COOKIE JIM

The capting says, says he to us:

"Your duty is to do your best;

We can't ALL lead in this here muss,

So mind your job! That is the test

O' soldierin',

O' soldierin'--

To mind your job, while soldierin'!"

When Jimmy joined the colors first, he knowed that soon he'd be

A non-com. officer,--oh, sure, he had that idee firm;

But Jimmy got another think, fer quite eventually

They had him workin' like a Turk, th' pore, astonished worm.

The rest of us, we gotta eat, and Jimmy--he can cook!

(He makes a stew that tastes as good as mother used to make.)

An' when he starts to flappin' cakes, why, every hungry rook

Is droolin' at the mouth for them, a-waitin' fer his take.

He's ranked a sergeant, but he don't mix up with no recruits;

He rides a horse when we parade (which ain't so often now);

But where he shines is when we eat; the grub that Jimmy shoots

At hungry troopers every day is certainly "some chow."

He's jest a "dough-boy," of a sort; it's Jimmy's job to cook;

Don't hafter drill, don't hafter tote a lot of arms with him;

Jest messes up th' stuff we eat, and we don't hafter look--

It's _always_ clean! So here's a good luck and health to Cookie Jim!

The capting says, says he: "You rooks

Have gotta lot to learn, I'll say,

'Cept Jimmy; he's the best o' cooks

Troop Z has had fer many a day

While soldierin',

While soldierin'--

He does his work, while soldierin'!"