19 JANUARY 1951, Page 7

What'll be the Title ?•

(Philosophic Lyric for a Samba) 0 to scuttle from the battle and to settle on an atoll far from brutal mortal, 'neath a wattle portal I To keep little mottled' cattle and to whittle down one's chattels and not hurtle after brittle yellow metal I To listen, non-committal, to the anecdotal local tittle-tattle on a settle round

the kettle..

Never startled by a rattle more than betel-nuts a-prattle or the myrtle-petals' subtle throttled chortle !

But I'll bet that what'll happen if you footle round an atoll is you'll get in rotten fettle living totally on turtle, nettles, cuttle-fish or beetles, victuals fatal to the natal élan-vital, And hit the bottle.

I guess I'd settle For somewhere ethical and practical like Bootle.

JUSTIN RICHARDSON.