The Bellman looked uffish, and wrinkled his
brow.
“If only you’d
spoken before!
It’s excessively awkward to mention it
now,
With the Snark, so
to speak, at the door!
“We should all of us grieve, as you well may
believe,
If you never
were met with again—
But surely, my man, when the voyage
began,
You might have
suggested it then?
“It’s excessively awkward to mention it
now—
As I think I’ve
already remarked.”
And the man they called “Hi!” replied, with a
sigh,
“I informed you
the day we embarked.
“You may charge me with murder—or want of
sense—
(We are all of
us weak at times):
But the slightest approach to a false
pretence
Was never
among my crimes!
“I said it in Hebrew—I said it in
Dutch—
I said it in
German and Greek:
But I wholly forgot (and it vexes me
much)
That English is
what you speak!”
“ ’Tis a pitiful tale,” said the Bellman,
whose face
Had grown
longer at every word:
“But, now that you’ve stated the whole of your
case,
More debate would
be simply absurd.
“The rest of my speech” (he explained to his
men)
“You shall hear
when I’ve leisure to speak it.
But the Snark is at hand, let me tell
you again!
’Tis your
glorious duty to seek it!
“To seek it with thimbles, to seek it
with care;
To pursue it
with forks and hope;
To threaten its life with a
railway-share;
To charm
it with smiles and soap!
“For the Snark’s a peculiar creature, that
won’t
Be caught in a
commonplace way.
Do all that you know, and try all that you
don’t:
Not a chance
must be wasted to-day!
“For England expects—I forbear to
proceed:
’Tis a maxim
tremendous, but trite:
And you’d best be unpacking the things that you
need
To rig yourselves
out for the fight.”
Then the Banker endorsed a blank cheque (which
he crossed),
And
changed his loose silver for notes.
The Baker with care combed his
whiskers and hair,
And
shook the dust out of his coats.
The Boots and the Broker were
sharpening a
spade—
Each working the
grindstone in turn:
But the Beaver went on making lace, and
displayed
No interest
in the concern:
Though the Barrister tried to appeal to its
pride,
And vainly
proceeded to cite
A number of cases, in which making
laces
Had been proved
an infringement of right.
The maker of Bonnets ferociously
planned
A novel
arrangement of bows:
While the Billiard-marker with quivering
hand
Was chalking the
tip of his nose.
But the Butcher turned nervous, and dressed
himself fine,
With
yellow kid gloves and a ruff—
Said he felt it exactly like going to
dine,
Which the Bellman
declared was all “stuff.”
“Introduce me, now there’s a good
fellow,” he said,
“If
we happen to meet it together!”
And the Bellman, sagaciously nodding
his head,
Said “That
must depend on the weather.”
The Beaver went simply galumphing
about,
At seeing the
Butcher so shy:
And even the Baker, though stupid and
stout,
Made an effort
to wink with one eye.
“Be a man!” said the Bellman in wrath, as he
heard
The Butcher
beginning to sob.
“Should we meet with a Jubjub, that desperate
bird,
We shall need all
our strength for the job!” |
|
