Biographies

Listen to the poem in English

Biographies by Dorothy Parker
(from Enough Rope, 1926)

Now this is the story of Lucy Brown,
A glittering jewel in virtue’s crown.
From earliest youth, she aspired to please.
She never fell down and dirtied her knees;
She put all her pennies in savings banks;
She never omitted her “please” and “thanks”;
She swallowed her spinach without a squawk;
And patiently listened to Teacher’s talk;
She thoughtfully stepped over worms and ants;
And earnestly watered the potted plants;
She didn’t dismember expensive toys;
And never would play with the little boys.

And when to young womanhood Lucy came
Her mode of behavior was just the same.
She always was safe in her home at dark;
And never went riding around in the park;
She wouldn’t put powder upon her nose;
And petticoats sheltered her spotless hose;
She knew how to market and mend and sweep;
By quarter-past ten, she was sound asleep;
In presence of elders, she held her tongue –
The way people did when the world was young.

And people remarked, in benign accord,
“You’ll see that she gathers her just reward,”
Observe, their predictions were more than fair.
She married an affluent millionaire
So gallant and handsome and wise and gay,
And rated in Bradstreet at Double A.*
And she lived with him happily all her life,
And made him a perfectly elegant wife.

2

Now Marigold Jones, from her babyhood,
Was as bad as the model Miss Brown was good.
She stuck out her tongue at her grieving nurse;
She frequently rifled her Grandma’s purse;
She banged on the table and broke the plates;
She jeered at the passing inebriates;
And tore all her dresses and ripped her socks’
And shattered the windows with fair-sized rocks;
The words on the fences she’d memorize;
She blackened her dear little brother’s eyes;
And cut off her sister’s abundant curls;
And never would play with the little girls.

And when she grew up – as is hardly strange –
Her manner of life underwent no change
But faithfully followed her childhood plan.
And once there was talk of a married man!
She sauntered in public in draperies
Affording no secrecy to her knees;
She constantly uttered what was not true;
She flirted and petted, or what have you;
And, tendered advice by her kind Mamma,
Her answer, I shudder to state, was “Blah!”
And people remarked, in sepulchral tones,
“You’ll see what becomes of Marigold Jones.”
Observe, their predictions were more than fair.

She married an affluent millionaire
So gallant and handsome and wise and gay,
And rated in Bradstreet at Double A.*
And she lived with him happily all her life,
And made him a perfectly elegant wife.

*rated in Bradstreet as Double A: Bradstreet (now known as Dun & Bradstreet) is a corporation providing commercial data and analytics for businesses. It now ranks businesses alphabetically and numerically from 1-100 into Risk Categories – the higher the rating, the lower the risk that the rated business will be unable to make payments. A Double A rating would signify that an individual or company was very safe to do business with.