  Feyther sez as "Larnin' be the proper trade for boys," An' so us have to go to school, an' dursn't make a noise, But jest sits on a form an' hears what schoolmaister do say, An' all the time we'm thinkin' how the boats go in the bay. There's different kinds o' larnin', an' there's some I can't abide, They'm worse than swimmin' round the Main at ebbin' o' the tide. I likes the tales o' travels an' at readin' do be praised, An' I'm dacent doin' Adders, but Goseinters send me mazed. The Bible stories baint so bad excep' the fat head calf, An' when schoolmaister tells of 'ee I allays wants to laugh; Our Kitty likes the donkeys as was found by Sunno Kish, But I likes best the tale about Ole Peter an' the fish. Schoolmaister knaws a mort o' things as baint a bit o' use; I've heered un tell the biggest boys about high potty mews; But if he had to earn his bread, the same as feyther do, I count he'd soon belong to know it wasn' much he knew. One day he gave a sum about a herrin' an' a half, An' sez as how the boys was rude when they began to laugh; He must a been a bufflehead to think as people bought Half herrins, when we'm bringin' 'em by thousans into port. I'm allays sittin' thinkin' when he'm talkin' to the board, About the many things there be a boy can larn aboard; There's sheets to haul an' gear to staw an' reefs to take an' tie, An' wind to watch acomin' in the corner of your eye. Now if they larned us some o' these, or how to bend a hook, 'Twould be a darned sight usefuller than rubbige in a book; But what's the good o' larnin' how to hold a scriggley pen, An' spell a lot of orkard words, an' say to ten times ten? 'Tis little use to grumble when 'ee have to keep the rules, An' jest so long as there be boys, I count there must be schools; An' tho' they'm good for larnin' if 'ee awnly knaws the way, I'd sooner be a whifflin' arter mack'rel in the bay. |
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