THE PARSON AND PEDAGOGUE. 



And so he proved, for in a trice 



He snored as loudly as before ; 

 The parson thought life was a price 



Too high to give for one nap more ; 

 So up he gently rose, and then 

 Thought how t'escape, the way and when ! 



This waken'd Baker, and when he, 

 The dangers that assail'd them knew, 



Likewise arose, and strove to see, 

 Well as he in the dark could do, 



If there could be no measures taken, 



By which they still might save their bacon. 



He rubb'd his eyes, and grop'd around, 

 There was a window, but 'twas high ; 



He knew not what might be the ground, 

 Or very wet or very dry ; 



For neither might be just the thing, 



According as he chanc'd to spring. 



Yet he resolved to dare the deed, 

 And to his purpose sought to win 



The parson over ; who agreed 



There might not be much danger in 



A feather's fall : there was the rub, 



He was just like a sugar tub ! 



But still the pedagogue resolv'd, 

 That he would rather risk his neck, 



Than be by any chance involv'd 



With one, whose gluttony might deck 



The table with a slice of him, 



Cut off from any favourite limb. 



So, thro' the window, down he flew, 



And fell upon a heap of dung ; 

 The parson watch'd his fall, and knew 



'Twas safe, and so he downwards sprung ; 

 Alighting very like a log, 

 Exactly on the pedagogue. 



Poor Baker felt as if his breath, 



From out his body had been pump'd ; 



The parson, too, was bruis'd to death : 

 In short, was so severely thump'd, 



That he had rather on the stones 



Have fallen, than on Baker's bones. 



But they soon rose, and found that they 

 Had left the gridiron for the fire 



They could by no means get away : 



They were wall'd in ; the wall was high'r, 



Then was the chamber whence they leapt, 



And they in shelter might have slept. 



The rain pour'd down in torrents, where 

 To 'scape its fury neither knew ; 



A shelter now was all their care : 

 For they with death familiar grew, 



And only wish'd that they might spend, 



Beneath a roof, life's latter end. 



