“THE DUET”
“O COME and listen, come!
Our Master he can strum,
And we can gaily sing
Of April and the Spring.
And if you do not like our song,
Like cats and mice, you must be wrong.
You must be, must be, must be wrong.”
[Editor’s Note: A “duet” with three singers, “strum” regarding playing the piano and other strange issues.]
Animal Antics.
Louis Wain.
S. W. Partridge & Co: London. Ca 1900-1910.
That’s why I have so much trouble playing piano! I’m not an elephant.
Because you are not having a duet with 3 elephants (not 2) and because you are using the keys of the piano not strumming it! So surprised nobody noticed the poem as printed with the picture in the book made little sense given the image! And I’m surprised singing was not considered an idle diversion!
Elephant
Reminds me of the saying, if you’re bored, you’re boring. Doing anything = not idle, even if it’s something silly.
I agree, I think “never be idle” is entirely silly. The highest art may be to be able to be happy and satisfied while being idle! Also, I believe boredom is a signal that I am more interested in being elsewhere, with someone else (or alone) and/or doing something else – it is never me being boring!
Elephant