The Book of Ballads Eleventh Edition, 1870

"The Book of Ballads" by Theodore Martin is a collection of funny and mocking poems from the late 1800s that uses smart jokes and interesting characters to make people laugh and think about the world around them. The poems, chosen by Martin, playfully poke fun at society, government issues, and things that happened in the past, while also telling stories of love and exciting adventures. The book starts with a funny story about Zorayda, a Moorish girl, and Alphonzo Guzman, a brave knight, who meet at a well; their light argument leads to her pushing him into the water as punishment for flirting, which shows the collection's funny and cheerful mood, inviting readers into a world where love, adventure, jokes, and cleverness all mix together.