To whiskerless old Werder
Thereat I turned, and said,—
"Why don't you try and grow some?
What odds if they were red?"
Old Werder chuckled grimly,
And straight replied, "Ah vell!
Since you vould ask de reason,
I now a tale vill tell.—
"Vonce on a time an Angel,
Von star-eyed leetle thing,
Some presents to de nations
Did in von basket bring.
"Dese gifts vere hair and viskars,
Vich she from heaven brought down,
And dey vere of all colours,
Some black, some red, some brown.
"She first did go to England,
Dey chose brown viskars there:
And den de Velshmans gladly,
Selected de black pair.
"Moustaches fierce and lengthy
De Frenchmans most did please;
And all de beards called "goaty"
Vere taken by 'cute Yankees.
"After, de leetle Angel
Did come to Germanie,
And don, vidin de basket—
Mein Gott!—vat did ve see!—
"Only von pair of viskars!
You dirtee—ach!—RED pair!
So said ve to de Angel,—
'Ve dont vant any hair!'
"Thus de Angel took dese viskars
Across de German Sea,—
And on de cheeks of Scotchmans
Dese viskars now ve see!"
We laughed at Werder's story,
And I the most of all,
Whilst the clouds in the west were rising,
And the western moon did fall.