The King's Breakfast

Alan Alexander Milne

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The King's Breakfast
The King asked
The Queen, and
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
"Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?"
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, "Certainly,
I'll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed."

The Dairymaid
She curtsied,
And went and told
The Alderney:
"Don't forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread."
The Alderney
Said sleepily:
"You'd better tell
His Majesty
That many people nowadays
Like marmalade
Instead."

The Dairymaid
Said, "Fancy!"
And went to
Her Majesty.
She curtsied to the Queen, and
She turned a little red:
"Excuse me,
Your Majesty,
For taking of
The liberty,
But marmalade is tasty, if
It's very
Thickly
Spread."

The Queen said
"Oh!:
And went to
His Majesty:
"Talking of the butter for
The royal slice of bread,
Many people
Think that
Marmalade
Is nicer.
Would you like to try a little
Marmalade
Instead?"

The King said,
"Bother!"
And then he said,
"Oh, deary me!"
The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"
And went back to bed.
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"

The Queen said,
"There, there!"
And went to
The Dairymaid.
The Dairymaid
Said, "There, there!"
And went to the shed.
The cow said,
"There, there!
I didn't really
Mean it;
Here's milk for his porringer,
And butter for his bread."

The Queen took
The butter
And brought it to
His Majesty;
The King said,
"Butter, eh?"
And bounced out of bed.
"Nobody," he said,
As he kissed her
Tenderly,
"Nobody," he said,
As he slid down the banisters,
"Nobody,
My darling,
Could call me
A fussy man -
BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"

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Comments3
  • dustymattingley

    I enjoyed reading "The King's Breakfast" by Alan Alexander Milne. The poem has a pleasant rhyming scheme and a humorous tone. I'm just curious, does anyone know if this poem was written for children or for adults to enjoy? I especially loved the part when the Alderney cow suggested marmalade as an alternative, and the Dairymaid's reaction: "Fancy!" It's a light-hearted poem that gives a glimpse of how even a simple request can cause a bit of a commotion in the royal court.

    • carmelomagnus12

      I ended up chuckling at this one, especially when the king says "'Nobody,' he said, As he slid down the banisters.' Imagining a king sliding down banisters just brings a nice silly charm. Do we know if this is more a comment on royal fussiness or human nature in general? The question about butter or marmalade has me thinking now, which do I prefer on my toast?

      • xgqkitty1407824

        Laughed at the Alderney's marmalade suggestion, a lighthearted choice!