StoryTitle("caps", "Matilda") ?>
Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death
DisplayImage("text", "zpage021", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Matilda told such Dreadful Lies, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "It made one Gasp and Stretch one's Eyes; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth, ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage022", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Attempted to Believe Matilda: ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The effort very nearly killed her, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And would have done so, had not She ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Discovered this Infirmity. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For once, towards the Close of Day, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Matilda, growing tired of play, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And finding she was left alone, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Went tiptoe to the Telephone ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage023", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And summoned the Immediate Aid ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Of London's Noble Fire-Brigade. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Within an hour the Gallant Band ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Were pouring in on every hand, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "With Courage high and Hearts a-glow, ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage024", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They galloped, roaring through the Town, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "\"Matilda's House is Burning Down!\" ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Inspired by British Cheers and Loud ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They ran their ladders through a score ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Of windows on the Ball Room Floor; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And took Peculiar Pains to Souse ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The Pictures up and down the House, ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage025", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Until Matilda's Aunt succeeded ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "In showing them they were not needed; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And even then she had to pay ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To get the Men to go away! ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "It happened that a few Weeks later ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Her Aunt was off to the Theatre ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To see that Interesting Play ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage026", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "She had refused to take her Niece ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To hear this Entertaining Piece: ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "A Deprivation Just and Wise ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To Punish her for Telling Lies. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "That Night a Fire did break out—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "You should have heard Matilda Shout! ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "You should have heard her Scream and Bawl, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And throw the window up and call ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage027", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To People passing in the Street—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "(The rapidly increasing Heat ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Encouraging her to obtain ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Their confidence)—but all in vain! ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "For every time she shouted \"Fire!\" ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They only answered \"Little Liar!\"", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "And therefore when her Aunt returned, ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>
DisplayImage("text", "zpage028", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Matilda, and the House, were Burned. ", "") ?>
PoemEnd() ?>