Green Eggs and Ham

A work of great literature by Dr. Seuss, originally published in 1960.

The tale is simple: a person named "Sam I Am" tries to persuade some sourpuss to eat Green Eggs and Ham.

"I will not eat them on a boat! I will not eat them with a goat! I do not like Green Eggs and Ham! I do not like them, Sam I Am!"

But Sam I Am persists, and eventually, the sourpuss relents and tries a bite. He loves them and proclaims that he will eat them all the time. 

The book remains one of the most popular children's books -- both with kids and their teachers -- in history. 

After the success of The Cat in the Hat, Random House set up its Beginner Books division for Dr. Seuss and his wife to create exciting books for beginning readers. Furthering the challenge of The Cat in the Hat's limit of 225 vocabulary words, Bennet Cerf challenged him to write a book with an arbitrary limit of just 50 vocabulary words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham. It has become, according to its publisher, the third best-selling book in the English language. Publisher's Weekly notes that through the end of the year 2000, Green Eggs and Ham is the 4th highest seller in domestic (U.S.) sales of all time.

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The Moxy Früvous song, from their first indie tape, goes something like this. Recite in sort of a conversational rap to get the feeling of it.

Well, do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like green eggs and ham.

Would you like them here or there?

I wouldn't like them anywhere

You know, I can see you in a house,
eating green eggs and ham with a mouse

Maybe you can't hear, you got somethin' in your ear?

No!

I'm gonna make this perfectly clear
I would not like them house-wise here,
I would not like them mouse-wise there.
You think you can convince me, Sam?

(Mm-hmm!)

Not for me, green eggs and ham.
...