He kicked him, thro' the barn door, He rolled him, in the grunty stye, And up, and down, and round the yard, And then, he bunged him in the eye! He ducked him, in the horses' pond, He slung him, right across a load Of dung, he kicked him thro' the gate, And wiped him up and down the road! He kicked him black! He kicked him blue! He kicked him green! and red and white! He kicked him, till he could not kick, For then the tramp was out of sight! That tramp did never more appear Around that neighbourhood, he passed Away, just like a whiff of smoke, That scuds before the autumn blast! [Illustration] * * * * * A second husbandman that morn, Was quick astir, he fancied he Did hear, a wailing in his barn, A moan, as of the wild banshee! He thought to catch the female sprite, For truth, he was a festive scamp, But got a sort of snub, when he, Discovered but a snoring tramp! The sleep was deep, for with his foot, He had to supplement the blow, Or box, he gave him on his ear, And shouted in that ear "Hello! You'll pardon me, my friend, but 'ere, I thought, this barn belonged to me! Now shall I chuck you out myself, Or seek injunct, from Chancerie?" The startled tramp, did rub his nose, And stared that farmer, in the eye, Then stretched himself, and spoke as he, Would fain enjoy a longer lie. "Well Boss, I've been so often chucked, That it would be relief to stay, And in the Court of Chancerie, Arrange it in a friendly way." They took the case to chancerie, And argued it, from every point, But in the end, they always found, The arguments, were out of joint! The prosecuting counsel, cranked The cogs of all the tramp's defence, And also in his turn, was spanked, And thus, they cribbed the farmer's pence. They argued it, on every side, With judge's whim, and lawyer's yarn. But still the tramp, remains at home, His home, is in the farmer's barn! The case, has not been ended yet, It crops up now, and often then, You cannot tell, when it may crop, It might crop up, next week again, But when that tramp, will have to go, I cannot tell it, nor can he, The farmer cannot, nor can they; The lawyers of the Chancerie.