The Tale of Custard the Dragon —by Ogden Nash (Poetry)

Stanzawise Explanations

Stanza 1

Belinda lived in a little white house,

With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,

And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,

And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.

Word Meaning

• Wagon : a carriage, a cart;
• Realio : really;
• Trulio – truly.

Explanation

Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets –a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog, and a little dragon. She also had a little red wagon. In the last lineof the stanza, ‘realio’ and ‘trulio’ are used by the poet as an expression for the little dragon meaning ‘really’ and ‘truly respectively.

Stanza 2

Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,

And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,

And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,

But the dragon was a coward,

and she called him Custard.

Explanation

The name of the little black kitten was Ink and the name of the little grey mouse was Blink. The name of the little dog was Mustard because its colour was sharp yellow just like thatof mustard. The dragon was a coward whom Belinda called Custard.

Stanza 3

Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,

And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, 

Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,

And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.

Word Meaning

• Spikes : a thin pointed structures on the body;
• Scales : small hard flat pieces of skin on the bodies of animals;
• Fireplace : the place where fire is burnt to keep the house warm;
• Chimney : a long pipe that opens on the roof to let out the smoke released from the fireplace;
• Dagger : small sword

Explanation

Custard, the dragon has big sharp teeth, spikes on his top and scales on his stomach. His mouth has been compared to a fireplace because dragons can release fire from their mouth. His nose is compared to a chimney from which smoke comes out. His toes are so pointed and sharp that they could cut anything like adagger.

Stanza 4

Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,

And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs, 

Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,

But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Word Meaning 

• barrel : drum (usually used for keeping liquids);
• rage : anger

Explanation

In these lines, the poet compares the bravery of all the characters of the poem. Belinda’s bravery has been compared to the bravery of a group of bears. Ink and Blink, despite being so small in size, have the power to chase away lions down the stairs. Mustard’s bravery has been compared with that of an angry tiger. But, Custard is completely opposite to all of them. He was a coward who always demanded a safe cage.

Stanza 5

Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful, 

Ink, Blink andMustard, they rudely called himPercival,

They all sat laughing in the little red wagon

At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.

Word Meaning

Tickle : to touch (a body part) lightly to cause laughter; Percival : a warrior in king Arthur’s court;

Explanation

Belinda used to tickle Custard cruelly. Ink, Blink and Mustard made fun of Custard by comparing him to Percival. Percival was one of the best knights of King Arthur’s court who was known for his courage and bravery. All of them sat together in the little red wagon and made fun of Custard. They used to laugh at his cowardice.

Stanza 6

Belinda giggled till she shook the house, 

AndBlink saidWeeck!, which is giggling for amouse,

Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,

When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Word Meaning

Giggling : laughing

Explanation

Belinda laughed a lot at the dragon. She laughed so hard that it seemed that the house was shaking due to her laughter. Blink, the mouse used to laugh and make a sound of ‘Weeck’. Ink and Mustard rudely asked the dragon’s age to make fun of him, while the dragon cried for a nice safe cage for himself.

Stanza 7

Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound, 

And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.

Meowch! cried Ink, and Ooh! cried Belinda,

For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.

Word Meaning

• Nasty : unpleasant;
• Growled : the sound by animals;
• Pirate : dacoit, robber;
• Winda : window

Explanation

While all of them were busy making fun of the dragon, they heard an unpleasant sound in the house. Mustard, the dog started growling and they all looked around. Ink cried ‘Meowch’ and Belinda cried ‘Ooh’ as they saw a pirate climbingthe window of the house.

Stanza 8

Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,

And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,

His beard was black, one leg was wood;

It was clear that the pirate meant no good.

Word Meaning

• Cutlass : a small sword with a slightly curved blade

Explanation

The appearance of the pirate seemed very dangerous. He was carrying pistols in both hands and he was carrying a small sword between his teeth. He had black beard and his one leg was of wood. His looks made it very clear to the housemates that the pirate meant to harm the people and pets living there.

Stanza 9

Belinda paled, and she cried, Help! Help!

But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,

Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,

And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.

Word Meaning

• Paled : became pale yellow due to fear;
• Yelp : cry;
• Trickled : stepped down;
• Mouseholed : holes made by a mouse (it is not a word but has been made into a word to fit the rhyming scheme)

Explanation

Belinda became pale with fear after seeing the pirate and cried for help. All her brave pets could not help her and everyone ran away from there. Mustard made a huge cry and ran away. Ink ran down towards the bottom of the house and Blink very smartly ran into his hole.

Stanza 10

But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine, 

Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,

With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm

He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.

Word Meaning

• Snorting : huge sound made through nose; 
• Clashed : striked;
• Dungeon : an underground prison;
• Clatter and a clank and a jangling : sounds of two metals striking;
• Squirm : to move in a twisted manner;
• Robin : a bird.

Explanation

When everyone ran away on seeing the pirate, it was the coward dragon, Custard, who came to rescue Belinda and fought the pirate bravely. He jumped in front of the pirate and made a loud snorting sound through his nose like an engine. He started to move his tail powerfully producing a sound like iron or metals striking in a dungeon (prison). With all these dangerous sounds, he followed the pirate like a bird follows a worm.

Stanza 11

The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon,

And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon,

He fired two bullets but they didn’t hit,

And Custard gobbled him, every bit.

Word Meaning

• Gaped : stared with mouth wide open; 
• Gulped : swallowed;
• Grog : wine;
• Flagon : a container made of silver in which drink is stored;
• Gobbled : swallowed

Explanation

The pirate was shocked by the dragon’s reaction. He stared at Belinda’s dragon with his mouth open. He drank some wine from a container that he carried in his pocket. The pirate then took out his pistol and fired two bullets at Custard. But, he failed to hit him. Finally, Custard ate the pirate.

Stanza 12

Belinda embraced him,

Mustard licked him,

No one mourned for his pirate victim Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate

Around the dragon that ate the pirate.

Word Meaning

• Embrace : to hug;
• Licked : to touch with tongue;
• Mourned – to grieve;
• Glee : happiness;
• Gyrate : make circular movements. 

Explanation

Everyone celebrated the death of the pirate. Belinda hugged Custard and Mustard licked him affectionally. No one felt sorrow for the pirate’s death. Ink and Blink started dancing in joy around the dragon who had eaten the pirate.

Stanza 13

But presently up spoke little dog Mustard, 

I’dhave been twice as brave ifI hadn’t been flustered.

And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,

We’d have been three times as brave, we think, 

And Custard said, I quite agree That everybody is braver than me

Word Meaning

• Flustered : got nervous 

Explanation

The incident clarifies who is coward and who is brave. Mustard said that he would have been twice as brave as Custard if he had not been panicked. After this, Ink and Blink said that they would have been thrice as brave as Custard. Custard agreed and said that everybody was braver than him.

Stanza 14-15

Belinda still lives in her little white house,

with her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,

And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,

And her realio, trulio little pet dragon. 

Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,

And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs, Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,

But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.

Explanation

Stanza 14 and 15 are an almost repetition of Stanza 1and4. There is only one difference that stanza 1and4present the condition of the housemates in the past and stanza 14 and 15 present their condition after the pirate incident. The situation has not changed at all. Everything has gone back to normal with Belinda and her three ‘brave’ pets making fun of the ”coward”, pet dragon.

Reference – @Arihant