Langford Reed’s Nan of Nantucket

The original form of an infamous limerick.

An excerpt from the 1924 classic The Complete Limerick Book with enhanced illustrations by H. M. Bateman.

This delightful series was commenced by an unknown student at Princeton whose effort appeared in the College journal, “The Princeton Tiger.” The story was carried on by various famous newspapers until it developed into a Limerickal “serial” of ten “episodes.” The editor regrets to notice, however, that the villain contrived to escape punishment for his fell deeds, and has ventured, therefore, to repair this injustice by drastically disposing of him in London! He hopes his American friends will forgive him. In the case of two of the verses in the series he is unable to trace the names of the journals in which they originally appeared.

The man so hansom he has to beat the girls off with a stick.

The Nan of Nantucket

There was once a man from Nantucket

Who kept all his cash in a bucket,

But his daughter, named Nan,

Ran away with a man,

And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

— Princeton Tiger

But he followed the pair to Pawtucket —

The man and the girl with the bucket;

And he said to the man

He was welcome to Nan,

But as for the bucket, Pawtucket.

— Chicago Tribune

Then the pair followed Pa to Manhasset,

Where he still held the cash as an asset;

But Nan and the man

Stole the money and ran,

And as for the bucket, Manhasset.

— New York Press

The pair then went on to Natick,

Where the man thought he might turn a trick;

They had nothing to pawn,

As the bucket was gone,

And the people would give them Natick.

— Boston Transcript

Pa’s wife joined the party at Lima,

So glum she appeared, they said “Fie, ma!”

But she raved, “You well know

That the bucket of dough

Is mine.” Nan exclaimed, “How you Lima!”

— New York Sun

So they beat their way up to Woonsocket,

Where the judge found their names on the docket;

When ’twas over, the man

Remarked sadly to Nan:

Gee! Didn’t the legal Woonsocket!”

— Chicago Record-Herald

But they came to the river, Shetucket,

And they still had the cash in the bucket;

’Twas a sad, sad affair:

Nan left the man there,

And as for the bucket, Shetucket.

— New Haven Register

Pa followed Nan, next, to Jamaica,

Where a copper did soon overtake her.

“Where’s the bucket?” he cried.

“Won’t tell,” Nan replied.

Then Pa shouted, “Judge, won’t Jamaica?”

— Unknown

With Nan’s cash Pa lit out for Miami,

But in jail he remarked, “Now where am I?”

Nan said with a jeer:

“You’re in jail, Pa, I fear.”

And Pa sadly replied, “Oh Miami!”

— Unknown

Nan’s bucket was really a sack

And she bundled it into a hack;

Pa weeps — good old man —

For a far-away Nan.

Her address now is: Nan, Hackensack.

— New York Sun

The tale was completed in London,

Where the bucket’s purloiner was undone.

For the rascal who tucket,

Himself — “kicked the bucket.”

Verdict — “Felo-de-se,” — with a gun done.

— Langford Reed