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- To the mountebank-meeting came also the devil;-
- thought he'd try his luck with the rest of them.
- His talent was this: in a manner convincing,
- he was able to grunt like a flesh-and-blood pig.
- He was not recognised, yet his manners attracted.
- The house was well filled; expectation ran high.
- He stepped forth in a cloak with an ample cape to it;
- man muss sich drappiren, as the Germans say.
- But under the mantle-what none suspected-
- he'd managed to smuggle a real live pig.
- And now he opened the representation;
- the devil he pinched, and the pig gave voice.
- The whole thing purported to be a fantasia
- on the porcine existence, both free and in bonds;
- and all ended up with a slaughter-house squeal-
- whereupon the performer bowed low and retired.-
- The critics discussed and appraised the affair;
- the tone of the whole was attacked and defended.
- Some fancied the vocal expression too thin,
- while some thought the death-shriek too carefully studied;
- but all were agreed as to one thing: qua grunt,
- the performance was grossly exaggerated.-
- Now that, you see, came of the devil's stupidity
- in not taking the measure of his public first.
- [He bows and goes off. A puzzled silence comes over the crowd.]
