Mirth and Metre consisting of Poems, Serious, Humorous, and Satirical; Songs, Sonnets, Ballads & Bagatelles. Written by C. Dibdin, Jun |
 |
THE BOY AND THE BAKER.
|
 |
|
|
|
 | Mirth and Metre |  |
3
THE BOY AND THE BAKER.
A MODERN PINDARIC.
Once, when Monopoly had made
As bad as now the eating trade,
A Boy went to a Baker's shop,
His gnawing appetite to stop:
A loaf for two-pence there demanded,
And down a tiny loaf was handed.
The Boy survey'd it round and round,
With many a shrug, and look profound;
At length—“Why, Master,” said the wight,
“This loaf is very, very light!”
As bad as now the eating trade,
A Boy went to a Baker's shop,
His gnawing appetite to stop:
A loaf for two-pence there demanded,
And down a tiny loaf was handed.
The Boy survey'd it round and round,
With many a shrug, and look profound;
At length—“Why, Master,” said the wight,
“This loaf is very, very light!”
The Baker, his complaint to parry,
Replied, with look most archly dry,
While quirk conceit sat squinting on his eye—
“Light, Boy? then you've the less to carry!”
Replied, with look most archly dry,
While quirk conceit sat squinting on his eye—
“Light, Boy? then you've the less to carry!”
The Boy grinn'd plaudits to his joke,
And on the counter laid down rhino,
With mien, that plainly all but spoke—
“With you I'll soon be even, I know.”
And on the counter laid down rhino,
With mien, that plainly all but spoke—
“With you I'll soon be even, I know.”
Then took his loaf, and went his way;
But soon the Baker bawl'd him back—
“You've laid down but three half-pence, Jack!
And two-pence was the loaf's amount.
How's this, you cheating rascal, hey?”—
“Sir,” says the Boy, “you've less to count!”
But soon the Baker bawl'd him back—
“You've laid down but three half-pence, Jack!
And two-pence was the loaf's amount.
How's this, you cheating rascal, hey?”—
“Sir,” says the Boy, “you've less to count!”
Thus modern wits against each other fight,
In point deficient, and in substance light;
But so profuse and pond'rous are their stores,
To count or carry, strength and patience bores!
In point deficient, and in substance light;
But so profuse and pond'rous are their stores,
To count or carry, strength and patience bores!
| Mirth and Metre | |