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The Bab Ballads (version 2)

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The Bab Ballads are a collection of light verse by W. S. Gilbert, illustrated with his own comic drawings. Gilbert wrote the Ballads before he became famous for his comic opera librettos with Arthur Sullivan. In writing the Bab Ballads, Gilbert developed his unique "topsy-turvy" style, where the humor was derived by setting up a ridiculous premise and working out its logical consequences, however absurd. The Ballads also reveal Gilbert's cynical and satirical approach to humor. They became famous on their own, as well as being a source for plot elements, characters and songs that Gilbert would recycle in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The Bab Ballads take their name from Gilbert's childhood nickname, and he later began to sign his illustrations "Bab".

Nothing else quite like the Ballads has ever been produced in the English language. They contain both satire and nonsense, as well as a great deal of utter absurdity. The Ballads were read aloud at private dinner-parties, public banquets and even in the House of Lords. Summary by Wikipedia and Phil Chenevert (2 hr 50 min)

Chapters

Captain Reece

5:02

Read by Phil Chenevert

The Rival Curates

3:35

Read by Lisa Reichert

Only A Dancing Girl

2:18

Read by Ken Masters

General John

2:26

Read by MikeStanich

To A Little Maid—By A Policeman

1:35

Read by Ken Masters

John And Freddy

2:45

Read by MikeStanich

Sir Guy The Crusader

3:49

Read by Shakira Searle

Haunted

2:37

Read by Chris Pyle

The Bishop And The `Busman

2:57

Read by MikeStanich

The Troubadour

4:34

Read by Shakira Searle

Ferdinando And Elvira; Or, The Gentle Pieman

5:53

Read by Lisa Reichert

Lorenzo De Lardy

3:47

Read by readread

Disillusioned—By An Ex-Enthusiast

3:41

Read by Shakira Searle

Babette’s Love

6:11

Read by Ezwa

To My Bride—(Whoever She May Be)

3:35

Read by Shakira Searle

The Folly Of Brown—By A General Agent

3:29

Read by Chris Pyle

Sir Macklin

2:51

Read by Chris Pyle

The Yarn Of The “Nancy Bell”

3:40

Read by Chris Pyle

The Bishop Of Rum-Ti-Foo

3:28

Read by Chris Pyle

The Precocious Baby. A Very True Tale

4:03

Read by John Kellow

To Phoebe

1:36

Read by Ken Masters

Baines Carew, Gentleman

4:36

Read by Lisa Reichert

Thomas Winterbottom Hance

4:54

Read by NoelBadrian

The Reverend Micah Sowls

3:49

Read by KDMoore

A Discontented Sugar Broker

4:16

Read by MikeStanich

The Pantomime “Super” To His Mask

2:31

Read by Ezwa

The Force Of Argument

5:00

Read by Ruth Golding

The Ghost, The Gallant, The Gael, And The Goblin

4:53

Read by Diana Schmidt

The Phantom Curate. A Fable

4:18

Read by NoelBadrian

The Sensation Captain

4:17

Read by Newgatenovelist

Tempora Mutantur

3:16

Read by Shakira Searle

At A Pantomime. By A Bilious One

4:32

Read by Shakira Searle

King Borria Bungalee Boo

4:24

Read by MikeStanich

The Periwinkle Girl

4:44

Read by Shakira Searle

Thomson Green And Harriet Hale

4:11

Read by Ezwa

Bob Polter

4:57

Read by Lisa Reichert

The Story Of Prince Agib

4:13

Read by MikeStanich

Ellen McJones Aberdeen

4:46

Read by MikeStanich

Peter The Wag

3:34

Read by MikeStanich

Ben Allah Achmet;—Or, The Fatal Tum

3:51

Read by MikeStanich

The Three Kings Of Chickeraboo

3:31

Read by MikeStanich

Joe Golightly—Or, The First Lord’s Daughter

3:56

Read by MikeStanich

To The Terrestrial Globe. By A Miserable Wretch

1:33

Read by Ken Masters

Gentle Alice Brown

6:26

Read by Shakira Searle