The Complete Poetical Works of Rudyard Kipling. Rudyard Kipling

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Complete Poetical Works of Rudyard Kipling - Rudyard Kipling страница 3

The Complete Poetical Works of Rudyard Kipling - Rudyard Kipling

Скачать книгу

Ahasuerus waileth o'er the grand pianoforte;

       And, thanks to fair Cornelia, his fame hath waxen great,

       And Ahasuerus Jenkins is a power in the State.

       Table of Contents

      This ditty is a string of lies.

       But—how the deuce did Gubbins rise?

      POTIPHAR GUBBINS, C. E.,

       Stands at the top of the tree;

       And I muse in my bed on the reasons that led

       To the hoisting of Potiphar G.

      Potiphar Gubbins, C. E.,

       Is seven years junior to Me;

       Each bridge that he makes he either buckles or breaks,

       And his work is as rough as he.

      Potiphar Gubbins, C. E.,

       Is coarse as a chimpanzee;

       And I can't understand why you gave him your hand,

       Lovely Mehitabel Lee.

      Potiphar Gubbins, C. E.,

       Is dear to the Powers that Be;

       For They bow and They smile in an affable style

       Which is seldom accorded to Me.

      Potiphar Gubbins, C. E.,

       Is certain as certain can be

       Of a highly-paid post which is claimed by a host

       Of seniors—including Me.

      Careless and lazy is he,

       Greatly inferior to Me.

      What is the spell that you manage so well,

       Commonplace Potiphar G.?

      Lovely Mehitabel Lee,

       Let me inquire of thee,

       Should I have riz to what Potiphar is,

       Hadst thou been mated to me?

       Table of Contents

      This is the reason why Rustum Beg,

       Rajah of Kolazai,

       Drinketh the "simpkin" and brandy peg,

       Maketh the money to fly,

       Vexeth a Government, tender and kind,

       Also—but this is a detail—blind.

      RUSTUM BEG of Kolazai—slightly backward native state

       Lusted for a C. S. I.,—so began to sanitate.

       Built a Jail and Hospital—nearly built a City drain—

       Till his faithful subjects all thought their Ruler was insane.

      Strange departures made he then—yea, Departments stranger still,

       Half a dozen Englishmen helped the Rajah with a will,

       Talked of noble aims and high, hinted of a future fine

       For the state of Kolazai, on a strictly Western line.

      Rajah Rustum held his peace; lowered octroi dues a half;

       Organized a State Police; purified the Civil Staff;

       Settled cess and tax afresh in a very liberal way;

       Cut temptations of the flesh—also cut the Bukhshi's pay;

      Roused his Secretariat to a fine Mahratta fury,

       By a Hookum hinting at supervision of dasturi;

       Turned the State of Kolazai very nearly upside-down;

       When the end of May was nigh, waited his achievement crown.

      When the Birthday Honors came,

       Sad to state and sad to see,

       Stood against the Rajah's name nothing more than C. I. E.!

      Things were lively for a week in the State of Kolazai.

       Even now the people speak of that time regretfully.

      How he disendowed the Jail—stopped at once the City drain;

       Turned to beauty fair and frail—got his senses back again;

       Doubled taxes, cesses, all; cleared away each new-built thana;

       Turned the two-lakh Hospital into a superb Zenana;

      Heaped upon the Bukhshi Sahib wealth and honors manifold;

       Clad himself in Eastern garb—squeezed his people as of old.

      Happy, happy Kolazai! Never more will Rustum Beg

       Play to catch the Viceroy's eye. He prefers the "simpkin" peg.

       Table of Contents

      "Now there were two men in one city;

       the one rich and the other poor."

      Jack Barrett went to Quetta

       Because they told him to.

       He left his wife at Simla

       On three-fourths his monthly screw:

       Jack Barrett died at Quetta

       Ere the next month's pay he drew.

      Jack Barrett went to Quetta.

       He didn't understand

       The reason of his transfer

       From the pleasant mountain-land:

       The season was September,

       And it killed him out of hand.

      Jack Barrett went to

Скачать книгу