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This poem was not highly marked, although No. 6 confessed he had sat up all night writing it. He thought we had missed the underlying philosophy of his version, and was sorry for it. As he said, the first essential of a poem is that it should be read, and he believed no one could deny that he had at least written up to that requirement.

There was a more serious moral hidden in No. 7’s version, which was stated to be on the models of the early sonnets:—

Two lovers on one common errand bound,

One common fate o’erwhelms; and so, me-seems,

A fable have we of our daily round,

Who in these groves of learning here are found

Climbing Parnassus’ slopes. Our aim is one,

And one the path by which we strive to soar;

Yet, truer still, or ere the prize be won,

A common ruin hurls us to our doom.

’Twere best we parted, you and I; so, Fate,

Baulked of her double prey, may seek in vain,

And miss us both upon the shadowy plain.

The writer of No. 8 I always suspected of being a borrower of other people’s ideas. In fact it seemed as if he must have had “A Thousand and One Gems” open before him while he was at work, and to have drawn liberally from its pages.

The way was long, the night was cold,

And Jack and Jill were young and bold.

“Try not the hill,” the old man said,

“Dark lowers the tempest overhead.”

A voice replied far up the height,

“We’ve many a step to walk this night.”

Ah, luckless speech! ah, bootless boast!

Two minutes more and they were lost.

Who would not weep for Jack and Jill?

They died, though much against their will.

And the birds of the air all fell sobbing and sighing

As they heard of these two unfortunates dying.

The concluding line (which was the only original one in the poem) was specially weak, and No. 8, I observe, only received one vote, and that was probably given by himself.

But, for originality and humour, No. 9’s version was the most distinguished of the lot. With it I conclude, and if I may express an unbiassed opinion, many years after the memorable contest, I consider it far and away the best version of the story of Jack and Jill I have ever met with.

Jack and Jill

Went up a hill

To fetch a pail of water,

Jack fell down

And broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.