[Skip Navigation]

Poetry Archives

A continuing selection of classic and contemporary poems.

The Bread-Knife Ballad

Robert Service

A little child was sitting Up on her mother’s knee
And down down her cheeks the bitter tears did flow.
And as I sadly listened I heard this tender plea,
’Twas uttered in a voice so soft and low. 

“Not guilty” said the Jury And the Judge said “Set her free,
But remember it must not occur again.
And next time you must listen to you little daughter’s plea,”
Then all the Court did join in this refrain. 

        Chorus:
        “Please Mother don’t stab Father with the BREAD-KNIFE,
        Remember ’twas a gift when you were wed.
        But if you must stab Father with the BREAD-KNIFE,
        Please Mother use another for the BREAD.”
Online text © 1998-2008 Poetry X. All rights reserved.
From Bar-Room Ballads
Add Keyword Tags

Separate each tag with a space. You may add as many tags as you'd like to each poem.

What are tags?
Tags, sometimes called “folksonomies,” are words that describe or categorize a poem, like “20th century modernism” or “Italian sonnet”. Tags can help you find poems that have something in common, based on how other people classify them.

More Info

This site will work and look better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any Internet device.