Two honest tradesmen meeting in the Strand,
One took the other briskly by the hand;
'Hark ye,' said he, ''tis an odd story this
About the crows!' - 'I don't know what it is,'
Replied his friend. - 'No! I'm surprised at that;
Where I come from, it is the common chat;
But you shall hear an odd affair indeed!
And that it happen'd they are all agreed;
Not to detain you from a thing so strange,
A gentleman, who lives not far from 'Change,
This week, in short, as all the Alley knows,
Taking a vomit, threw up Three Black Crows!'
'Impossible!' -- 'Nay, but 'tis really true;
I had it from good hands, and so may you.' --
'From whose I pray?' -- So, having named the man,
Straight to enquire, his curious comrade ran.
'Sir did you tell?' -- relating the affair.
'Yes sir, I did; and, if 'tis worth your care,
'Twas Mr.' - such a one - 'who told it me;
But, by the bye, 'twas
Two
black crows, not
Three!
'
Resolved to trace so wondrous an event,
Quick to the third the virtuoso went.
'Sir,' - and so forth. - 'Why, yes; the thing is fact,
Though in regard to number not exact.
It was not
Two
black crows, 'twas only
One;

The truth of that you may depend upon;
The gentleman himself told me the case.'-
'Where may I find him?' - 'Why in' - such a place.
Away he went, and having found him out,
'Sir, be so good as to resolve a doubt.'--
Then to his last informant he referr'd,
And begg'd to know, if true what he had heard:
'Did you, sir, throw up a black crow?' - 'Not I!'-
'Bless me! - how people propagate a lie!
Black crows have been thrown up,
Three, Two,
and
One:

And here, I find, all comes at last to
None!

Did you say nothing of a crow at all?'--
'Crow - crow - perhaps I might; now I recall
The matter over.' - 'And pray, sir, what was't?'
'Why, I was horrid sick, and at the last
I did throw up, and told my neighbour so,
Something that was -- as
black
sir, as a crow.'