Our American Holidays - Christmas/A Christmas Insurrection

768696Our American Holidays - Christmas — A Christmas InsurrectionRobert Haven SchaufflerAnne P. L. Field

A CHRISTMAS INSURRECTION

ANNE P. L. FIELD

In the hush of a shiver Christmas-tide dawn
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
Three small frozen figures hunt stiff and forlorn
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
Three dim ghostly forms in the glimmering gray
Locked up in the dark cold storage quarters were they
Awaiting the coming of glad Christmas day
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

Suspended each one from a hickory twig
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
A turkey, a goose, and a little fat pig
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
With chestnuts the turkey was garnished and stuffed
With onions and sage was the goose-carcass puffed,
While piggy was spiced, and hi sneck was beruffed
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

Three spirits regretful were hovering near
      Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

"Look!" gobbled the turkey's, "what tragedy's here!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
"For this did they tempt me with fattening food,
For this did I bring up my beautiful brood,
I always thought farmers uncommonly rude!:
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

The goose spirit trembled, then hissingly said
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
"Most men care for nothing except to be fed!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
"What horror is this, filled with onions and sage
To be served on a platter at my tender age!
'Tis enough any well-disposed fowl to enrage!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

The phantom pig grunted, "Do please look at that!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
"Oh! why did I grow up so rosy and fat!"
     Sing hey! Sing ho! heigho!
"They put in my mouth a sweet, juicy corncob
Just when of sensations my palate they rob,
Do you wonder such sights make a spirit-pig sob!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

Confering, the spirits resolved on a plan
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!

By which to wreak vengeance on merciless man
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!
"We'll each disagree with the human inside,
We'll cause indigestion and damage his pride,
And the pains of this Christmas we'll spread far and wide!"
     Sing hey! sing ho! heigho!