Competition | 12 February 2011

Lucy Vickery presents this week’s competition

In Competition No. 2683 you were invited to submit a sequel to ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat’. Lear himself left fragments of one, the delightful if tear-jerking ‘The Children of the Owl and the Pussy-Cat’, a tale of premature death and penury. Yours, too, were mostly stories of unhappily-ever-after, though their wit and charm made me smile through the tears. J.C.H. Mounsey, Frank Osen and Sylvia Fairley narrowly missed the cut. The winners get £25 each, and £30 goes to Alan Millard.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat sailed away
From the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And gave not a fig for the poor Piggy-wig
Who was left with a hole through his nose.
Though a shilling was thrilling, the outlook was
chilling
Since noses with holes, Piggy knew,
To winds would succumb and become rather numb
With Piggy-wig-pink turning blue.
But the Bell-Ringer smiled, ‘Poor Piggy, my child,
There’s really no need to feel down.