Bear And Whale.

A fable of the British and Russian dispute of 1885.             Russians suffer sad distress             For lack of freedom of the press,             But oft' times they are full able             To enlighten with a fable.             And they enjoy a humorous tale             Of a bear and monster whale,             The bear he went to the sea shore             The mighty ocean to explore.             And this it quick enraged the whale             Who beat the ocean with his tail,             With foaming words he told the bear             That he would strip his hide and hair.             If he ever found him more             Encroaching on his sea shore,             The bear replied I will not quail             At frothing words of any whale.             For you are a lump of blubber,             Whale rejoined you are land lubber,             Thus bandying epithets so vile,             Of bear grease and of whale oil.             Sharks and fishes of the ocean             Were thrown into great commotion,             The hawks and eagles of the air,             Lions and tigers gathered there.             Bear he wished the whale to slaughter,             But he was afraid of water,             The great whale feared that he might strand             If he ventured on the dry land.             So at last great Russia Bear             Went back again to his own lair,             And British whale content to be             Greatest monarch of the sea.