Page:The Mikado or the town of titipu.djvu/5

 To lay aloft in a howling breeze

May tickle a landsman's taste,

But the happiest hour a sailor sees

Is when he's down

At an inland town,

With his Nancy on his knees, yeo ho!

And his arm around her waist!

Then man the capstan—off we go,

As the fiddler swings us round,

With a yeo heave ho,

And a rum below,

Hurrah for the homeward bound!

A wandering minstrel I, &c.

And what may be your business with Yum-Yum?

I'll tell you. A year ago I was a member of the Titipu town band. It was my duty to take the cap round for contributions. While discharging this delicate office I saw Yum-Yum. We loved each other at once, but she was betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, and I saw that my suit was hopeless. Overwhelmed with despair I quitted the town. Judge of my delight when I heard, a month ago, that Ko-Ko had been condemned to death for flirting! I hurried back at once, in the hope of finding Yum-Yum at liberty to listen to my protestations.

It is true that Ko-Ko was condemned to death for flirting, but he was reprieved at the last moment, and raised to the exalted rank of Lord High Executioner under the following remarkable circumstances:—

Our great Mikado, virtuous man,

When he to rule our land began,

Resolved to try

A plan whereby

Young men might best be steadied.

So he decreed, in words succinct,

That all who flirted, leered or winked,

Unless connubially linked,)

Should forthwith be beheaded.