Irish Americans -- Humor; Irish-American wit and humor
“Still he can't be persuaded f'r to apply f'r th' vacant improrship on
account iv his lungs, till wan day a tailor shows up to measure him f'r
some clothes. Th' tailor d'ye mind is a rivolutionist in disguise,
an' has come down fr'm Paris f'r to injooce th' young man to take th'
vacancy. 'Fourteen, six, thirty-three. How'll ye have th' pants made,
Impror?' says th' tailor. 'Wan or two hip pockets?' says he.
“'Two hips,' says young Napolyon. 'What do ye mean be that?'” he says.
“'Thirty-eight, siventeen, two sides, wan watch, buckle behind. All
Paris awaits ye, sire.'”
“'Make th' sleeves a little longer thin this,' says th' boy. 'An' fill
out th' shouldhers. What proof have I?'”
“'Wan or two inside pockets?' says th' tailor. 'Two insides. Hankerchief
pocket? Wan hankerchief. Th' pants is warn much fuller this year. Make
that twinty-eight instid iv twinty-siven,' he says. 'Paris shrieks f'r
ye,' he says.
“'Proof,' says th' la-ad.
“'They've named a perfume afther ye, a shirt waist, a paper collar,
a five cint seegar, a lot iv childer. Nay more, a breakfast dish
christened f'r ye is on ivry lip. Will I forward th' soot collect?' he
says.
“'No, sind th' bill to me mother,' says th' boy. 'An' meet me in th'
park at tin,' he says.
“So 'tis planned to seize th' throne, but it comes to nawthin'.”
“Why's that?” asked Mr. Hennessy.
“F'r th' same reason that the Irish rivolution failed, th' polis
stopped it. Th' con-spirators met in th' park an' were nailed be a park
polisman. They didn't run in th' boy, but left him alone in th' place
which was where his father wanst fought a battle. As he shtands there
coughin' he begins to hear voices iv soops that followed th' ol' Impror.
'Comrade' says wan. 'Give me ye'er hand.' 'I can't,' says another. 'I
haven't wan left.' 'Where's me leg?' 'Sarch me.' 'I've lost me voice.'
'Me mind is shot away.' 'Reach me some wather.' 'Pass th' can.' 'A horse
is settin' on me chest.' 'What's that? They'se a batthry iv artillery on
me.' 'I've broke something. What is it?' 'I cannot move me leg.' 'Curses
on the Cavalry.' 'Have ye got th' time?' 'Oh me knee, how it aches me.'
'Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha.' 'Veev, th' Impror.' 'Right about face,
shouldher ar-rms, right shouldher shift arms. March.' A harsh,
metallic voice in the distance: 'Gin-rals, leftnant Gin'rals, officers,
sooz-officers, an' men--.' 'Tis th' boy's father. Th' boy pulls out his
soord an' says he: 'Come on, let's fight. Play away there band. Blow
fife and banners wave. Lave me at thim. Come on, come on!' an' he rushes
out an' makes a stab at an Austhreech regimint that's come up to be
dhrilled. Thin he undherstands 'twas all a dhream with him an' he
raysumes his ol' job. In th' next act he dies.”
“That's a good act,” said Mr. Hennessy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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