by Sarah Huth

Created on: July 11, 2008   Last Updated: July 13, 2008

Children have always been captivated by tales of talking animals, especially when they're doing silly things or going on adventures that adults simply dismiss as "nonsense". Films, books, and even poetry geared towards children often times casts these whimsical creatures as their protagonists; it's a theme that's been occurring for hundreds of years. Look at Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, or almost any Disney film; the highly popular "Finding Nemo" focused on a clown fish, for goodness sakes! However, children are drawn by these stories, mainly due to the fact that they offer them a world where anything can happen; a world of pure imagination and silliness. Often times, as we grow older and learn the harsh truths of reality, we abandon these worlds of make-believe in hopes of finding a more realistic solution that might help us get ahead and succeed. Yet children do not have to worry about these things, and are free to sink into a carefree, imaginative world whenever they please. For this reason, the whimsical tale of "The Owl and the Pussycat" has remained a beloved children's classic for nearly one hundred and fifty years. It was penned by Edward Lear (1812-1888), who was famous for writing "nonsense" poems and stories, and was a gift for the child of Edward Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby. Lear's own life was full of illness and suffering; he endured epileptic seizures, asthma, and partial blindness. Perhaps this disenchantment with his own reality led him to plunge himself into writing such light, imaginative tales, allowing him to escape into the fantasy worlds that he had created.

"The Owl and the Pussycat" follows the tale of an Owl and a Cat, going off on a grand adventure together. The two set sail in a "beautiful pea green boat", taking "some honey" and "plenty of money", wrapping it all up in "a five pound note". As they float along on the water underneath the stars, the Owl produces a guitar and begins to sing to the Pussycat. It becomes clear that the two are in love, as the Owl serenades the Pussycat, telling her how beautiful she is as they continue to sail away. The Pussycat is highly flattered, telling the Owl that he is an "elegant fowl", and that she finds his singing charming. She begs that they get married, but then grows upset, for she realizes that they don't have a ring. The two continue to sail for a year and a day, living only on their honey, until they reach the "land where the Bong-tree grows". Upon landing, they enter

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