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,'
Reply'd his friend; 'No! I'm surpris'd 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 that lives not far from 'Change,
This week, in short, as all the Alley knows,
Taking a puke has thrown up three black crows!
Impossible! 'Nay, but 'tis really true;
I have it from good hands, and so may you.'
From whose, I pray?' so having nam'd 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.
​'Ask Mr Such-a-one, he told it me,
But by the bye, 'twas two black crows, not three'
Resolv'd 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 goes he, 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 o'er.' '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!'