The fleshpots of Egypt were once in high fame; Australian fleshpots have more than the same, Old England’s roast beef is now rivalled in name. O, the Boiled Beef, &c. The privileged victims who Income-tax pay, Whose earnings precarious are taken away, While ceasing to deal with a Butcher, can say O, the Boiled Beef, &c. ’Tis true that your servants, fastidious and fine, Australian meat in their folly decline. On skilligolee they hereafter may dine. O, the Boiled Beef, &c. Now pour out the wine which we could not afford Except for Antipodes’ meat on the board. Its inventors’ good health!――whilst my helping’s encored. O, the Boiled Beef, &c. _Punch._ August 24, 1872. ―――― STIRRING THE PUDDING, A Song for the Christmas Season. The National Padding all parties protest By themselves is best planned, and compounded the best, And each eager spoon wielder will stoutly aver All would turn out quite well had himself but a stir. At the glorious Plum-Padding of England, Old England’s unequalled Plum-Pudding! The Stirrers-in-Chief, who’ve their spoons in the pan, Have been stirring away on their own special plan For a tidy long time, and triumphantly say That no Season has shown, for this many a day, Such a splendid Plum-Pudding for England, Such a genuine English Plum-Padding! Well we know the old Saw about too many cooks; But a Saw is not always so sage as it looks; And a Pudding so big as JOHN BULL’s may require All the hands and the spoons that toil on and ne’er tire Of stirring the Pudding of England, The mighty old English Plum-Pudding! The proof of the Pudding’s in eating, they say; And JOHN BULL, who must eat it has likewise to pay; And so, at this season, let’s wish them success, And hope that among them they won’t make a mess Of the rare old Plum-Pudding of England, The old English Christmas Plum-Pudding! (_Four verses omitted._) _Punch._ Dec. 27, 1879. ――――:o:―――― THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.