Jabberwocky
Hand out copies
of the poem and ask students to underline the words in the first
stanza that they know. Then read out the poem aloud. Tell students
that all the words besides and, all, the, did, in, and
were are nonsense words and ask them to replace them
by mother tongue sounding words of their own choosing.
Let them read
out loud their own versions. Afterwards hand out one or more versions
of mother tongue translations and let students discuss which version
they like best.
Jabberwocky
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
`Twas brillig,
and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his
vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in
uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two!
One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And,
has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.