'Twas when the rain fell steady an' the Ark was pitched an' ready,
That
Noah got his orders for to take the bastes below;
He dragged them all
together by the horn an' hide an' feather,
An' all excipt the Donkey was
agreeable to go.
Thin Noah spoke him fairly, thin talked to him sevarely,
An' thin he
cursed him squarely to the glory av the Lord: --
"Divil take the ass that
bred you, and the greater ass that fed you --
Divil go wid you, ye spalpeen!"
an' the Donkey went aboard.
But the wind was always failin', an' 'twas most onaisy sailin',
An' the
ladies in the cabin couldn't stand the stable air;
An' the bastes betwuxt the
hatches, they tuk an' died in batches,
Till Noah said: -- "There's wan av us
that hasn't paid his fare!"
For he heard a flusteration 'mid the bastes av all creation --
The
trumpetin' av elephints an' bellowin' av whales;
An' he saw forninst the
windy whin he wint to stop the shindy
The Divil wid a stable-fork bedivillin'
their tails.
The Divil cursed outrageous, but Noah said umbrageous: --
"To what am I
indebted for this tenant-right invasion?"
An' the Divil gave for answer: --
"Evict me if you can, sir,
For I came in wid the Donkey -- on Your Honour's
invitation."