Produced by Suzanne Shell, Christine D and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration:  Crest]

[Illustration:  Cover]

.Walter.Crane’s. .Picture.Books.

.The.
.Absurd. 
A.B.C

.John.Lane. .The.Bodley.Head. .London.&.New. .York.

The absurd ABC originally published 1874.

[Illustration:  ABCD]

A for the Apple
  or Alphabet pie,
Which all get a slice of. 
  Come taste it & try.

B is the baby
  who gave Mr Bunting
Full many a long day’s
  rabbit skin hunting.

C for the cat
  that played on the fiddle,
When cows jumped higher than
  ‘Heigh Diddle Diddle!’

D for the Dame
  with her pig at the stile,
’Tis said they got over,
  but not yet a while.

[Illustration:  EFG]

E for the Englishman,
  ready to make fast
The giant who wanted to
  have him for breakfast.

F for the Frog in the story
  you know,
Begun with a wooing but
  ending in woe.

G for Goosey Gander
  who wandered upstairs,
And met the old man
  who objected to prayers.

[Illustration:  HIJ]

H for poor Humpty who
  after his fall,
Felt obliged to resign his
  seat on the wall.

I for the Inn where they
  wouldn’t give beer,
To one with too much
  and no money, I fear.

J does for poor Jack and
  also for Jill,
Who had so disastrous
  a tumble down hill.

[Illustration:  KLMNOP]

K for calm Kitty, at dinner
  who sat,
While all the good folks
  watched the dog & the cat.

L for Little man, gun and
  bullets complete,
Who shot the poor duck, and
  was proud of the feat.

M for Miss Muffet, with
  that horrid spider,
Just dropped into tea and
  a chat beside her.

N for the Numerous children
  they who
Were often too much for
  their mother in Shoe.

O the Old person that
  cobwebs did spy,
And went up to sweep ’em
  Oh ever so high!

P for the Pie made of
  blackbirds to sing,
A song fit for supper
  a dish for a king.

[Illustration:  QRS]

Q for Queen Anne
  who sat in the sun
Till she, more than the lily
  resembled the bun

R stands for Richard &
  Robert, those men
Who didn’t get up one
  fine morning till ten!

S for the Snail that showed
  wonderful fight,
Putting no less than twenty-four
  tailors to flight!

[Illustration:  TUV]

T stands for Tom, the son of
  the piper,
May his principles change
  as his years grow riper.