Читать книгу Beast and Man in India - John Lockwood Kipling - Страница 8

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"'Twas when the rain fell steady and the ark was pitched and ready,

And Noah got his orders for to take the bastes below:

He haled them all together by the hide and horn and feather,

And all except the donkey were agreeable to go.

"Then Noah spoke him fairly, then rated him sevarely,

And then he cursed him squarely to the glory of the Lord,

'Divil take the ass that bred you and the triple ass that fed you,

Divil go with you, you spalpeen;'—and the donkey went aboard.

"But the wind was always failin' and 'twas most onaisy sailin',

And the ladies in the cabins couldn't stand the stable air,

And the bastes betwixt the hatches, they tuk and died in batches,

And Noah said 'There's one of us that hasn't paid his fare.'

"For he heard a flusteration with the bastes of all creation,

The trumpeting of elephants and the bellowing of whales.

And he saw forninst the windy, when he went to stop the shindy,

The Devil with a pitchfork, bedevilling their tails.

"The Devil cursed outrageous, but Noah said umbrageous,—

'To what am I indebted for this tenant-right invasion?'

And the Devil gave for answer,—'Evict me if you can, sir,

For I came in with the donkey at your honour's invitation.'"

R. K.