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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=344087" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Bushfire - an Allegory</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Twas on the famous Empire run, <br>Whose sun does never set, <br>Whose grass and water, so they say, <br>Have never failed them yet -- <br>They carry many million sheep, <br>Through seasons dry and wet. <br>They call the homestead Albion House, <br>And then, along with that, <br>There's Welshman's Gully, Scotchman's Hill, <br>And Paddymelon Flat: <br>And all these places are renowned <br>For making jumbacks fat. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And the out-paddocks -- holy frost! <br>There wouldn't be no sense <br>For me to try and tell you half -- <br>They really are immense; <br>A man might ride for days and weeks <br>And never strike a fence. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But still for years they never had <br>Been known a sheep to lose; <br>Old Billy Gladstone managed it, <br>And you can bet your shoes <br>He'd scores of supers under him, <br>And droves of jackaroos. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Old Billy had an eagle eye, <br>And kept his wits about -- <br>If any chaps got trespassing <br>He quickly cleared 'em out; <br>And coves that used to "work a cross", <br>They hated him, no doubt. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But still he managed it in style, <br>Until the times got dry, <br>And Billy gave the supers word <br>To see and mind their eye -- <br>"If any paddocks gets a-fire <br>I'll know the reason why." </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now on this point old Bill was sure, <br>Because, for many a year, <br>Whenever times got dry at all, <br>As sure as you are here, <br>The Paddymelon Flat got burnt <br>Which Bill thought rather queer. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">He sent his smartest supers there <br>To try and keep things right. <br>No use! The grass was always dry -- <br>They'd go to sleep at night, <br>And when they woke they'd go and find <br>The whole concern alight. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">One morning it was very hot -- <br>The sun rose in a haze; <br>Old Bill was cutting down some trees <br>(One of his little ways); <br>A black boy came hot-foot to say <br>The Flat was in a blaze. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Old Bill he swears a fearful oath <br>And lets the tommy fall -- <br>Says he: "'ll take this business up, <br>And fix it once for all; <br>If this goes on the cursed run <br>Will send us to the wall." </div><div style="margin:10px 0">So he withdrew his trespass suits, <br>He'd one with Dutchy's boss -- <br>In prosecutions criminal <br>He entered nolle pros., <br>But these were neither here nor there -- <br>They always meant a loss. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And off to Paddymelon Flat <br>He started double quick <br>Drayloads of men with lots of grog <br>Lest heat should make them sick, <br>And all the strangers came around <br>To see him do the trick. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And there the fire was flaming bright, <br>For miles and miles it spread, <br>And many a sheep and horse and cow <br>Were numbered with the dead -- <br>The super came to meet Old Bill, <br>And this is what he said: </div><div style="margin:10px 0">"No use, to try to beat it out, <br>'Twill dry you up like toast, <br>I've done as much as man can do, <br>Although I never boast; <br>I think you'd better chuck it up, <br>And let the jumbucks roast." </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then Bill said just two words: "You're sacked," <br>And pitches off his coat, <br>And wrenches down a blue gum bough <br>And clears his manly throat, <br>And into it like threshing wheat <br>Right sturdily he smote. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And beat the blazing grass until <br>His shirt was dripping wet; <br>And all the people watched him there <br>To see what luck he'd get, <br>"Gosh! don't he make the cinders fly," <br>And, Golly, don't he sweat!" </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But though they worked like Trojans all, <br>The fire still went ahead <br>So far as you could see around, <br>The very skies were red, <br>Sometimes the flames would start afresh, <br>Just where they thought it dead. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">His men, too, quarreled 'mongst themselves <br>And some coves gave it best <br>And some said, "Light a fire in front, <br>And burn from east to west" -- <br>But Bill he still kept sloggin' in, <br>And never took no rest. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then through the crowd a cornstalk kid <br>Come ridin' to the spot <br>Says he to Bill, "Now take a spell, <br>You're lookin' very 'ot, <br>And if you'll only listen, why, <br>I'll tell you what is what. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">"These coves as set your grass on fire, <br>There ain't no mortal doubt, <br>I've seen 'em ridin' here and there, <br>And pokin' round about; <br>It ain't no use your workin' here, <br>Until you finds them out. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">"See yonder, where you beat the fire -- <br>It's blazin' up again, <br>And fires are starting right and left <br>On Tipperary Plain, <br>Beating them out is useless quite, <br>Unless Heaven sends the rain. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then Bill, he turns upon the boy, <br>"Oh, hold your tongue, you pup!" <br>But a cinder blew across the creek <br>While Bill stopped for a sup, <br>And fired the Albion paddocks, too -- <br>It was a bitter cup; <br>Old Bill's heart was broke at last, <br>He had to chuck it up. </div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Moral <br> <br>The run is England's Empire great, <br>The fire is the distress <br>That burns the stock they represent -- <br>Prosperity you'll guess. <br>And the blue gum bough is the Home Rule Bill <br>That's making such a mess. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And Ireland green, of course I mean <br>By Paddymelon Flat; <br>All men can see the fire, of course, <br>Spreads on at such a bat, <br>But who are setting it alight, <br>I cannot tell you that. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But this I think all men will see, <br>And hold it very true -- <br>"Don't quarrel with effects until <br>The cause is brought to view." <br>What is the cause? That cornstalk boy -- <br>He seemed to think he knew.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Andrew+Barton+Paterson">Andrew Barton Paterson</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=344087" data-title="The Bushfire - an Allegory de Andrew Barton Paterson" data-description="'Twas on the famous Empire run, Whose sun does never set, Whose grass and water, so they say, Have never failed them yet -- They carry many million sheep, Through seasons dry and wet. They call the homestead Albion House, And then, along wi..."></div> </div> </div>
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