EDWARD - WHO TOLD LIES AND WAS BURNED TO DEATH
(With great respect to Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) – “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery”)
Edward told such dreadful lies
It made me weep and shut my eyes.
His mum, who, lived in Paris 2e
Taught little Ed to say it true
And tried to trust what Eddie said
The effort drove her to her bed,
And almost killed her, had not she
To summon help, though not required,
From ‘les Pompiers’, who put out fires.
In double time the lads arrived on station
Hundreds came, t’was quite amazing
From Montparnasse and St Denis
Appliances, there were twenty-three,
For prompt service they were well renown.
Edward’s house is burning down!
Encouraged by the gathered crowd
And inspired by cheers well loud
They set their ladders - the real McCoy
To try to rescue that little boy
Taking pains to quench the pyre
They soused the house to douse the fire
Till Eddie's mum shouted out
‘You’re not needed here about’.
To send the Pompiers on their way.
Edward’s ma went to the theatre
She had refused to take her son
To watch this brand-new season’s run
To punish him for telling lies.
That very night a fire broke out,
You should have heard young Edward shout
You should have heard him scream inside
And opening up the windows wide
Yell “aidez moi!”* into the street
(The ever-rising internal heat
The city Pompiers - the fire avert)
But every time he shouted “Fire!”
They simply yelled “Little Liar!”
So when, at ten, his Mum returned
Her lying son was more than burned
The moral which this tale reveals
Lie just once, you are believed
With consequences more severe.