THE NEW APOCRYPHA
BUSINESS REVERSES
(Mark, Chapter VI.)
Everything! Counter and scales—
I’ll take whatever you give.
I’m through, and off to Athens,
Where a man like me can live.
And Hipparch, the baker, is going;
My chum, who came with me
To follow the crowds who follow
The prophet of Galilee.
We two were there at Damascus
Dealing in figs and wine.
Nice little business! Some one
Said: “Here, I’ll give you a line!
“Buy fish, and set up a booth,
Get a tent and make your bread.
There are thousands who come to listen,
They are hungry and must be fed.”
And so we went. Believe me,
There were crowds, and hungry, too.
Five thousand stood in the desert
And listened the whole day through.
Famished? Well, yes. The disciples
Were saying to send them away
To buy their bread in the village,
But the prophet went on to say:
“Feed them yourselves, O you
Of little faith.” But they said:
“We have just five little fishes
And two little loaves of bread.”