Adventures of Isabel
by Ogden Nash
The Poem :
"Isabel met an enormous bear,
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care;
The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.
Once in a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
the witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry,
She showed no rage and she showed no rancour,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.
Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self-reliant.
The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forehead.
Good morning, Isabel, the giant said,
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She nibbled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.
Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.
Summary of the Poem :
Here in this poem, the poet Ogden Nash has told us about a fictitious little brave girl. Her name is Isabel. She has faced an enormous bear, a wicked old witch, a hideous giant and a troublesome doctor respectably.
The bear was very hungry with his big mouth. It was a huge starving bear. The witch was old and wicked. Her face was cross and wrinkled. Her gums with teeth were sprinkled. The giant was hideous and hairy. He had one eye in the middle of his forehead. The doctor was very troublesome. He kept punching and poking Isabel. His talk was with cough and chill. His bag was full of pills.
First of all, the enormous bear wanted to eat her up. But Isabel did not get frightened at all. Rather she straightened her hair and then ate up the bear itself. Then she met with the old witch who wished to turn her into an ugly toad. This time also Isabel did not worry. She turned the witch into milk and drank her. Next, Isabel came across a hideous beast and it tried to grind Isabel's bones to make bread. As usual, Isabel did not worry and she cut off the giant's head.
Finally, Isabel met a troublesome doctor. The doctor tried to give Isabel some pills to make her well. Then Isabel took those pills and gave them to the doctor and cured him.
Comprehension
Answer the following questions.
1. What did Isabel do before she ate the bear?
= Before she ate the bear, Isabel washed her hand and straightened her hair.
2. What did the witch look like?
= The witch was old and wicked. Her face was cross and wrinkled. Her gums with teeth were sprinkled.
3. How did Isabel deal with the witch?
= Without showing any anger or hatred, Isabel turned the witch into milk and drank her.
4. What did the giant want to do to Isabel?
= The giant wanted to grind the bones of Isabel and make bread out of it.
5. What was Isabel doing during her meeting with the giant?
= Isabel was nibbling the zwieback, a kind of rusk or biscuit during her meeting with the giant.
6. What did the doctor want Isabel to do?
= The doctor wanted Isabel to take some pills which he gave her.
7. How did Isabel deal with the doctor?
= Isabel took those pills of the doctor and she gave them to him and cured his illness.
These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.
8. Do all the characters that Isabell meets in the way that you would expect them to?
= Yes, all the characters whom Isabel meets behave in the way that I would expect them to.
The bear behaves in its usual cruel and fierce manner and the old witch also behaves in her usual evil manner. Even the giant was horrid as we can expect. That doctor also talked about cough and chills. He wants to cure Isabel's problems as she is behaving unusual way. She does all those adventurous activities which she is not supposed to do.
9. What details from the poem show us that Isabel is self-reliant?
= Here in this poem, the poet Ogden Nash has told us about a fictitious little brave girl who is very self-reliant. Her name is Isabel. She has faced an enormous bear, a wicked old witch, a hideous giant and a troublesome doctor respectably. The following incidents will show us that she is a fearless and self-reliant girl.
First of all, the enormous bear wanted to eat her up. But Isabel did not get frightened at all. Rather she straightened her hair and then ate up the bear itself. Then she met with the old witch who wished to turn her into an ugly toad. This time also Isabel did not worry. She turned the witch into milk and drank her. Next, Isabel comes across a hideous beast and it tried to grind Isabel's bones to make bread. As usual, Isabel did not worry and she cut off the giant's head.
Finally, Isabel met a trouble some doctor. The doctor tried to give Isabel some pills to make her well. Then Isabel took those pills and gave them to the doctor and cured him.
About the Poet :
Ogden Nash (1902-1971) was an American poet known for writing light, comic verse. He wrote over 500 comic poems. From a young age, he loved to rhyme and make up or adapt words if he could not find one that rhymed.