And Marian's feelings forbade her to speak
For fear of spontaneous combustion.
They gazed on his coat of cerulean blue,
Ana silently gauged his dimensions,
Then covered him up with a hurdle or two
To balk the sly foxes' intentions.
Then slowly and sadly they turned them away,
With their hearts overladen with sorrow:
Said Emma, "Bedad! he is safe for to-day."
Said Ned, "We must tap him to-morrow."