded Mouseholed : entered the hole Belinda became nervous and cried for a help. The dog ran with terrific cry. The cat ran towards bottom of the house . The rat used the situation and stayed in its house.

13. But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine, Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon, With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm, He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm Words meaning Snorting : making the sound of an engine Clashed : struck Dungeon : prison Clatter and clank: making rattling sound Jangling : metallic sound Squirm : wriggle The dragon snorting like an engine jumped up. Its tail stood like a prion’s iron road in front of the robber. It came with rattling and jingle sound. The dragon came like a robin (bird) at the warm.

14. The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon, And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon, He fired two bullets, but they didn’t hit, And Custard gobbled him, every bit. Words meaning Gape : watched intently Gulped : drank down Grog : wine Flagon : a narrow container Gobbled : swallowed The robber watched the dragon and took a flagon from his pocket and drank wine. And fired twice on the dragon but it did not hit him. The dragon swallowed the robber at once.

15. Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him, No one mourned for his pirate victim. Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate Around the dragon that ate the pirate. Words meaning Embraced : held tightly in arms Lick : licked with tongue Mourned : express grief Victim : prey Glee : happiness Gyrate : danced around Belinda hugged the dragon, the Mustard licked him. No one bothered about the robber. T he rat and cat were happily jumping around the dragon.

16. But presently up spoke little dog Mustard, I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered. And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink, We’d have been three times as brave, we think, And Custard said, I quite agree That everybody is braver than me. Words meaning Presently : now Flustered : became nervous Quite : completely The dog spoke I am d ouble the braver than you ,if I have not become nervous. The rat and cat said we are thrice the braver than you. The dragon interfered and said I agree that all are braver than me.

17. Belinda still lives in her little white house, With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse, And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon, And her realio , trulio little pet dragon . Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears, And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs, Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage, But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage. OGDEN NASH