Now We Are Six (8 page)

The King of Peru

(Who was Emperor too)

Had a sort of a rhyme

Which was useful to know,

If he felt very shy

When a stranger came by,

Or they asked him the time

When his watch didn’t go;

Or supposing he fell

(By mistake) down a well,

Or he tumbled when skating

And sat on his hat,

Or perhaps wasn’t told,

Till his porridge was cold,

That his breakfast was waiting

Or something like that;

Oh, whenever the Emperor

Got into a temper, or

Felt himself sulky or sad,

He would murmur and murmur,

Until he felt firmer,

This curious rhyme which he had:

Eight eights are sixty-four
;

Multiply by seven
.

When it’s done
,

Carry one
,

And take away eleven
.

Nine nines are eighty-one
;

Multiply by three
.

If it’s more
,

Carry four
,

And then it’s time for tea
.

So whenever the Queen

Took his armour to clean,

And she didn’t remember

To use any starch;

Or his birthday (in May)

Was a horrible day,

Being wet as November

And windy as March;

Or, if sitting in state

With the Wise and the Great,

He just happened to hiccup

While signing his name,

Or the Queen gave a cough,

When his crown tumbled off

As he bent down to pick up

A pen for the same;

Oh, whenever the Emperor

Got into a temper, or

Felt himself awkward and shy,

He would whisper and whisper,

Until he felt crisper,

This odd little rhyme to the sky:

Eight eights are eighty-one
;

Multiply by seven
.

If it’s more
,

Carry four
,

And take away eleven
.

Nine nines are sixty-four
;

Multiply by three
.

When it’s done
,

Carry one
,

And then it’s time for tea
.

Whenever I’m a shining Knight,

I buckle on my armour tight;

And then I look about for things,

Like Rushings-Out, and Rescuings,

And Savings from the Dragon’s Lair,

And fighting all the Dragons there.

And sometimes when our fights begin,

I think I’ll let the Dragons win…

And then I think perhaps I won’t,

Because they’re Dragons, and I don’t.