Happy birthday, Hilaire Belloc

It is the birthday of English writer Hilaire Belloc (1870), who was one of the most prolific writers of the early 20th century and is considered, along with G.K. Chesterton, George Bernard Shaw, and H.G. Wells, among the Big Four of Edwardian letters. Except for a brief stint as an editor, Belloc made his living writing. An admirer once asked him why he wrote so much. He replied, "Because my children are howling for pearls and caviar." Belloc may be best remembered for his humorous poetry. His Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) was decidedly not for children. Here is a reading of one of his best known poems.