| BALLOON DEBATE The balloon was ready ; the sandwiches packed ; The seven were ready to board, The Vicar—as usual—without any tact ; The Colonel without his best sword. The Duchess took quite half-an-hour to get in ; The young lady thought it quite funny. The mathematician brought ruler and pen ; The pessimist brought all his money. And nobody knew why the small boy was there, So he sat, quite alone, and tried not to stare. The wonderful craft floated up into space, 'Til the young lady's watch said just twelve. The Vicar then helped everybody say 'grace' . . . . . . While the Colonel, to food, helped himself. The Duchess—quite ill—could not eat a thing, Which struck the young lady as funny ; The mathematician was calculating The sum of the pessimist's money. And nobody realised the small boy was there : He had found a small valve, and had let out the air. The basket, quite frighteningly, started to sway, And it fell like a stone through the air. The Colonel went white, and the Vicar did pray, But the dear Duchess hadn't a care : You see, she had brought a large hip flask of rum. The young lady started to cry. The mathematician was still puzzling the sum: Said the miser: "You're all going to die ! " And nobody noticed the very small boy, Who, bored, sat and played with the funny valve toy. To lessen the weight, and thus slow down the fall, The useless were thrown overboard. First went the Vicar—with hymnbook and all, Then the Colonel (without his best sword). The Duchess got rid of the lady who cried, With pleasure, because she despised her. The mathematician fell over the side, And took with him the Duchess and miser. And nobody noticed the small boy was there, So he ate all the sandwiches, put the money in his pockets, and floated gently down to earth with the balloon. R. Caws, 5A May 1967 Sandonian |
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