THE BOY EATEN BY A LION (3)

Unlike poor Jim, Albert did at least manage a comeback - to the dismay of his parents who had an eye on the insurance money (he named the lion "Wallace" in honour of his brother) ....

Albert's Return
Marriott Edgar (1880 - 1951)

You've 'eard 'ow young Albert Ramsbottom,
In the Zoo up at Blackpool one year
With a stick with an 'orse's 'ead 'andle
Gave a lion a poke in the ear?

The name of the lion was Wallace,
The poke in the ear made 'im wild;
And before you could say "Bob's your Uncle,"
'E'd up and 'e'd swallowed the child.

'E were sorry the moment 'e'd done it;
With children 'e'd always been chums,
And besides, 'e'd no teeth in his noddle,
And 'e couldn't chew Albert on t'gums.

'E could feel the lad movin' inside 'im,
As 'e lay on 'is bed of dried ferns,
And it might 'ave been little lad's birthday-
'E wished 'im such 'appy returns.

But Albert kept kicking and fighting,
Till Wallace arose, feeling bad.
And felt it were time that 'e started
To stage a comeback for the lad.

So with 'is 'ead down in a corner,
On 'is front paws 'e started to walk,
And 'e coughed and 'e sneezed and 'e gargled,
'Till Albert shot out like a cork.

Old Wallace felt better direc'ly,
And 'is figure once more became lean,
But the only difference with Albert
Was 'is face and 'is 'ands were quite clean.

Meanwhile Mister and Missus Ramsbottom
'Ad gone home to tea, feelin' blue;
Ma says "I feel down in the mouth like."
Pa says, "Aye, I bet Albert does, too."

Said Ma "It just goes for to show yer
That the future is never revealed;
If I'd thought we was goin' to lose 'im
I'd 'ave not 'ad 'is boots soled and 'eeled."

"Let's look on the bright side," said Father;
"What can't be 'elped must be endured;
Every cloud 'as a silvery lining,
And we did 'ave young Albert insured."

A knock on the door came that moment,
As Father these kind words did speak.
'Twas the man from t'Prudential - 'e'd called for
Their tuppence per person per week.

When Father saw 'oo 'ad been knockin',
'E laughed, and 'e kept laughin' so
That the young man said "'What's there to laugh at?"
Pa said "You'll laugh an' all when you know."

"Excuse 'im for laughing," said Mother,
"But really, things 'appen so strange -
Our Albert's been ate by a lion;
You've got to pay us for a change."

Said the young feller from the Prudential,
"Now, come, come, let's understand this-
You don't mean to say that you've lost 'im?"
Ma says "Oh, no! we know where 'e is."

When the young man 'ad 'eard all the details,
A purse from 'is pocket he drew,
And 'e paid them, with int'rest and bonus,
The sum of nine pounds, four and two.

Pa 'ad scarce got 'is 'and on the money
When a face at the window they see,
And Mother says "Eeh! look, it's Albert."
And Father says "Aye, it would be."

Young Albert came in all excited,
And started 'is story to give,
And Pa says "I'll never trust lions
Again, not as long as I live."

The young man from the Prudential
To pick up the money began,
And Father says "Eeh! just a moment,
Don't be in a 'urry, young man."

Then giving young Albert a shilling,
He said "Pop off back to the Zoo.
"'Ere's yer stick with the 'orse's 'ead 'andle-
Go and see wot the Tigers can do!"