English Narrative Poems

Narrative poetry, English; Readers -- Poetry
"I came because your horse would come;
      And, if I well forbode,
    My hat and wig will soon be here,                                175
      They are upon the road."

    The calender, right glad to find
      His friend in merry pin,[11]
    Return'd him not a single word,
      But to the house went in;                                      180

    Whence straight he came with hat and wig;
      A wig that flow'd behind,
    A hat not much the worse for wear,
      Each comely in its kind.

    He held them up, and in his turn                                 185
      Thus show'd his ready wit,
    "My head is twice as big as yours,
      They therefore needs must fit.

    "But let me scrape the dirt away
      That hangs upon your face;                                     190
    And stop and eat, for well you may
      Be in a hungry case."

    Said John, "It is my wedding day,
      And all the world would stare,
    If wife should dine at Edmonton,                                 195
      And I should dine at Ware."

    So turning to his horse, he said,
      "I am in haste to dine;
    'Twas for your pleasure you came here,
      You shall go back for mine."                                   200

    Ah luckless speech, and bootless boast!
      For which he paid full dear;
    For, while he spake, a braying ass
      Did sing most loud and clear;

    Whereat his horse did snort, as he                               205
      Had heard a lion roar,
    And gallop'd off with all his might,
      As he had done before.

    Away went Gilpin, and away
      Went Gilpin's hat and wig:                                     210
    He lost them sooner than at first,
      For why?--they were too big.

    Now mistress Gilpin, when she saw
      Her husband posting down
    Into the country far away,                                       215
      She pull'd out half a crown;

    And thus unto the youth she said,
      That drove them to the Bell,
    "This shall be yours, when you bring back
      My husband safe and well."                                     220

    The youth did ride, and soon did meet
      John coming back amain[12];
    Whom in a trice he tried to stop,
      By catching at his rein;

    But not performing what he meant,                                225
      And gladly would have done,
    The frighted steed he frighted more,
      And made him faster run.

    Away went Gilpin, and away
      Went postboy at his heels,                                     230
    The postboy's horse right glad to miss
      The lumbering of the wheels.

    Six gentlemen upon the road,
      Thus seeing Gilpin fly,
    With postboy scampering in the rear,                             235
      They raised the hue and cry[13]:--

    "Stop thief! stop thief!--a highwayman!"
      Not one of them was mute;
    And all and each that passed that way
      Did join in the pursuit.                                       240
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
English Narrative Poems

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