Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-01
The Yarn of the "Nancy Bell.v
BY W. S. GILBERT.

BY W. S. GILBERT.
Twas on the shores that round the coast
From Deal to Ramsgate span,
That found alone. on a piece of stone,
An elderly naval man.
His hair was weedv. his beard was long,
And weedy and long was he
And I heard this wight on the shore recite
In a singular minor Key
"Oh, am cook and Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And q ho'sun tight and midshipmite
And the crew of the Captains gig."
And he shook his fists and tore his hair,
Till really felt afraid,
For couldn't help thinking the man had beer
drinking,
And so simply said:
Oh elderly man. it's little know
OF the duties or men of the sea,
And III eat my hand if | understand
How you can possibly be
At once cook. and Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bo'sun tight and midshipmite,
And the crew of the Captains gig"
Then he gave hitch to his trowsers, which
is a trick all seamen larn.
And. having got rid of humping quid
He spun this painful yarn:
"'Twas on the good ship Nancy Bell,
That we sailed to the Indian sea-
AND there on q reef we came to grief,
W AASA nae OAeCA O'SuAISN " liz
End 11a pretty nigh all o the crew was drowned
(Ihere was seventy-seVen O. seul
And only ten of the Nancy's men
Said Here + to the muster-roll.
There was me and the cook and the Captain
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And the bo'sun tight and the midshipmite
And the crew of the Captains gig.
For month we'd neither whites nor drink
Till a hungry wo did feel,
30. we drawcd a lot, and, accordin' shot,
The Captain for our meal.
The next lot fell to the Naney's mate.
And delicate dish he made;
linen our appetite with the midshipmite
We seven survivors stayed.
And then we murdered the bo'sun tight,
And he much resembled pig;
Then we wittled free. did the cook ard me-
On the GREY. OF the Captains gig.
: Then only, the cook and me was left
And the delicate question. Which
OF US two goes to the kettle 2 arose,
And we argued it out as SIGH.
. For 1 loved that cook as a brother, did,
And the cook he worshiped me;
But we'd both be blowed if we'd either be
slowed
In the ether chaps hold. you see.
TN be eat if you dimes off me: says Tom;
Yes, that. says L, you IL be:
m boiled If die, my friend, quoth /
And Exactly so,' quoth he.
Says he, Dear James. to murder me
Were a foolish thing to do
For don't you see that you can't cook me.
While l ean--and will-cook iout
so he boils the water. and takes the salt
land the pepper in portions true
(Which he never forgot and some chopped
shalot
And some sage and parsley too.
'''Come here says he, with proper pride,
Which his smiling features tell,
Twill soothing be if | let you see,
How extremely nice you'll SMELL
And he stirred it round and round and round,
And he shifted at the foaming froth.
When ups with his heels, and smothers his
squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.
q And l eat that cook in a week or less,
And-as / eating be
The last Of his chops why I almost drops,
For vessel in sight see.
q And l never larf, and I never smile,
And / nevH lark nor play,
But sit and croak. and a single Joke
l have--which is to say:
"0h, am a cook and Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bosom tight, and Inidshipmite,
And the crew of the Captains gig!'