Times of Glory 6: Tales in King Cole's Palace
- Dani Adams
- Jun 9
- 7 min read
6. Tales in King Cole's Palace
This is the house that Jack built.
The village people paid a quarter of King Midas' Gold
To grandly build a palace for their brand new King
This is the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
They brought a hefty tribute to their King, "Eternal Cole"
Every extra coin, or gem, or any wondrous thing
This is the Rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
Joker came across the Water in a crafty mood
He made a play of many while he danced and sang
This is the Cat,
That caught the Rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
But Jill, the Fisher's daughter, thought the Joker plenty rude
She hoped to catch him in his act and have him hang
This is the Dog,
That worried the Cat,
That caught the Rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
Johnny loved the Joker's wit, and many pranks he tried;
These many pranks would often get him in her way
This is the Cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the Dog,
That worried the Cat,
That caught the Rat,
That ate the malt,
That lay in the house that Jack built.
Thank goodness for the milking maid in her motherly spry
He pointed at her nose, and since was spanked each day
Jack’s Longing
Jack had been nimble, Jack had been quick, Jack had jumped over the candlestick
The Fire fled to Far Away, so Jack the hero saved the day
He sits now by the sill to say…
"I wonder if she'll come today…"
Glory Doesn’t
Jack could never figure out what more that he could need
If Glory was to come to him, should he gain more prestige?
Every night before to bed, he'd open up his drawer
To reveal a Silver Bell that rang for him no more…
Timmy, Tommy, Johnny, they were his fiddler's three
All had lost their parents in the past catastrophe
Jack would call upon his Jester for dancing and for song
For with such entertainment he could make himself feel strong
But it did not last long.
Oh what had he done wrong...
Joker's Prank
Big A, little a, Bouncing B!
The Cat is in the Corridor and Can't C me!
The King called for supper all on a fine day
And a prank the Joker would try
He spent a sixpence on four-and-twenty,
Put them all in a pie.
When the King did go to slice it –
OH! How great his cry!
Though he could see it, could not believe it
Twenty-four blackbirds flew by!
Johnny laugh, "Ha ha ha!!"
Joker sang, "Fa la la;
Let's sing a Song of Sixpence, a pocket full of rye
Four-and-twenty blackbirds all baked in a pie!
When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing;
T'was that not a dainty dish to set before a King?"
The Milkmaid
The King was in the counting house, counting out his money
The Cat was in the corridor, eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes
When down came a blackbird and snipped the tip of her nose!
Johnny
Johnny saw the milking maid, holding fast her nose
She was coming in that day from hanging out the clothes
Johnny pointed, "Ha ha ha! A snip-nosed witch!"
The milk maid grabbed him by the ear and gave his rump the switch.
Timmy
Timmy Stout would run about
If only his legs allowed it
But he can play music each day
For Toymaker endowed it
Jill
I am ever far from home
Though Near I have returned
I will ever stay alone
As, once again, I'm spurned
Cat from the White Kingdom, would you please come to my side?
For I have read the letter from King Claus.
Here within my palace you shall evermore abide,
As I could use one who can catch a mouse.
Timmy and Jill
A fiddle for your daughter
A fiddle for your son
I'll fiddle-and-a-fiddle’n
Until my tune is done
Timmy saw the Cat one day
Sitting on her sill
"Would you like to hear me play?
I'm not tired still."
The Cat looked at Timmy
Put a smile on her face
"Thank you. What a perfect time
And quite the perfect place."
Jill Ponders
Oh how I wish that I could keep
Music in my room to sleep~
I know! I'll marry a man someday
If only music he can play!
I won't by my father's daughter
Yea, I will not be his Jill
I will be a fiddler's wife
And I'll have music when I will
T'other little tune
T'other little tune
Prithe play me
T'other little tune
Johnny’s Tall Tale
Johnny! Johnny Blue Boy!
Go and fetch some eggs!
So Johnny went to market
But soon tired out his legs
He rested by a tree
And under it he slept
When he awoke, 'twas night
And his promise wasn't kept!
So what a story he did craft
To believe it, one ought be daft
"As I went out to market, all on a dainty day
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever fed on hay!
Upon hay! Upon hay! Upon hay! The finest ram, I say!
This ram was fat behind, sir – and certainly fat before
This ram was ten yards round, sir – no less and nary more.
No less! No less! And nary mory! A great ram, I am sure!
