Sondry Folk
… the condicioun of ech of hem
Chaucer – Prologue to The Canterbury Tales
Kate O’Neil
Blatherskite
Even though it’s utter blather,
soaps his talk into a lather -
spreads it round with open slather.
Hear the wordy-gurdy guy
spinning all his words to “I”.
Curmudgeon
What a grizzly, grouchy grumper,
glaring, swearing table-thumper.
The world is there to grumble at.
The world is mad! And that is that!
Dandiprat
This man, he’s small.
Talks small. Acts small.
Hard to please
this mini-cheese.
Can’t think big at all.
Fustilugs
Who is this almighty guzzler,
grasping, grabbing, gross and greedy?
All she does is sit and gobble!
Not surprised she looks so seedy.
Haggersnash
“You’ll keep. Just you wait.
You’ll regret it’s you I hate.”
A haggersnash must do his worst
to hurt because he ‘feels hurt first’.
Watch him tend his little rancour
’til he has a good-sized canker.
Things are looking really grim--
the canker’s almost swallowed him!
Mumpsimus
He knows his mind.
He shuts it tight.
He will not budge.
He will not bite.
He has no doubt.
His way is right.
Nazzard
“Living life is such a hazard.
Excuse me while I stay away…
You will not miss a lowly nazzard.
I’ll take my ball and leave the play.”
Scobberlotcher
What an idle layabout!
Likes to loll in lotus-land.
Need a worker? Count him out.
He has a long siesta planned.
Sneckdraw
This guy’s act is hard to beat.
He’s the master of deceit--
a slippery, sneaky little cheat!
Only someone of his kind
could understand his devious mind.
Tatterdemalion
Where’d ya get the glad rags baby?
That gear has sure seen better times.
Was that velvet in its heyday?
And on your legs – were they once jeans?
Those shoes might once have had some glamour;
(Perhaps when Elvis was alive)
That whiff! That drift! That faint aroma!
Is it Mildew No 5?
Quockerwodger
“Up down.
Left right.
Yes Sir.
Black’s white.
You bark.
I’ll bite.”
Whiffler
Will he? Won’t he?
He doesn’t know.
Can’t work out
which way to go.
It could be ‘Yes’
but might be ‘No’.
The whiffler whiffles
to and fro.
Windlestraw
He's tall and gaunt
and very thin.
So weak and worn
he's mostly skin.
A wind'll sure -
ly do him in.
Chaucer – Prologue to The Canterbury Tales
Kate O’Neil
Blatherskite
Even though it’s utter blather,
soaps his talk into a lather -
spreads it round with open slather.
Hear the wordy-gurdy guy
spinning all his words to “I”.
Curmudgeon
What a grizzly, grouchy grumper,
glaring, swearing table-thumper.
The world is there to grumble at.
The world is mad! And that is that!
Dandiprat
This man, he’s small.
Talks small. Acts small.
Hard to please
this mini-cheese.
Can’t think big at all.
Fustilugs
Who is this almighty guzzler,
grasping, grabbing, gross and greedy?
All she does is sit and gobble!
Not surprised she looks so seedy.
Haggersnash
“You’ll keep. Just you wait.
You’ll regret it’s you I hate.”
A haggersnash must do his worst
to hurt because he ‘feels hurt first’.
Watch him tend his little rancour
’til he has a good-sized canker.
Things are looking really grim--
the canker’s almost swallowed him!
Mumpsimus
He knows his mind.
He shuts it tight.
He will not budge.
He will not bite.
He has no doubt.
His way is right.
Nazzard
“Living life is such a hazard.
Excuse me while I stay away…
You will not miss a lowly nazzard.
I’ll take my ball and leave the play.”
Scobberlotcher
What an idle layabout!
Likes to loll in lotus-land.
Need a worker? Count him out.
He has a long siesta planned.
Sneckdraw
This guy’s act is hard to beat.
He’s the master of deceit--
a slippery, sneaky little cheat!
Only someone of his kind
could understand his devious mind.
Tatterdemalion
Where’d ya get the glad rags baby?
That gear has sure seen better times.
Was that velvet in its heyday?
And on your legs – were they once jeans?
Those shoes might once have had some glamour;
(Perhaps when Elvis was alive)
That whiff! That drift! That faint aroma!
Is it Mildew No 5?
Quockerwodger
“Up down.
Left right.
Yes Sir.
Black’s white.
You bark.
I’ll bite.”
Whiffler
Will he? Won’t he?
He doesn’t know.
Can’t work out
which way to go.
It could be ‘Yes’
but might be ‘No’.
The whiffler whiffles
to and fro.
Windlestraw
He's tall and gaunt
and very thin.
So weak and worn
he's mostly skin.
A wind'll sure -
ly do him in.
