rse song
As the Wood of Shillelagh. Now could it
Be thought that two brave Oirish bhoys
Might be found so confoundedly cruel
As to rob two wee bairns of their toys,
And then give the poor darlings their "gruel"?
Rum tiddy, &c.

But somehow one of them fell out
With his whilom pet Babe, little GLADDY,
Looked on him with anger and doubt,
And conspired to destroy him, poor laddie!
It seems that the once-admired "kid"
Was a Turk, and a rogue, and a pickle,
Who wouldn't do what he was bid,
But was talkative, tricky, and fickle.
Rum tiddy, &c.

Clear case of the Wolf and the Lamb!
Said the Wolf, "I dislike, and distrust him.
His innocence is but a sham.
I mean having the bleed of him, bust him!"
(Such language sounds vulgar and coarse,
And to put it in poesy's painful;
But KIPLING will tell you that force
Of taste must be sometimes disdainful.)
Rum tiddy, &c.

Little GLADDY, he turned up his eyes
To his guide's now most truculent visage,
And feelings of doubt and surprise
Took hold on him, trying at _his_ age.
Cried he, "Go away, Naughty Man!
MOORLEENA, this fellow's a rogue, he
Will kill us, I'm sure, if he can,
For his face looks as black as Old Bogey!"
Rum tiddy, &c.

Oh, then the First Robber looked mad,
And he ups, and says he to the Second,
"This impudent bit of a lad
No more a safe pal can be reckoned.
Get him out of our way, or the swag
Will not be worth much when allotted.
MOORLEENA's small weasand _you_ scrag,
Whilst _I_ cut young BILLY's carotid!"
Rum tiddy, &c.

"Ha! stop!" cried the milder of mood,
"Your conduct is savage and silly.
They will search for _these_ Babes in _this_ Wood,
And there'll be a big row about BILLY.
Don't fancy you'll finish this job
When you've scragged 'em and stifled their sobbins'!
If these Babes we should murder and rob,
_Their_ graves won't be left to the Robins!"
Rum tiddy, &c.

Of course after language like this
Those Robbers' relations grew "squiffy."
Each drew, cut and thrust, scored a miss,
And then they set-to in a jiffy.
The Babes, in no optimist mood,
Look on at the fight not unequal.
Will they safely get out of the Wood?
Well, that we shall see in the sequel!
Rum-tiddy-um, tiddy-um-tay!

* *