Work-a-day Warriors/The Carrion Crow
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THE CARRION CROW
A crow sat on a crooked tree,
And first it cawed, then glowered at me.
And first it cawed, then glowered at me.
Quoth I, "Thou hoary, hooded crow,
Why do ye glower upon me so?"
Why do ye glower upon me so?"
"I look upon thee live," it said,
"That I may better ken thee dead;
"That I may better ken thee dead;
"That I may claim thee for my ain
When ye are smoored among the slain."
When ye are smoored among the slain."
The crow perched on that crooked tree,
Nor raised its evil eye frae me.
Nor raised its evil eye frae me.
It perched upon that crooked thorn,
And gazed on me as if in scorn:
And gazed on me as if in scorn:
"I'll whet my bill upon thy blade
Where thou art lying in the glade;
Where thou art lying in the glade;
"I'll pike out baith thy bonnie e'en;
I'll pike the flesh frae off each bane;
I'll pike the flesh frae off each bane;
"Thy lips that kissed a lover fair,
God wot! but I will kiss them bare!"
God wot! but I will kiss them bare!"
The crow perched on that crooked tree,
Nor raised its evil eye frae me.
Nor raised its evil eye frae me.
"Thou horrid, hooded, hoary crow,
Why do ye glower upon me so?"
Why do ye glower upon me so?"
"I look upon thee live," it said,
"That I may better ken thee dead."
"That I may better ken thee dead."
[There is a somewhat whimsical sequel to the above. One afternoon the R.Q.M.S., who is one of the best revolver shots in the Battalion, entered my billet with a Webley in one hand and a dead crow in the other. "He perched upon a tree, and glowered at me, and as I thought of him possibly picking out my e'en—well, I picked him off first!"]