Unconsidered Trifles
"A piece of turkey gobbler here, a half a chicken there,
Plum-duff an' pies an' things, scraps o' Christmas fare —
Most folks has some oddments they're loth to pitch away
When they are fed an' satisfied," said Ole Pete Parraday.
"An' then, quite accidental like. I happens at the door
When folks is fine an' generous just as the feast is o'er.
"Why, hare's a bit o' luck,' they says, delighted. 'Here's ole Pete.
An' jist in time to help us out from wastin' things to eat.'
"Not that I wants for dinner of a Christmas time each year,
The way the neighbors presses me an' fights for me round here.
But I can't play no fav'rites; it's turn an' turn about;
For if I dined with Robertsons when it's the Johnsons' shout
Why, I'd never hear the end of it. But when I've ate me fill
I calls on all the neighbors as a matter of goodwill
Just to wish 'em 'Merry Christmas' an' treat 'em all the same.
An' if they presses things on me, well, how am I to blame?
"I reckon when the holid'ys is pretty nearly thro'
My larder's jist about as full an' jist as varied, too,
As any in the districk — stuff to make yeh lick yer chops.
Not bad for one ole pensioner wot don't spend much in shops.
Fancy sortser tucker, too, soothin' to the taste —
Not that I'm greedy, mind yeh; but I hates to see things waste;
I hates to see things throwed away wot easily might be
Meals from the lap o' luxury for my ole dog an' me.
"Not that I holds with beggin', mind, as you knows very well,
But if you seen my hut this week you'd think the Grand 'Otel
Or else the Caffy Parry was shifted to the scrub,
Half ways a slap-up resterong an' half a toney pub;
With chicken laigs an' turkey wings an' cake, got up reel fine,
An' a bottle, that ain't opened yet, of reel sherry wine!
But I puts it on the table every time I has a meal;
An' it's near as good as drinkin' it, the way it makes me feel."
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
- published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
- anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
- government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
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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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 1938, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 85 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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