The King's Breakfast
The King asked
The Queen, and
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
"Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?"
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, "Certainly,
I'll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed."
The Dairymaid
She curtsied,
And went and told the Alderney:
"Don't forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread."
The Alderney said sleepily:
"You'd better tell
His Majesty
That many people nowadays
Like marmalade
Instead."
The Dairymaid
Said "Fancy!"
And went to
Her Majesty.
She curtsied to the Queen, and
She turned a little red:
"Excuse me,
Your Majesty,
For taking of
The liberty,
But marmalade is tasty, if
It's very
Thickly
Spread."
The Queen said
"Oh!"
And went to his Majesty:
"Talking of the butter for
The royal slice of bread,
Many people
Think that
Marmalade
Is nicer.
Would you like to try a little
Marmalade
Instead?"
The King said,
"Bother!"
And then he said,
"Oh, deary me!"
The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"
And went back to bed.
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"
The Queen said,
"There, there!"
And went to
The Dairymaid.
The Dairymaid
Said, "There, there!"
And went to the shed.
The cow said,
"There, there!
I didn't really
Mean it;
Here's milk for his porringer
And butter for his bread."
The queen took the butter
And brought it to
His Majesty.
The King said
"Butter, eh?"
And bounced out of bed.
"Nobody," he said,
As he kissed her
Tenderly,
"Nobody," he said,
As he slid down
The banisters,
"Nobody,
My darling,
Could call me
A fussy man -
BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"
Commentary
There is surely no body of verse in which strong rhythm has been more effectively and enthusiastically used than in children’s poetry, and Milne is in this regard (as in several others) one of the very best. Today’s poem needs no real commentary, except to say that I find it no less delightful today than I did as a child.
Links
To see the illustrated version of the poem:
http://www.crocker.com/~slinberg/poems/milne/kingsbreakfast.html
For another nice Milne poem, and a biography, see poem #463
Afterthought
I was going to write a piece on why rhythmic verse is so appealing to children, but realised that I didn’t know too much about it myself. Perhaps someone could comment with greater authority?
— Martin
Show 15 commentsHide comments
From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Janice Barker · 22 March 2001
can anyone tell me if “The King’s Breakfast” appears in any of AA Milne’s books of poetry and if so which one. I have been searching for a book with it in it. I really wish there were a picture book of this poem. Please let me know which, if any, book this poem is in. Janice
Sullivan Gary · 2 May 2002
I stumbled on this poem in a large collection of children’s literature (I’m sorry; I don’t have the title, but the editor was Clifton Fadiman), and my 4- and 6-year-old absolutely love it. They like to clap to keep the meter going.
We’re Americans living in the city, so yes, we had to go look up “Alderney” to make sure it was a kind of cow, but that just made it more fun.
Even at dinner, they’ll ask, “may I have a little bit of butter to my bread?”
Gary S.
Paltiel Sarah R · 7 August 2002
This poem appears in When We Were Very Young, a collection of Milne’s poetry. This collection also contains Disobedience, Emmeline, the first appearance of Winnie the Pooh, and Mary Jane with her loverly rice pudding for dinner again.
Sarah Ruth Paltiel
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Happymint · 12 January 2003
I noticed you post on this poem on a website. I don’t know if you have already gotten a response, but “The King’s Breakfast” is published in the book “When We Were Very Young.”
Ellen Sheridan · 26 March 2003
It also is in The World of Christopher Robin which is the collection of When We Were very young, And Now we are six. And in The complete poems of Winnie the Pooh. I am doing a report on this poem for Language Arts class
Jeremy Williams · 30 June 2003
I’ve always loved this poem.
Its so rhythmical and so simple that you don’t really have to think about it like you do with so many poems. I have an original edition of ‘Now we are six’ from my mum’s guardian who used to live next door to Christopher Robin. Its slightly tattered and the pages are yellowy but I reckon it would still probably be worth a bit. Not that I’d ever sell it!
Rebecca Williams
Hagen Margaret · 29 April 2004
When I was small my mother set this poem to a little tune and used it as a combination lullaby and bedtime story. She used it again with her grandson. I can still recite it from memory (I’m 64).
Shatz Erica · 21 April 2005
My mother was British and used to read me a lot of Poem’s from A.A. Milne’s book. This is one of the one’s I memorized but couldn’t say it as great as my mom who had the perfect accent! Thanks for posting this. It is Poem in Your Pocket Day, April 21. I forgot my book at home so I am grateful to find it on-line at Google.
Erica Shatz- Spry
SHARON MCCARTHY · 29 May 2005
I had a 78 rpm record when I was 4 years old [in Chicago] which had this poem, and others, one of which went “Christopher Robin went hoppity-hoppity-hoppity-hoppity-hop”, all set to music. I can still recall the melodies, and sing them to myself when they pop into my mind, which is often. I am 59 now, so that was 55 years ago. The songs and poems made a huge impression on me, they were lilting and clever and I loved them. I played the record over and over. Does anyone have a clue what the name of the record was, or who made it?
david & patsy pierson · 27 June 2005
I wonder why this type of poetry is not offered to mid-schoolers as a fundamental exercise in the delight of the english language
steve · 7 November 2005
Milne’s “A King’s Breakfast” was published as a book in 1924-5 by E. P. Dutton & Company, New York. I just discovered we have a copy of the book in good condition. What is unusual is I found it in a collection of music and sure enough, King’s is Milne poetry set to music. The Introduction begins, “Before we start singing ‘The King’s Breakfast’ …” The music is by H. Fraser-Simson and the Decorations by E. H. Shepard. The poem of this name quoted in this web site is the lyric in the book I have.
I’d like to know if the poem was ever published separately; I haven’t found it yet and I’m beginning to think the musical version may be the only published version. I’d welcome any and all info anyone cares to send me about A King’s Breakfast.
Steve Sanford
Gary & Sherry Wargo · 15 November 2005
Charming and much -loved as this poem was in my childhood, in my adult years I learned another version (author unknown, but I think I found it in a gardening book) which charmed me even more:
The King asked the Queen and the Queen asked the Gardener, “Could we have some compost for the Royal Flower Bed?” “Certainly!” tha Gardener said.
“I’ll go and ask the cow, now, before she leaves the shed.”
Sherry Wargo
Lili Maginness · 14 August 2006
My son’s class - Grade 2 (Melbourne, Australia) are doing poems this term and they had to bring some in. I couldn’t help but think of my favourite poem read to me in class over and over again. It made me wonder about marmalade!!!! I will be giving The King’s Breakfast to my son to take to class tomorrow.
L Maginness
Fran O'Rourke · 22 June 2007
To Janice Barker
I know that The King’s Breakfast was in a volume of verse by AA Milne. My parents brought 4 Milne volumes with them from England, 2 were the Winnie the Pooh stories that Disney has poached so effectively and 2 were poetry. All were favourites with us growing up. I cannot remember all the titles, but I am sure one of the verse volumes was “Now We Are Six”. F O’Rourke
Edith Flohr · 23 October 2007
My grandmother who passed away in the early 80’s, asked myself and my 3 sisters if we could memorize this poem, if we could she would give us each 25 cents. If I recall correctly, I was the only one who memorized it. For some reason it has stuck with me. I was just thinking of it tonight and decided to punch it into the search engine. I am printing it out and am going to memorize it again. I think it would be wonderful to have my own grandchildren memorize it, once I have some of course which shouldnt be too far in the future!! I am 49 yrs young. Edith