George Canning

The Elderly Gentleman

By the side of a murmuring stream  
               an elderly gentleman sat.  
On the top of his head was a wig,  
               and a-top of his wig was his hat. 
 
The wind it blew high and blew strong,  
               as the elderly gentleman sat;  
And bore from his head in a trice,  
               and plunged in the river his hat. 
 
The gentleman then took his cane  
               which lay by his side as he sat; 
And he dropped in the river his wig, 
                in attempting to get out his hat. 
 
His breast it grew cold with despair,  
               and full in his eye madness sat; 
So he flung in the river  
               his cane to swim with his wig and his hat. 
 
Cool reflexion at last came across  
              while this elderly gentleman sat; 
So he thought he would follow the stream  
               and look for his cane, wig and hat. 
 
His head being thicker than common,  
               o’er-balanced the rest of his fat; 
And in plumped this son of a woman  
               to follow his wig, cane and hat.