Took hold of the tail, as the logical handle;
Got a last good drink, and a bite of bread,
And pulled till the blood ran into his head.
At first he gained till it looked like a cinch,
But then the beast crawled back an inch;
And ever since then it’s been Nip and Tuck,
Sometimes moving, but oftener stuck.
Most of the gains have been made by the crowd—
Sweating nobly, and swearing aloud.
Yet sometimes a single man could land