Pogo

I have been reminded of Walt Kelly's contribution to The Season. Not only did he give us "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie," he gave us some true weirdness on the theme of reindeer names. Although I don't recall Sandy Claws the Bear's real name. Ah well. If you do, let me know.

Deck Us All With Boston Charlie
To the tune of "Deck the Halls".

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla Wash., and Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
swaller dollar cauliflower alleygaroo!
Don't we know archaic barrel,
Lullabye, Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou.
Trolley Molly don't love Harold,
boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
Copyright Walt Kelly, some year, I'm sure...I just did this from memory, so don't ask me just now.

(And there's a second verse Houn'dog tells Churchy is the original version, and starts singing it at him...)

Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Polly wolly cracker 'N' toodaloo!
Hunky Dory's pop is lolly-
gaggin' on the wagon, Willy, folly go through!
Donkey bonny brays a carol,
antelope, canteloup ~~~lope with you!
Chollie's collie barks at Barrow
Harum scarum five alarum bungaloo.

Again, copyright Walt Kelly. I'm stumped, however, on when. I found a bit of this in a Pogo book, but Houn'dog gets interrupted and never finished it. Churchy says "next year!" or something, but that's all I could find. The still-alive and brilliant Dave Kirby, however, posted the above on alt.fan.pratchett, and included the following note:

"(Using the original spelling, punctuation, and capitalization of hizzoner the late, and still very much missed, Walt Kelly.)"

So I have duly corrected my own mistakes, in an act of blind and dubious faith. Many thanks-- well, at least one big one-- to Dave Kirby.

I have also found a lovely website on the matter, namely here. More complete than me, but if you think my background colour is garish, I'll warn you-- this one has a green that hunts down chartreuse and drinks it for breakfast. Er.

Now, the reindeer thing.

For reasons I won't go into just here, Bear (whose name I've forgotten-- Pogo calls him "Mr. Bear" at one point, and that's all I can find just now, unless isn't he P.T. Barnum? Or is that someone else?) is playing Santa, and his reindeer are played by Pogo and Churchy. Bear has just appointed Churchy Head Reindeer...

B: Now, now, stop buttering up the boss... Jus' do your reindeerin' with pride.

C: Oh, I am proud.

B: I wants reindeers what is proud and Manly, light of foot, quick of eye.

C (to P): I'll be Proud if you'll be Manly, Stanley.

B: In my day, reindeers was spry. Spry and nimble, dainty and quick!

C (to P): He's right! The reindeers was Spry and Nimble, Dainty and Quick, Prancer and Dancer, Dasher and Nixon. An' who else?

P (to C): Man o' War?

B (oblivious): Cheerful and lively.

C (to P): I don't recall Cheerful an' Lively.

B (leapfrogging onto a roof): Floated lightly to rooftops. (Smashes the house.)

Miz Rabbit: Now look what you did to my nice clean floor! (Chases B with mop) You mens is all alike! Heavy-footed clummoxes.

P (to C): How about Heavy Foot an' Clummox?

C (to P): Dasher, Smasher, Dunder, Blitzen, an' Clummox?

It doesn't hurt any that the reindeer say "jingle jingle" most of the way, it being their only line, but after a while they work it round to "ding." I don't know why, but that's always been a favourite of mine.