Once In A Blue Moon

What does once mean? For the characters in the children’s book Once in a Blue Moon, who were all gargoyles from a university college, apart from Doctor Theophilus, who was a very old tortoise, it meant a holiday. Written by Margaret Gibbs, published in 1948, it was a pocket money buy from a money-raising fair. It tells the story of several gargoyles including Lion, Angel and Podger, who on the occasion of a blue moon could leave their water spouts. Luckily this happens during the time the book is written otherwise things would have been very dull. They take a boat and travel along the river, encountering adventures such as meeting swans. Their individual personalities come out; serene, helpful, kind, grumpy, happy and over-anxious. Along for the ride is the ancient venerable and very wise tortoise who usually resided on the college green.

It was wonderful and I know I still have it and I know where, but how to get at it. There is a small room which was sold to me as a fifth bedroom, it never is, unless you sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor, no decent size bed would ever fit in there. But useful for storage, several trunks, standing on top of each other and in more than one of these, books. And one of those books is Once in a Blue Moon.

On the web ‘Once’ is a site which describes itself as a quality dating site for singles. Tough luck if you’re married. But why the name Once? What does it mean? A single application? A single introduction? Maybe, if we interpret ‘once’ as, ‘on one occasion or at one time only.’ Or, perhaps, once round the block to see how you like it. That seems to indicate there could be several trial runs between a first date with one person and lasting attachment with another.

"Once more" would seem to be a paradox.

"Once, twice, three times a lady, And I love you."

What does that mean if she had been only once a lady would he not have loved her? It smacks of Princess and the Pea.

Once may also refer to something that happened in the past. "We had one once." " Once was enough." Substitute I for the we and it could well refer to marriage.

Family experience has meant two crying children standing  before me with one pleading, “I only did it once. I only pinched her once.” As if once was negligible, not worth making a fuss about and she should be let off for previous good behaviour.

“I will say this only once"... A funny line in a television programme, or an unapproachable teacher, you daren’t ask for an explanation, daren’t tell you didn’t understand?

My Grandmother, born in 1891, a Victorian schoolchild, learnt by heart at the age of seven a poem; It began, ‘I once had a sweet little doll, dears,’ and came from The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. She was never likely to forget it as she repeated it endlessly, first to her own children then to me and others in between. It doesn’t actually have a title, the strange fairy just launches into it.

Minnie Dibdin Spooner

Oh dear! I’ve just thought of another, applicable to me. "Don’t eat them all at once." I always remember that one too late. Once they’re gone they’re gone.

Once More
Once bitten twice shy. Why once? Being shy is no defence.
Though twice, or more, might reinforce your response.
Being shy doesn’t mean you can’t, won’t, be bitten again.
Take care you are not sleeping with a vampire, those bite
marks aren’t accidental. Unmeant. Immediately repented.
Shyness, my dears, is not armour plating.

Once I had a secret love. Really! Just the one? Conservative
are you? Why one? Why not two? Everyone else has.
As long as you keep your mouth shut who’s to know?
No harm done, unless you talk in your sleep, or, worse,
to every passing cloud, the insubstantial gossipers, who
spread with the wind your infidelity.

Once is never enough. You can say that again. But it would
help to know to what you are referring. With me when a child
it was a story. Once upon a time I wanted to be never-ending.
Once there were three pigs, bears, a wolf and a girl.
Again! An incentive to learn to read. Timeless. Unforgettable.
And what a brilliant opening.

Thanks for reading, Jeanie B.