Three Wise Women, 1879 by E.T. Corbett

THREE WISE WOMEN

A Tragical Story for a Shadow Show

Three wise old women were they, were they,

Who went to walk on a winter day.

One carried a basket to hold some berries;

One carried a ladder to climb for cherries;

The third, as became the wisest one,

She carried a fan to keep off the sun!

 

“Dear, dear!” said one. A bull I see!

I think we’d better all climb a tree!”

But there wasn’t a tree for miles around, -   

And they’re far too frightened to stay on the ground!

So they climbed their ladder up to the top,

And sat there screaming, “We’ll drop! We’ll drop!”

But the wind was strong as wind could be,

And blew their ladder right out to sea!

Soon the three wise women were all afloat

In a leaky ladder instead of a boat!

And when as they sailed the waves rolled in

Of course the poor creatures were wet to the skin.

Then they took their basket, the water to bail;

They put up their fan, to make a sail;

But what became of the wise women then, -

Whether they ever got home again,

Whether they saw any bulls or no, -

You must find out, for I don’t know.

E.T. Corbett