Amusements:

Beowulf Reduced

For recitation by Stanley Holloway

There once was a hero called Scyld
Whose descendant decided to build
      A magnificent hall
      With seating for all,
but some of his best friends got killed.

A visitor, Beowulf the Geat,
Whose strength was surprisingly great,
      De-armed the De-mon,
      Then beheaded its Mum,
A yet more remarkable feat.

Much later a Dragon awoke,
Sent Beowulf's hall up in smoke.
      So his fifty not-out
      was all up the spout--
But he killed it, then died. What a bloke!

--by Michael Alexander

Text is taken from The Red Wheelbarrow 2 (1999).

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Page created by Dr Jennifer Neville
Last updated 30 October, 2007 10:00