Living
A Mistake
Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland (1900) · From Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes (1900)
Living
A scarred-eyed man,
He went to the fair,
He picked up a turnip
And thought it was a pear;
He took a big bite,
But found it was bitter,
And, oh, what a pity,
He threw it in the gutter.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “A Mistake.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/109/.
Chicago
Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “A Mistake.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/109/.
Read this poem with the Codex →