Jabberwocky

I was rather surprised to see the Jabberwocky, Bandersnatch, Jubjub bird, vorpal sword in Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland. I had previously assumed that it was a separate poem not in Alice in Wonderland canon. However a google search turned up the wiki which shows that it was actually part of the Alice in Wonderland world.

Still my first exposure to it was in the excellent graphic novel Fables, where Blue Boy used the vorpal sword to snicker-snack his enemies away. Hence it was to great delight to see this nonsensical poem get more airing.

I hereby present Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did 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 shun
The 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 through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He 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 toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.