Jessie Pope

18 March 1868 - 14 December 1941 / Leicestershire, England

The Two Goliaths

GOLIATH was a giant, the bully of his side,
His coat of mail was brazen, his face was
fierce with pride;
And when a shepherd stripling to challenge him was
fain,
Eleven-foot Goliath ignored him in disdain.

But David didn't trouble, his heart was cool and
glad,
Though a sling and rounded pebbles were the only
arms he had.
That slender slip of Jesse, he knew his cause was
just,
So he stood up to the bully, and rolled him in the
dust.

Those days are gone for ever, but the bully strain
survives,
Though at the time of writing one can hardly say
it thrives;
The chant of Chauvinism has become an idle yarn,
Like the 'Negligible British ' since the Battle of the
Marne.

Our German-made Goliath taunted Tommy on his size,
But the drubbing Tommy gave him has caused him
much surprise ;
And a hasty memorandum in the Teuton mind is
stored
'The little British Army must never be ignored.”
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