You Are Old, Father William

You are old, father William, the young man said,
And yet you incessatly stand on your head

Do you think, at your age, it is right?

In my youth, father William replied to his son,
I feared it would injure the brain
But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I dont it again and again.

You are old, said the youth, as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat
Yet you turned a back-somesault in at the door

Pray, what is the reason of that?

In my youth, said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment, one shilling the box

Allow me to sell you a couple.

You are old, said the youth, and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak

Pray, how did you manage to do it?

In my youth, said his father, I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife

And the muscular strength, which it it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life. You are old, said the youth, one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose

What made you so awfully clever?

I have answered there question, and that is enough,
Said his father, don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!

Lewis Caroll