<h2><span><SPAN name="19">THE HOSPITABLE CALEDONIAN</SPAN></span><br>
<br>
<span> AND</span><br>
<br>
<span> THE THANKLESS VIPER</span><br/></h2>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
A Caledonian piper<br/>
Who was walking on the wold<br/>
Nearly stepped upon a viper<br/>
Rendered torpid by the cold;<br/>
By the sight of her admonished,<br/>
He forbore to plant his boot,<br/>
But he showed he was astonished<br/>
By the way he muttered "Hoot!"<br/>
<br/>
Now this simple-minded piper<br/>
Such a kindly nature had<br/>
That he lifted up the viper<br/>
And bestowed her in his plaid.<br/>
"Though the Scot is stern, at least he<br/>
No unhappy creature spurns,<br/>
'Sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,'"<br/>
Quoth the piper (quoting Burns).<br/>
<br/>
This was unaffected kindness,<br/>
But there was, to state the fact,<br/>
Just a slight <span style="font-style: italic;">soupçon</span>
of blindness<br/>
In his charitable act.<br/>
If you'd watched the piper, shortly<br/>
You'd have seen him leap aloft,<br/>
As this snake, of ways uncourtly,<br/>
Bit him suddenly and oft.<br/>
<br/>
There was really no excuse for<br/>
This, the viper's cruel work,<br/>
And the piper found a use for<br/>
Words he'd never learned at kirk;<br/>
But the biting was so thorough<br/>
That although the doctors tried,<br/>
Not the best in Edinburgh<br/>
Could assist him, and he died.<br/>
<br/>
And THE MORAL is: The piper<br/>
Of the matter made a botch;<br/>
One can hardly blame the viper<br/>
If she took a nip of Scotch,<br/>
For she only did what he did,<br/>
And <span style="font-style: italic;">his</span>
nippie wasn't small,<br/>
Otherwise, you see, he needed<br/>
Not have seen the snake at all.<br/>
<br/>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.