Folk Song: Rhyme of the Chivalrous Shark
Folk Song: Rhyme of the Chivalrous Shark
We have all heard about man-eating sharks, of course; but have you ever heard of a woman- or child-eating shark? That is because the shark is the most chivalrous of creatures, the prince of the ocean. In this lighthearted ballad, the chivalrous shark gallantly saves a drowning women. He is less deferential to the poor skipper.
The American writer Wallace Irwin gave us the playful lyrics in 1904; they were originally published as a poem in his volume Nautical Lays of a Landsman.
Most chivalrous fish of the ocean,
To ladies forbearing and mild,
Though his record be dark,
Is the man-eating shark
Who will eat neither woman nor child.
He dines upon seamen and skippers,
And tourists his hunger assuage.
And a fresh cabin boy
Will inspire him with joy
If he’s past the maturity age.
A doctor, a lawyer, a preacher—
He’ll gobble one any fine day.
But the ladies, God bless ‘em,
He’ll only address them
Politely and go on his way.
I can readily cite you an instance
When a lovely young lady of Breem
Who was tender and sweet
And delicious to eat
Fell into the bay with a scream.
She struggled and flounced in the water
And signaled in vain for her bar.
And she’d surely been drowned
If she hadn’t been found
By a chivalrous man-eating shark.
He bowed in a manner most polished,
Thus soothing her impulses wild.
“Don’t be frightened,” he said.
“I’ve been properly bred
“And will eat neither woman nor child.”
Then he proffered his fin and she took it.
Such gallantry none can dispute.
The passengers cheered
As the vessel they neared,
And a broadside was fired in salute.
They soon stood alongside the vessel,
And a life-saving dinghy was lowered,
With the pick of the crew
And her relatives too
And the mate and the skipper aboard.
They took her aboard in a jiffy
And the shark stood attention the while.
Then he raised on his flipper
And ate up the skipper
And went on his way with a smile.
This shows that the prince of the ocean,
To ladies forbearing and mild,
Though his record be dark,
Is the man-eating shark
Who will eat neither woman nor child.
Illustration: Frontispiece for Nautical Lays of a Landsman. Peter Newell.
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ELISSA said...
Oh, my goodness, that is SO adorable; I love it!!! The painting is super cute too, but those lyrics are just too funny! Thanks for sharing! —Elissa
Friday, June 18, 2010 07:27 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
This is one of my brothers’ favorite songs, especially when the singer adds a scream, a cannon boom, and a British accent for the shark. Oh, and if you tickle them when the shark eats up the skipper. ;-)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 04:09 PM
Friday, June 18, 2010