The Nyum-Nyum Trivia Quiz

Answer: So very nice and clean

"So very aquamarine" has too many syllables for the poem to scan well. "So blue and yet so green" rhymes and scans but repeats the word green. "So cold and bleak and red" doesn't rhyme at all. That leaves the correct line, "So very nice and clean".

The poem doesn't tell what kind of creature the Nyum-Nyum is, but only how he feels, what he says and what he does. It is written in the style of "Jabberwocky" from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and, although the Jabberwock is slain in that book, he appears in this poem.

Answer: Should not be white or red

Even though this is considered a 'nonsense poem' there's no reason to think the creature is in bed or that the ocean could or would want to sleep in a bed; the line doesn't scan anyway. "Should have no fishes and bread" does not scan either, but the ocean does have fishes and usually doesn't have bread, so the mixture of the two doesn't fit. "Should fill my mouth with waves" doesn't rhyme.

Answer: And called for beer to drink

There is no description of this black creature, so you may imagine it any way you like. It's possible he's the Bandersnatch from the original "Jabberwocky" poem, and the Nyum-Nyum had been waiting for him, as he says in verse 4:
"I know no reason why the sea, Should not be red, I say; And why the slithy Bandersnatch, Has not been round today."

Answer: And laid him down and died

One of the incorrect answers doesn't rhyme, one doesn't scan, and one uses the wrong past tense. If you figured that out, you have the right answer. The next verse is:
"He died, and in the Nyum-Nyum's cave, A cry of mourning rose; The Nyum-Nyum sobbed a gentle sob, And silly blew his nose."

Answer: Or you will drive me mad

I'm sure you figured that out. The next verse reads:
"The Nyum-Nyum in his supple arms, Took up the gruesome weight, And, with a cry of bitter fear, He threw it at his mate."

That was not a nice thing to do, but he was very upset. Of course, he should not have made things worse, and he was sorry.

Answer: That such a thing could be

The only logical answer is, "That such a thing could be."

The next verse is:
"The ox that mumbled in his stall, Perspired and gently sighed, And then, in sympathy, it fell, Upon its back and died."

It looks like this is becoming a pattern.

Answer: And, with a cluck, expired

Now you've got the hang of it. Who's next? The next quatrain:
"The jubejube bird, that carolled there, Sat down upon a post, And with a reverential caw, Gave up its little ghost."

Curiouser and curiouser!

Answer: In agony deceased

Pleased doesn't rhyme with ceased although they're spelled alike, ease doesn't rhyme either, and donkeys don't have antlers. This verse is followed by:
"The raven perched upon the elm, Gave forth a scraping note, And ere the sound had died away, Had cut its tuneful throat." Poor raven!

Answer: They could not quite make out

They all thought it was quite strange, the doctor couldn't explain it, and everyone was sad.
The next verse is:
"One said there was a mystery, Connected with the deaths; But others thought the silent ones, Perhaps had lost their breaths." That would make sense.

And a quatrain after that reads:
"The Toves across the briny sea, Wept buckets-full of tears; They were relations of the dead, And had been friends for years."

The "slithy Toves" appeared in "Jabberwocky".

Answer: And told the awful tale

The Jabberwock shows himself at last and tells the sad story. For some reason it was all his fault, even though there's no indication that he had anything to do with it.
Here are the two last verses:
"And who can wonder that it made, That loving creature cry? For he had done the dreadful work, And caused the things to die".
"That Jabberwock was passing bad - - That Jabberwock was wrong, And with this verdict I conclude, One portion of my song."