The King's Job
The King’s Job
Once on a time was a King anxious to understand
What was the wisest thing a man could do for his land.
Most of his population hurried to answer the question,
Each with a long oration, each with a new suggestion.
They interrupted his meals, he wasn't safe in his bed from ‘em,
They hung round his neck and heels, and at last His Majesty fled from ‘em.
He put on a lepers cloak (people leave lepers alone),
Out of the window he broke, and abdicated his throne.
All that rapturous day, while his Court and his Ministers mourned him,
He danced on his own highway till his own Policemen warned him.
Gay and cheerful he ran (lepers don't cheer as a rule)
Till he found a philosopher-man teaching an infant school.
The windows were open wide, the King sat down on the grass,
And heard the children inside reciting ‘Our King is an ass’.
The King popped in his head, ‘Some people would call this treason,
But I think you are right, he said; ‘will you kindly give me your reason?’
Lepers in school are rare as Kings with a lepers dress on,
But the class didn't stop or stare; it calmly went on with the lesson:
‘The wisest thing, we suppose, that a man can do for his land,
Is the work that lies under his nose, with the tools that lie under his hand.’
The King whipped off his cloak, and stood in his crown before ‘em.
He said:—‘My dear little folk, Ex ore parvulorum
(Which is Latin for “Children know more than grown-ups would credit”)
You have shown me the road to go, and I propose to tread it.
Back to his Kingdom he ran, and issued a Proclamation,
‘Let every living man return to his occupation!’
Then he explained to the mob that cheered in his palace and round it,
‘I’ve been to look for a job, and Heaven be praised I’ve found it!’
What was the wisest thing a man could do for his land.
Most of his population hurried to answer the question,
Each with a long oration, each with a new suggestion.
They interrupted his meals, he wasn't safe in his bed from ‘em,
They hung round his neck and heels, and at last His Majesty fled from ‘em.
He put on a lepers cloak (people leave lepers alone),
Out of the window he broke, and abdicated his throne.
All that rapturous day, while his Court and his Ministers mourned him,
He danced on his own highway till his own Policemen warned him.
Gay and cheerful he ran (lepers don't cheer as a rule)
Till he found a philosopher-man teaching an infant school.
The windows were open wide, the King sat down on the grass,
And heard the children inside reciting ‘Our King is an ass’.
The King popped in his head, ‘Some people would call this treason,
But I think you are right, he said; ‘will you kindly give me your reason?’
Lepers in school are rare as Kings with a lepers dress on,
But the class didn't stop or stare; it calmly went on with the lesson:
‘The wisest thing, we suppose, that a man can do for his land,
Is the work that lies under his nose, with the tools that lie under his hand.’
The King whipped off his cloak, and stood in his crown before ‘em.
He said:—‘My dear little folk, Ex ore parvulorum
(Which is Latin for “Children know more than grown-ups would credit”)
You have shown me the road to go, and I propose to tread it.
Back to his Kingdom he ran, and issued a Proclamation,
‘Let every living man return to his occupation!’
Then he explained to the mob that cheered in his palace and round it,
‘I’ve been to look for a job, and Heaven be praised I’ve found it!’
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1936, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 87 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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