THE GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN EGGS. 359 



When the gold they spent with us went with them across the sea. 

 Ah, well, 'twas our own doing : that's as plain as plain can be. 

 Who lamed the nags, and maimed the men, and rolled them in the 



mire, 

 And killed the goose with golden eggs with thrice-accursed wire. 



Where are those stalwart riders? Where those forms of winsome 



grace 



Gone ? Ay, and gone for ever ! Who will till the vacant place ? 



They're off to Pau and Zanzibar, to Paris and Peru, 



To Nice, and California : there was nothing else to do. 



You can't expect a sporting race to stay when sport is dead. 



They've taken flight, and with them too Prosperity has fled. 



We mangled them, and tangled them, and rolled them in the mire, 



And killed the goose with golden eggs with thrice-accursed wire. 



