There was a man of Languedoc
Who had a friend in Wapping;
For seven hours by the clock
They’d argue without stopping;
They’d talk of this and tell of that,
And contradict each other flat
On any given topic.
And if the one did introduce
A subject deep or too abstruse,
The other fell to sharp abuse,
And tempers would grow “tropic.”
“I’d sooner argue with a block!”
Protested he from Languedoc.
“For all I care, my friend, you can,”
Replied the wrathful Wapping man.
HUGH CHESTERMAN
[Illustration:
The Wranglers.
]
[Illustration: A high-contrast, black-and-white illustration of Santa
Claus riding in a sleigh pulled by two reindeer across a starry night
sky.]