Page:Departmental Ditties and Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballads, Kipling, 1899.djvu/29

Rh Rajah Rustum held his peace; lowered octroi dues one half;

Organized a State Police; purified the Civil Staff;

Settled cess and tax afresh in a very liberal way;

Cut temptations of the flesh—also cut the Bukhshi's pay;

Roused his Secretariat to a fine Mahratta fury,

By a Hookum hinting at supervision of dasturi;

Turned the State of Kolazai very nearly upside-down;

When the end of May was nigh waited his achievement crown.

Then the Birthday honours came. Sad to state and sad to see,

Stood against the Rajah's name nothing more than C. I. E.!

Things were lively for a week in the State of Kolazai,

Even now the people speak of that time regretfully;

How he disendowed the Gaol—stopped at once the City drain;

Turned to beauty fair and frail—got his senses back again;