And the horns that grew on his head, sir, they were so wondrous high –
As I can plainly say, sir, they quite near reached the Sky!
The Sky! The Sky! The Sky! Oh this ram, I say! Oh my!
The tail that grew from his back, sir, was six yards and an ell!
And it stopped me to go to market at the sounding of Bell –
The Bell! The Bell! The Bell! I could not pass, as you can tell!
So I was scared! How it weakened my legs!
Because of this ram
I could not get the eggs."
Foolish Tommy
Foolish, hardy Tommy Lin
Kissed the maids a milkin' Fa la la!
And with his merry daffing
He ran off a laughing Ha ha ha!
Tommy and Besse went to Market
For flour, milk, and eggs
Tommy was a fiddler
Besse, a milking maid
Thank you, lazy Johnny,
For this fine walk on a Sunday
Said Tommy to Besse,
"Wilt marry me on Monday?"
Johnny Can’t Help It.
Johnny and Timmy went out to play
When Besse passed them by
Tommy came a touch behind
His face not held so high
Timmy asked the matter,
And when Tommy said why,
Johnny could not help but laugh
So hardy he could cry!
Johnny: "See! See!"
-- Timmy: "What shall I see?"
Johnny: "A clumsy Bull's head where his tail should be!!"
Tommy Isn’t Happy
Tommy thought it quite a nuisance staying with those boys
He stole some eggs to make a few pence and buy himself some toys
As I was going to sell my eggs
I met a man with bandy legs
Bandy legs and crooked toes
I tripped up his heels and he fell on his nose
Joker's Prank 2
Young King Cole was a merry young soul
And a merry young soul was he
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three
Oh how the Cat loved music, but could not carry a tune
She longed to play the pipe or yea the fiddle for the Moon
The only sound she ever found that she could e'er play well
Was tucked inside a secret drawer, a lovely Silver Bell
The Joker thought he might be "kind" and give the Cat a fiddle
"But I can't play," she did remind, but he gave his finger a twiddle
"Never fear, oh darling Jill; it plays a magic tune!
Was it not your dearest will, playing music for the Moon?
"This instrument," he lied, "will play the clearest melody
At moonlight's touch, so that you'll best even the fiddlers three!"
In truth, she did not heed him much at first
But a Cat's curiosity can be a curse…
She took the fiddle and wished for the best
While Joker set the stage for the rest.
A feast was set by the Jester – he said it would be a surprise
The day was done, the night was young, the Moon was in the skies
Jill stepped out with her fiddle, and Jack smiled as she came
Timmy sat beside him, and Johnny did the same.
Yet Tommy already finished his food, and eyed the Joker's plate
He was still hungry, wanting seconds, but dared not ask the maid
If Jester and Johnny could pull their pranks, this should be Tommy’s turn today
He'd play a prank on the Jester himself, and steal his food away!
Jill put the bow to the fiddle to try
And that was the moment it all went awry
Hey diddle diddle – Cat can't play the fiddle
The Cow was scared up to the Moon!
The little Dog laughed, to see such sport
While Joker's dish was ran off with his spoon
Jack and Jill
There sits a little Kitty
Eyes so pretty, with a glistening ocean hue
What a precious pity
While your sitting, by the pale light of the Moon
"Are you alright?" asked Jack. "… I know, the Jester went too far…"
"It's okay," said Jill; she was staring at a star.
"Sorry," said Jack. "I really did want to hear you play."
Jill sighed, "I can't. I don't know how." That's all she wished to say.
But Jack sat down, took off his crown, and looked up at the sky.
"I'm glad that you love music too, for certainly so do I.
Perhaps too much – that's why one clumsy day I grabbed this Bell…"
He held it up, "It's beautiful and suits you very well."
She stared at it, then stared at him, but he stared at the ground.
"However," he said quietly, "It… doesn't make a sound…
But it did before!" he added quickly, "And my wish is that one day
In the hand of someone fair, this Bell will once more play."
Jill!
Silver Bell, oh Silver Bell
Will ring with maiden's trek
This is why her head's held high
It hangs around her neck
A wonder only she can bring,
To make this Silver Bell now ring!
Jack vs Joker
Jack:
I wonder "if"
If days will stay
So calm as this...
Joker:
IF the world were apple pie, and all the sea were ink
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What would we have for drink?
Jack:
Hear now my wish
That each day bring such bliss
Joker:
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
If turnips were watches, one would be at my side
And if "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans
There'd be no work for tinkers.
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