Bevis of Hampton slays a flying adder with a spear handle

Bevis of Hampton slays a flying adder with a spear handle, an illustration by John Vernon Lord for 'Bevis of Hampton' in British Myths and Legends, edited by Richard Barber, The Folio Society, 1998.

A boy writes on a blackboard

A boy writes on a blackboard, an illustration by JVL in 'Forward!', a Russian Course Book, 

Schools Council Publication, 1971.

Bill the Lizard

Bill the Lizard, an illustration by John Vernon Lord in 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Artists' Choice Editions, 2009.

The Text:

The twelve jurors were all writing very busily on slates. 'What are

they doing?' Alice whispered to the Gryphon. 'They can't have

anything to put down yet, before the trial's begun.'

 'They're putting down their names,' the Gryphon whispered in

reply, 'for fear they should forget them before the end of the trial.'

'Stupid things!' Alice began in a loud, indignant voice, but she

stopped hastily, for the White Rabbit cried out, 'Silence in the court!'

and the King put on his spectacles and looked anxiously round, to

make out who was talking.

Alice could see, as well as if she were looking over their shoulders,

that all the jurors were writing down 'stupid things!' on their slates,

and she could even make out that one of them didn't know how to

spell 'stupid,' and that he had to ask his neighbour to tell him. 'A

nice muddle their slates'll be in before the trial's over!' thought

Alice.

One of the jurors had a pencil that squeaked. This of course, Alice

could not stand, and she went round the court and got behind him,

and very soon found an opportunity of taking it away. She did it so

quickly that the poor little juror (it was Bill, the Lizard) could not

make out at all what had become of it; so, after hunting all about for

it, he was obliged to write with one finger for the rest of the day;

and this was of very little use, as it left no mark on the slate.

'The Scroobious Pip'

'The Scroobious Pip', an illustration by John Vernon Lord in 

The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2013.

The full text of this unfinished poem was first published posthumously in a publication entitled: Teapots and Quails, John Murray, 1953.

The Scroobious Pip went out one day

When the grass was green, and the sky was grey.

Then all the beasts in the world came round

When the Scroobious Pip sat down on the ground.

     The cat and the dog and the kangaroo

     The sheep and the cow and the guineapig too--

     The wolf he howled, the horse he neighed

     The little pig squeaked and the donkey brayed,

     And when the lion began to roar

     There never was heard such a noise before.

     And every beast he stood on the tip

     Of his toes to look a the Scroobious Pip.

At last they said to the Fox - "By far,

You're the wisest beast! You know you are!

Go close to Scroobious Pip and say,

Tell us all about yourself we pray-

For as yet we can't make out in the least

If you're Fish or Insect, or Bird or Beast."

The Scroobious Pip looked vaguelyy round

And sang these words with a rumbling sound-

     Chippetty Flip; Flippetty Chip;-

My only name is the Scroobious Pip.

2

The Scroobious Pip from the top of a tree

Saw the distant Jellybolee,-

And all the birds in the world came there,

Flying in crowds all through the air.

     The Vulture and Eagle, the cock and the hen

     The Ostrich the Turkey the Snipe and the Wren;

     The Parrot chattered, the Blackbird sung

     And the owl looked wise bu held his tongue,

     And when the Peacock began to scream

     The hullabaloo was quite extreme.

     And every bird he fluttered the tip

     Of his wng as he stared at the Scroobious Pip.

At last they said to the owl- "By far,

You're the wisest Bird -- you know you are!

Fly close to the Scroobious Pip and say,

Explain all about yourself we paray-

For as yet we have neither seen nor heard

If you're fish or insect, beast or bird!"

The Scroobious Pip looked gaily round

And sang these words with a chirpy sound-

     Chippetty Flip; Flippetty Chip;-

My only name is the Scroobious Pip.

3

The Scroobious Pip went into the sea

By the beautiful shore of Jellybolee-

All the fish in the world swam round

With a splashing squashy spluttering sound.

     The sprat, the herring, the turbot too

     The shark, the sole and the mackerel blue,

     The flounder spluttered, the purpoise puffed

 

     And when the whale began to spout   

     And every fish he shook the tip

     Of his tail as he gazed on the Scroobious Pip

At last they said to the whale- "By far

You're the biggest Fish - you know you are!

Swim close to the Scroobious Pip and say-

Tell us all about yourself we pray!-

For to know you yourself is our only wish;

Are you beast or insect, bird or fish?"

The Scroobious Pip looked softly round

And sung these words with a liquid sound-

     Pliffity Flip; Pliffety Flip;-

My only name is the Scroobious Pip.

4

The scroobious Pip sat under a tree

By the silent shores of the Jellybolee;

All the insects in all the world

About the Scroobious Pip entwirled.

