The Jolly Dugong

It was the jolly Dugong, As he sat on the springing lea, And his eyes were blue as the raven’s wing, And his hair was black as the sea.

He piped and he trilled on his baritone tail, Till the fishes began to stare; And came, with a skip o’er the shimmering sand, To beg for their favorite air.

Then he scratched his head with his clammy claw, And he smoothed his face with his fin, While he murmured, “Come hither, my aqueous friends, And a ditty I’ll soon begin.”

So the fishes approached with a festive flop, In numbers even and odd; And the halibut leaned on the pickerel’s arm, While the trout escorted the cod.

As the scaly bevy gathered around, The Dugong unbuckled his belt, And he tuned his tail with a tuning fork, Carved out of the rib of a smelt.

“Ah,” he sighed, “it is really a joy to receive A mark of approval so rare, For I very well know that a fish’s applause, Is to flourish his skin in the air.”

Then he warbled in notes that were merry and gay, And in tones that were clear as a flute, And he caroled a lay of the rolling deep, While the fishes with joy were mute.

The song was the one that they loved the best, And ’twas quite a remarkable sight, When they waved their skins in the evening air, And rattled their bones with delight.

“O, Rosy, my posy!” the sun-fish said, To a herring that swam by his side, “On similar music, we’ll constantly feed, If you’ll be but my beauteous bride.”

“O, halibut, walibut!” whispered the cod, “What a glorious song of the sea! Throw your scaly skin on the sandy shore, And dance on the wave with me.”

The hours slipped by, and the music went on, While the mists of the evening arose-- But everything earthly must come to a stop, And e’en such a concert must close.

The Dugong stopped singing--the hour was late, All hurried for skins to the shore; ’Twas confusion and bustle--each snatched what he could, Half put them on hind-side before.

Old Flatty, the flounder, went off in a coat That was certainly made for the eel, While Pinky, the salmon’s, was wretched in fit, And extremely unpleasant in feel.

So, highly uncomfortable, each swam away, With a coat much too small, or too great; And just such an accident may befall you, If you stay at a party too late.