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by Marriott Edgar
Illustrations by John Hassall
Balbus was a tackler (somebody who works with equipment for horses), but became a hentrepreneur as an egg layer farmer and then eggcelled as a brick layer.
Just about every phrase of this monologue leads on to cracking witty yokes of why the chicken crossed the road, Humpty Dumpty sitting on the Great Wall of China, and so on, until our coop runneth over.
This poem of Marriott Edgar is a poultry in motion.
I'll tell you the story of Balbus, This 'ere Balbus, though only a Tackler, 'Twere a White Wyandot he called Mabel, When he took them along to the market | |
For Balbus, though only a Tackler, When he got there he took a small holding, The 'en needed no second biddin', When the Chinamen heard what had happened They formed themselves in a committee |
Mabel the Wyandot |
At the finish they came to t' conclusion When Balbus went out the next morning For Balbus, though only a Tackler, |
But next day, to his great consternation 'Twere a bit of a set-back for Balbus, "That won't keep us out of your 'en 'ouse" |
The Chinamen hear the story |
The Chinamen burst out laughing |
The Chinamen all burst out laffing, Day by day Balbus stuck to his building, |