Page:Departmental Ditties and Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballads, Kipling, 1899.djvu/370

 THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER

the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East

'E acts like a babe an' 'e drinks like a beast,

An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased

Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier,

Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,

Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,

Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,

So-oldier of the Queen!

Now all you recruities what's drafted to-day,

You shut up your rag-box an' 'ark to my lay,

An' I'll sing you a soldier as far as I may:

A soldier what's fit for a soldier.

Fit, fit, fit for a soldier.

First mind you steer clear o' the grog-sellers' huts,

For they sell you Fixed Bay'nets that rots out your guts—

Ay, drink that 'ud eat the live steel from your butts—

An' it's bad for the young British soldier.

Bad, bad, bad for the soldier.

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