For the longest time, I’d assumed A.A. Milne wrote this poem from my childhood. But no, it turns out that Beatrice Curtis Brown wrote it. Brown is long dead, and her books appear to be out of print, so I’ll share it here:
Poor old Jonathan Bing
Went out in his carriage to visit the King,
But everyone pointed and said, “Look at that!
Jonathan Bing has forgotten his hat!”
(He’d forgotten his hat!)Poor old Jonathan Bing
Went home and put on a new hat for the King,
But by the palace the soldier said, “Hi!
You can’t see the King; you’ve forgotten your tie!”
(He’d forgotten his tie!)Poor old Jonathan Bing,
He put on a beautiful tie for the King,
But when he arrived, and Archbishop said, “Ho!
You can’t come to court in pajamas, you know!”Poor old Jonathan Bing
Went home and addressed a short note to the King:
“If you please will excuse me, I won’t come to tea;
For home’s the best place for all people like me!”
luv thhis poam
Growing up in McAlester, Oklahoma my best friend Lucy and I took elecution after school. Louise Wilkes was our teacher and I’m sure it was her passion as well as a means of making a bit of extra change. Among some of the wonderful poems I remember was”Jonathan Bing” along with “The Pobble Who Had No Toes”, “Little Orphan Annie”, “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Boy Blue”. We always sobbed our way through “Little Boy Blue”. It certainly made an impact on our young lives. I’m in my mid 70′s and still remember almost every line. Great memories…..those days!
Today I was looking for a copy of this poem for my grandchildren. I hadn’t thought about it for years. I always remembered the title and author and have often looked for it in the library, but never found it. The original source had long since disappeared fom my home and I forgot a few of the lines.
When my first daughter, Lisa, was in Kindergarten, in 1963, I had her memorize the poem, Jonathon Bing by Beatrice Curtis Brown. She went to school and stood in front of the class and recited the whole poem, complete with dramatized gestures. She always stared out with the title and author of the poem, so I always rememberd that. Today a lightening bolt hit me and I thought of the computer to fing the poem. Add here we are. Lisa is a teacher in Mass. now and I will send her a copy of this and hope she remembers it after 45 years.
I had a few typos in my message above, and I would like to correct them. In the second paragraph, ,,,,,,line 4 “started” not “stated”; and line 6, “remembered”; line 7, find”, not “fing”; and “and”, not “add. My arthritis must have gotten the best of me above!
Does anyone know about:
When Jonathan Bing was young they say
he skipped his school and ran away
sat in the meadow and twiddles his thumbs…….
It is the very earliest poem that I still remember (about 55 years ago!!). I’d love to find the original poem.
When Jonathan Bing was young, they say,
He skipped his school and ran away.
He sat on the meadow and twittled his thumbs
And Never learned grammar, or spelling, or sums.
So now if you ask him to add one to two,
“Explain what you mean,” he’ll answer to you,
“Do you mean tomorrow, for that’s too bad
And what sort of sum do you want me to add?”
“For there was one who was first when the race was won
because he ran too fast for the rest to run.
But if two had one when the race was through,
I’d say your answer was won by two.”
“Oh Jonathan Bing, you haven’t the trick
Of doing sums or arithmetic.”
“Oh give me the chance, just one more try,”
Said Jonathan Bing with a tear in his eye.
“Very well Jonathan, try once more,
Add up one hundred and Seventy-four.”
“One hundred and seventy four,” said he,
Why that’s a great age for a person to be!”
I can’t find the author, unfortunately. It’s a very sweet poem.
The name of this poem is Jonathon Bing does Arithmetic by Beatrice Curtis Brown. Published in a book titled Jonathan Bing that includes 18 Jonathan Bing poems. Publisher is Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, Co, Inc, New York. Text copyright 1986. Copyright 1936 by Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 68-14074.
I found this little book at a book fair. It had been withdrawn from public library.
I think my grandchildren will enjoy Jonathan Bing too.
Thank you for putting Jonathan Bing on the internet. My Great-Grandmother taught me this poem when I was very young… I had thought about it occassionally and tried to remember the words. I appreciate the memories reading this has given me…
I was just at work and saw a Public Hearing of the New York State Assembly authored by Jonathan Bing, Member of New York State Assembly…and I thought to myself, hmmmm…..didn’t my Grandmother used to tell us a poem about poor old Jonathan Bing? So happy to remember it again, and happy to find it here to enjoy once more!
I asked my uncle, a leading Australian illustrator, to paint this poem in the 60s, which he did. His interpretation differed from mine, but the painting is delightful.
Apparently there are at least three poems about Jonathan Bing. As a child, I had a set of Childcraft Encyclopedias (this was mid 1950s) that contained the first poem quoted above and the following:
Oh, Jonathan Bing, oh, Bingathon Jon!
Forgets where he’s going and thinks he has gone.
He wears his false teeth on the top of his head,
And always stands up when he’s sleeping in bed.
Oh, Jonathan Bing has a curious way
Of trying to walk into yesterday.
“If I end with my breakfast and start with my tea,
I ought to be able to do it,” says he.
Oh, Jonathan Bing is a miser, they say,
For be likes to save trouble and put it away.
“If I never get up in the morning,” he said,
“I shall save all the trouble of going to bed!”
“Oh, Jonathan Bing, what a way to behave!
And what do you do with the trouble you save’”
“I wrap it up neatly and send it by post
To my friends and relations who need it the most.”
I’d never heard the version posted by Jim until this evening (well, morning, actually, as it’s 1:00 a.m.), but I have now seen it twice. I suspect that it, like the other two, is also by Beatrice Curtis Brown. And, Peg – my first response to a search for “Jonathan Bing” brought up the Assemblyman’s website.
Reading poems on Jonathan Bing trancends me back to old school days,filled with fun.There’s one particular poem on JB that i particularly love. Though i fail to remember the entire poem,it goes
on in this fashion:
O Jonathan Bing, O Bingathan Jon,
Does’nt know where he’s going
And thinks he has gone
He wears his false teeth on top of his head,
And always stands up while sleeping on bed.
Our Jonathan Bing has a funny way
Of trying to walk into yesterday,
If i start with my breakfast and end with my tea,
I ought to be able to do it says he.
O Jonathan Bing what a way to behave
And what do you do with the troubles you save?
I wrap them neatly and send them by post
To my friends & relations, who need it the most.
My mother read Jonathan Bing and other poetry to me when I was three and four. I’m now 81 and could remember only the first verse. How especially delightful to make his reacquaintance. I’ll pass it along to my great grandchildren. Jonathan Bing’s inattentionn to detail is a fascination.
Thank you ever so much for this journey into yesteryear.
Roger Davies
Thank you ever so much for this journey into my yesteryears of 3 – 4. I am now 81.
Jonathan Bing and Radiator Lions were my two favorite poems when aged three and four. My mother read poetry to me every night at bedtime. She was a gem. Left Earth when I was five. And Oh! the precious memories this poem recalls. Thank you ever so much.
Respectfully, Roger N. Davies
I remembered the first stanza since Gr 3 (1968). there was a drawing accompanying the poem showing him standing up in bed and the false teeth on his head.
I had a book when I was a child 75 yeas ago and it had Jonathan Bing in it and I love to read it. I wish I still had that book which I am sure is out of Print. I even remembered some of the lines. My favorite is the one when he went to visit the king.