Mr. Punch in the Hunting Field 23The Last Day of Hunting
18
Literature · Humor
Mr. Punch in the Hunting Field 23
The Last Day of Hunting
AnonymousEnglish
(Stanzas for the First of April)
Right day to bid a long farewell
To the field's gladsome glee;
To hang the crop upon its peg,
The saddle on its tree.
All Fools' the day, all Fools' the deed,
That hunting's end doth bring--
With all those stinking violets,
And humbug of the Spring!
Good-bye to pig-skin and to pink,
Good-bye to hound and horse!
The whimpering music sudden heard
From cover-copse and gorse;
The feathering stems, the sweeping ears,
The heads to scent laid low,
The find, the burst, the "Gone-away!"
The rattling "Tally-ho!"
My horses may eat off their heads,
My huntsman eat his heart;
My hounds may dream of kills and runs
In which they've borne their part,
Until the season's bore is done,
And Parliament set free,
And cub-hunting comes back again
To make a man of me!
"A-HUNTING WE WILL GO!"
Lady. "You're dropping your fish!"
Irish Fish Hawker (riding hard). "Och, bad luck to thim! Niver moind. Sure we're kapin' up wid the gentry!"]
JUMPING POWDER
(Mr. Twentystun having a nip on his way to covert)
Small Boy. "Oh my, Billy, 'ere's a heighty-ton gun a chargin' of 'isself afore goin' into haction!"]
DRAWN BLANK
Huntsman. "How is it you never have any foxes here now?"
Keeper (who has orders to shoot them). "Pheasants have eat 'em all!"]
