While rooting about in the attic looking for some old
photographs, I came across a grubby bit of paper upon which were
scribbled the following stanzas.

"Just the place for a Froup", the Bellman said
As he led his men into the house,
And he patted each one on the top of his head
And gave every one a small mouse.

"The newsgroup community has a large net,
With interests wide and diverse.
You may find some which give you advice on your pet
And others which publish your verse.

"Contact with newsgroups may sometimes cause blame
And therefore it now willl be right
To distinguish all those who may Troll or will Flame
From those who are nice and polite."

The Bellman stood up as he tingled his bell,
And he spoke to his quivering troop.
"I'll tell you my friends the ways you may tell
The warranted genuine Froup.

"The very first thing is its fondness for puns
Which are frequently based upon fish;
Add films and pop music and heap them in tuns -
It all adds some spice to the dish."

I found this most interesting and vaguely familiar so I sent
it to a friend who is more literary based than I am. He read it
through and sent it back with the following comments:

"This is possibly an early draft of 'The Hunting of the Snark'
and it is of interest that very faintly in pencil at the top can be
read 'The Hunting of the Brritski'. I have no idea why he abandoned
that name for 'Snark', but the demands of scansion may have played a
part in this. It is noticeable that there are several false feet in
the stanzas as found (though it has to be added that the Snark poem as
we currently have it is not free from such flaws.)
Had you noticed that on the reverse of the page there are two
more lines?

"But all beamish boys must beware of the day
If your Froup has a Brritski for then"


There is no indication of where this part stanza is intended
to appear in the poem. If you find any more stanzas do let me see
them.

Yours etc 

Unfortunately I don't think there are any more bits, and in
any case I have no time now to search. When I get back from my trip I
may have another look.
Some umrats may have their own suggestions as to how the poem
continues.
  

Mike Ruddock