Ursus

Canto the Fourth
Song of a Damsel

Come on in and have a drink
A wager's for the winning!!
It’s not as simple as you think
So start from the beginning!!

“The final puzzle you must solve,
If you survive the former!
Is more inviting, more involved
and not a little warmer!!

You see, our landlord has three girls
The apples of his eye!
Each one is lovely ~ decked with curls
and all a little shy.

But once you’ve supped and wiped your face
and tangled with Old George
The landlord’s eldest must embrace
your combat-whetted urge.”

With these foul words the barfly barked
a single belch of laughter
The boy; in landlord’s visage: marked
the anguish of a father.

“But that’s no trial ~ that’s no test!”
the wanderer exhorted
“No maid’s affections can be wrest
or brutally extorted!”

The landlord flashed a rebel-grin
at this display of courage
The barfly: “Keep your breath within
and saved to cool your porridge!

The landlord’s kids are not so clean
as virgin white snowfall
For years now they have ever been
enjoyed by one and all!”

A vicious laughter now arose
The wanderer’s mind recoiled
from brutal visions; cruelly, those
three maids so oft despoiled.

But now ~ alert as a bloodhound;
With this reviled admission
Our Hero-Wanderer had just found
A new and noble mission.

For he determined in his mind
to end this base behaviour
And once he’d met this maid, he’d find
a way to surely save her!

But first he’d have to face a fact
that few had yet survived:
Old George won’t leave him too intact
or easily revived!

To now accomplish such fell deeds
which changes barfly’s visage
Our Wandering Hero’s going to need
A Dutchman’s liquid courage.

With narrowed eye, the boy stares out
the barfly’s darkened frown
Then raises high the glass of stout
and bravely gulps it down.

The barflies give a dreadful cheer
Their leader smiles like Satan
Sips lightly from his own weak beer
which goes down like soft satin.

And now ~ at last! ~ on tavern scene
The wilderness encroaches
Regardless where, till now, he’s been
Watch out! Old George approaches!!

He hears the raucous laughs and yells
and sniffs the air as one who’d
just heard a welcome dinner bell
And so… to be continued…