Poem by Ellis Parker Butler

The Whale

The Whale is found in seas and oceans,
Indulging there in fishlike motions,
But Science shows that Whales are mammals,
Like Jersey cows, and goats, and camels.

When undisturbed, the Whale will browse
Like camels, goats, and Jersey cows,
On food that satisfies its tongue,
Thus making milk to feed its young.

Asking no costly hay and oats,
Like camels, Jersey cows, and goats,
The Whale, prolific milk producer,
Should be our cheapest lactic juicer.

Our milk should all come from the sea,
But who, I ask, would want to be—
And here the proposition fails—
The milkmaid to a herd of Whales?

1. A Scotchman Whose Name Was Isbister
2. Song for Heroes
3. At Variance
4. A Satisfactory Reform
5. The Ballade of the Mistletoe Bough

Hilaire Belloc The Whale ("The Whale that wanders round the Pole")

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