 | Songs of two centuries |  |
75
THE OARSMAN'S STORY.
Hold it steady—don't disturb him—give him leeway for to bite—
Yes, you've got him! reel him careful, for he'll make a lovely fight!
O my gracious! now you've lost him, an' he's swiped your hook an' bait!
Never mind; we'll throw another; he will stan' around an' wait.
It's a reason for our thinkin' that the fish are slow to feel,
That their appetites 'll sharpen, when they get a taste o' steel!
Yes, you've got him! reel him careful, for he'll make a lovely fight!
O my gracious! now you've lost him, an' he's swiped your hook an' bait!
Never mind; we'll throw another; he will stan' around an' wait.
It's a reason for our thinkin' that the fish are slow to feel,
That their appetites 'll sharpen, when they get a taste o' steel!
Now, that sort o' half reminds me of a bass I used to know,
That was brains from prow to rudder, if a fish was ever so;
For he stole my bait off handy every time I throwed it in,
An' then flopped up from the water with a cunnin' sort o' grin;
An' I fin'lly named him Lawyer; for he'd leave the hook as bare
As a client in a court-room with atturneys fur to spare.
That was brains from prow to rudder, if a fish was ever so;
For he stole my bait off handy every time I throwed it in,
An' then flopped up from the water with a cunnin' sort o' grin;
An' I fin'lly named him Lawyer; for he'd leave the hook as bare
As a client in a court-room with atturneys fur to spare.
An' I worked him late an' early, an' I give him all the chance
That a fish was ever offered, for to take a river-dance;
But he made the same division an' he drawed it very fine,
Taking fur himself the minny—leavin' me the hook an' line;
An' I struggled late and early with my fish-poles an' my reels,
An' my time an' strength an' minnies—jest to give that fish his meals.
That a fish was ever offered, for to take a river-dance;
But he made the same division an' he drawed it very fine,
Taking fur himself the minny—leavin' me the hook an' line;
An' I struggled late and early with my fish-poles an' my reels,
An' my time an' strength an' minnies—jest to give that fish his meals.
An' it fin'lly come to askin' whether natives on the shore,
That had paddled through the river for a forty year or more,
Should be beaten every summer by a feller, it appears,
Who had only swum the water for a half a dozen years;
An' two nights I laid a-thinkin' how to work it on him slick,
An' to play the little lawyer one good everlastin' trick.
That had paddled through the river for a forty year or more,
Should be beaten every summer by a feller, it appears,
Who had only swum the water for a half a dozen years;
An' two nights I laid a-thinkin' how to work it on him slick,
An' to play the little lawyer one good everlastin' trick.
Then I built a queer contraption strung with new-invented crooks—
'Twas a circus made of minnies an' a side-show full o' hooks;
An' I don't suppose a critter could go near it head or tail,
But 'twas sure to catch him somehow, an' to hold him like a nail;
An' I loudly hollered “Glory!” an' was full o' joy an' pride,
When that afternoon I snapped him, with a fish-hook in his side!
'Twas a circus made of minnies an' a side-show full o' hooks;
An' I don't suppose a critter could go near it head or tail,
But 'twas sure to catch him somehow, an' to hold him like a nail;
76
When that afternoon I snapped him, with a fish-hook in his side!
But he mildly gazed upon me, as I drawed him up an' near,
With a look of disappointment in his eye so black an' clear;
An' he seemed to say as reg'lar as a fish with words to spare,
“Now, you know to make it decent you are bound to catch me fair!
You an' I has been a-strivin' at a scientific game,
An' to treat me foul an' sneaky is an everlastin' shame!”
With a look of disappointment in his eye so black an' clear;
An' he seemed to say as reg'lar as a fish with words to spare,
“Now, you know to make it decent you are bound to catch me fair!
You an' I has been a-strivin' at a scientific game,
An' to treat me foul an' sneaky is an everlastin' shame!”
Then I ans'rs, “Do you mean it—do you think it—straight an' true?”
An' he winked his eye like sayin', “Yes, by gracious, sir, I do!”
An' I picked the fish-hook from him, usin' most unusual care,
An' he seemed to whisper, “Thank you; but it's only just an' fair!”
An' I cut off my new fish-hooks—all the whole infernal set—
An' I throwed 'em in the river, and they're in the river yet.
An' he winked his eye like sayin', “Yes, by gracious, sir, I do!”
An' I picked the fish-hook from him, usin' most unusual care,
An' he seemed to whisper, “Thank you; but it's only just an' fair!”
An' I cut off my new fish-hooks—all the whole infernal set—
An' I throwed 'em in the river, and they're in the river yet.
An' I launched my friend a-floatin' in the water cold an' blue,
An' he flopped a sort of “Thank you”, as he disappeared from view;
An' he never stole a minny nor seemed ready to commence,
Though he's sort o' hung around me in the water ever sence;
An' I often think the feller means to pay me back ag'in,
An' now acts as my atturney fur to rope the others in;
An' he flopped a sort of “Thank you”, as he disappeared from view;
An' he never stole a minny nor seemed ready to commence,
Though he's sort o' hung around me in the water ever sence;
An' I often think the feller means to pay me back ag'in,
An' now acts as my atturney fur to rope the others in;
But he started me a-thinkin': When you fish, as fish you will,
Be a sport an' not a butcher; try to catch an' not to kill;
Keep enough to serve your eatin', let the surplus fellers go;
Send the small ones to their mothers—give 'em time to fat an grow.
An' when pullin' in the fishes, don't be slow to recollect
To secure 'em in a manner not to forfeit their respect.
Be a sport an' not a butcher; try to catch an' not to kill;
Keep enough to serve your eatin', let the surplus fellers go;
Send the small ones to their mothers—give 'em time to fat an grow.
An' when pullin' in the fishes, don't be slow to recollect
To secure 'em in a manner not to forfeit their respect.
| Songs of two centuries | |