Poem

The Ballad of that P.N.

by A. B. Paterson · 1903

The shades of night had fallen at last,When through the house a shadow passed,That once had been the Genial Dan,But now become a desperate man,At question time he waited near,And on the Premier’s startled earA voice fell like half a brick“Did ye, or did ye not, pay CrickDid ye?”
By land and sea the Premier sped,But found his foe where’er he fled,The sailors swore—with whitened lip—That Neptune swam behind the ship:When to the stern the Premier ran,Behold, ’twas no one else but Dan,And through the roaring of the galeThat clarion voice took up the tale,“Ahoy there! Answer, straight and slick!Did not the Ministry pay CrickDid they?”
In railway trains he sought retreat,But soon, from underneath the seat,With blazing eye and bristling beard,His ancient enemy appeared,And like a boiling torrent ranThe accents of the angry Dan—“Tell me, John See, and tell me quickDid not ye pay your shares to CrickDid ye?”
Sources, publication & text notesReference details
Canonical recordPOEM-000984
Copy-textClean Project Gutenberg Australia transcription (SRC-000074), reconciled against fixed Trove facsimile SRC-000156 (Evening News, 1903-07-14; article 115852320)
Source recordSRC-000074
Rights determinationRGT-000936
Text statusCANONICAL TEXT READY
TranscriptionDIPLOMATIC_D208

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