My Fairy

I have a fairy by my side

Which says I must not sleep,

When once in pain I loudly cried

It said "You must not weep"

If, full of mirth, I smile and grin,

It says "You must not laugh"

When once I wished to drink some gin

It said "You must not quaff".

When once a meal I wished to taste

It said "You must not bite"

When to the wars I went in haste

It said "You must not fight".

"What may I do?" at length I cried,

Tired of the painful task.

The fairy quietly replied,

And said "You must not ask".

Moral: "You mustn't."

This was written when Lewis Carroll was 13, to amuse his brothers and sisters. They were very strictly brought up, in a rectory, and he always tried to entertain them and make them laugh. So I think this is just about an aspect of their daily life. It also reflected, perhaps, some of his own feelings, because he was a strong willed person and did like his own way.Contributed by Jenny Woolf (biographer of Lewis Carroll) and Oldpoetry reader.