Jabberwockies succ

The succulents of the NBG hot-house look as if they come straight out of an adventurous story:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyle and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

and the mome raths outgrabe.

Mimsy borogoves

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!"

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch

Beware the jubjub bird and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

The frumious Bandersnatch

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought --

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

Tumtum trees to rest by

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the thulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame

  

One, two!  One, two!  And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

Snicker-snacking vorpal blade

 "And has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day!  Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

Chortling in joy

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Outgrabing mome raths

--Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Aice Found There, 1872)