Page:Rudyard Kipling's verse - Inclusive Edition 1885-1918.djvu/424

 II

when the rain fell steady an' the Ark was pitched an' ready,

That Noah got his orders for to take the bastes below;

He dragged them all together by the horn an' hide an' feather,

An' all excipt the Donkey was agreeable to go.

First Noah spoke him fairly, thin talked to him sevarely,

An' thin he cursed him squarely to the glory av the Lord:—

"Divil take the ass that bred you, and the greater ass that fed you—

"Divil go wid ye, ye spalpeen!" an' the Donkey wint aboard.

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

An' the ladies in the cabin couldn't stand the stable air;

An' the bastes betwuxt the hatches, they tuk an' died in batches,

Till Noah said:—"There's wan av us that hasn't paid his fare!"

For he heard a flusteration 'mid the bastes av all creation—

The trumpetin' av elephints an' bellowin' av whales;

An' he saw forninst the windy whin he wint to stop the shindy

The Divil wid a stable-fork was bedivillin' their tails.

The Divil cursed outrageous, but Noah said umbrageous:—

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

An' the Divil gave for answer: "Evict me if you can, sir,

"For I came in wid the Donkey—on Your Honour's invitation."