     Beetles and     with purple eyes

     Gnats and buzztilential flies-

     Grasshoppers, butterflies, spiders too,

     Wasps and bees and dragon-flies blue,

     And when the gnats began to hum

          bounced like a dismal drum,

     And every insect curled the tip

     Of his snout, and looked a the Scroobious Pip.

At last the said to the Ant - "By far

You're the wisest insect, you know you are!

Creep close to the Scroobious Pip and say-

Tell us all about yourself we pray,

For we can't find out, and we can't tell why-

If you're beast or fish or a bird or a fly."

The Scroobious Pip turned quickly round

And sang these words with a whistly sound

     Wizzeby wip - wizzeby wip--

My only name is the Scroobious Pip.

5

Then all the beasts that walk on the ground

Danced in a circle round and round-

And all the birds that fly in the air

Flew round and round in a circle there,

And all the fish in the Jellybolee

Swum in a circle about the sea,

And all the insects that creep or go

Buzzed in a circle to and fro.

And they roared and sang and whistled and cried

Till the noise was heard from side to side-

     Chippetty tip! Chippetty tip!

It's only name is the Scroobious Pip.

[from Teapots and Quails]

'The Quangle Wangle's Hat'

'The Quangle Wangle's Hat', an illustration by John Vernon Lord in 

The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape 1984.

Four interlacement motifs

Four interlacement motifs by JVL drawn for books in the 1980s 1980s

Two interlacement motifs

Two interlacement motifs by JVL drawn for books in the 1980s 1980s

Gregor Mendel

Gregor Mendel, an illustration by JVL in Biology and the Social Crisis, 

by JK Brierley, Heinemann, 1967

Daniel shine his torch for Rock

Daniel shine his torch for Rock, the Dinosaur; an illustration by JVL 

in Dinosaurs Don't Die by Ann Coates, 1970.

'Hare'

'Hare', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Adele David in 

The Song that Sings the Bird, poems for young children chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989.

'Charm Against an Egg-Boat'

'Charm Against an Egg-Boat', an illustration by JVL in The Song that Sings the Bird, 

a collection of poems for young children chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989.

(Note: This is the 300th post on the blog).

The Text:

You must break the shell to bits, for fear

The witches should make it a boat, my dear;

For over the sea, away from home,

Far by night the witches roam.

Anon

Logo for the Ditchling Health Centre Support Group

Logo for the Ditchling Health Centre Support Group, designed by JVL in the 1990s.

Four strange fellows

Four strange fellows, a drawing by JVL, 1978. These were practice drawings as to how I thought I might illustrate The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, a book that was published by Jonathan Cape in 1984.

'Marmalade, Wheelbarrow, Camberwell'

'Marmalade, Wheelbarrow, Camberwell' - a diary spread by JVL, January 1984.

'The Rise and Fall of the Navy',

'The Rise and Fall of the Navy', an illustration by JVL for the book review page 

of the magazine Punch, 1969.

Carpenters and sawyers construct siege engines

Carpenters and sawyers construct siege engines - an illustration by JVL 

for 'Godfrey of Boulogne' in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

Raoul's and John's hearts were placed on a shield

Raoul's and John's hearts were placed on a shield; an illustration by JVL 

for 'Raoul of Cambrai' in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

The Text:

And took their hearts, or so the geste instructs;

Upon a shield whose gold shone in the sun,

He placed both hearts, and in comparison

Big John's was small, more like a child's it was, 

While Raouil's heart outstripped an ox's one.

'Richard took his sword, looked round and the devil rose up'

'Richard took his sword, looked round and the devil rose up', an illustration by JVL 

for 'The Deeds of the Norman People' in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

The Giant Jam Sandwich covers

The Giant Jam Sandwich covers from 1972 to the present, 

story and illustrations by John Vernon Lord (set to verse by Janet Burroway), 

first published by Jonathan Cape  in 1972.

The book has been in print for 42 years. My first cover of 1972 (top left) showed a wasp perched on a stump (bottom right had corner). This was to show the scene as a prelude to the story without giving anything away. Future editions (when the covers have been designed by others) have tended to partly give the story away by showing later events.

'Many heads, arms and shoulders were struck off at one stroke'

'Many heads, arms and shoulders were struck off at one stroke', an illustration by JVL, 

for 'The Deeds of the Norman people' in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

Frontispiece for Epics of the Middle Ages

Frontispiece by JVL for Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

The archer aims his arrow at the King's hound

The archer aims his arrow at the King's hound, an illustration by JVL  for 'The Bruce' 

in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

Rou's vision on a mountain top

Rou's vision on a mountain top, an illustration by JVL for 'Deeds of the Norman People' 

in Epics of The Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005.

Girart leans against his sword as he escapes the battle field

Girart leans against his sword as he escapes the battle field, 

an illustration by John Vernon Lord  for 'The Song of William', 

in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005

Roland strikes the rock

Roland strikes the rock, an illustration by John Vernon Lord  for 'The Song of Roland', 

in Epics of the Middle Ages, The Folio Society, 2005