Leadership
Samstag, 2. April 2011 - 20:06
Fit the Second
THE BELLMAN’S SPEECH089 The Bellman himself they all praised to the skies–
090 Such a carriage, such ease and such grace!
091 Such solemnity, too! One could see he was wise,
092 The moment one looked in his face!093 He had bought a large map representing the sea,
094 Without the least vestige of land:
095 And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be
096 A map they could all understand.097 “What’s the good of Mercator’s North Poles and Equators,
098 Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?”
099 So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply
100 “They are merely conventional signs!101 “Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes!
102 But we’ve got our brave Captain to thank:
103 (So the crew would protest) “that he’s bought us the best–
104 A perfect and absolute blank!”105 This was charming, no doubt; but they shortly found out
106 That the Captain they trusted so well
107 Had only one notion for crossing the ocean,
108 And that was to tingle his bell.109 He was thoughtful and grave–but the orders he gave
110 Were enough to bewilder a crew.
111 When he cried “Steer to starboard, but keep her headlarboard!”
112 What on earth was the helmsman to do?113 Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes:
114 A thing, as the Bellman remarked,
115 That frequently happens in tropical climes,
116 When a vessel is, so to speak, “snarked.”117 But the principal failing occurred in the sailing,
118 And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed,
119 Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East,
120 That the ship would not travel due West!121 But the danger was past–they had landed at last,
122 With their boxes, portmanteaus, and bags:
123 Yet at first sight the crew were not pleased with the view,
124 Which consisted of chasms and crags.125 The Bellman perceived that their spirits were low,
126 And repeated in musical tone
127 Some jokes he had kept for a season of woe–
128 But the crew would do nothing but groan.129 He served out some grog with a liberal hand,
130 And bade them sit down on the beach:
131 And they could not but own that their Captain looked grand,
132 As he stood and delivered his speech.133 “Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears!”
134 (They were all of them fond of quotations:
135 So they drank to his health, and they gave him three cheers,
136 While he served out additional rations).137 “We have sailed many months, we have sailed many weeks,
138 (Four weeks to the month you may mark),
139 But never as yet (’tis your Captain who speaks)
140 Have we caught the least glimpse of a Snark!141 “We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days,
142 (Seven days to the week I allow),
143 But a Snark, on the which we might lovingly gaze,
144 We have never beheld till now!145 “Come, listen, my men, while I tell you again
146 The five unmistakable marks
147 By which you may know, wheresoever you go,
148 The warranted genuine Snarks.149 “Let us take them in order. The first is the taste,
150 Which is meagre and hollow, but crisp:
151 Like a coat that is rather too tight in the waist,
152 With a flavour of Will-o’-the-wisp.153 “Its habit of getting up late you’ll agree
154 That it carries too far, when I say
155 That it frequently breakfasts at five-o’clock tea,
156 And dines on the following day.157 “The third is its slowness in taking a jest.
158 Should you happen to venture on one,
159 It will sigh like a thing that is deeply distressed:
160 And it always looks grave at a pun.161 “The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines,
162 Which is constantly carries about,
163 And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes–
164 A sentiment open to doubt.165 “The fifth is ambition. It next will be right
166 To describe each particular batch:
167 Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite,
168 And those that have whiskers, and scratch.169 “For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm,
170 Yet, I feel it my duty to say,
171 Some are Boojums–” The Bellman broke off in alarm,
172 For the Baker had fainted away.
aus: Lewis Carroll und Henry Holiday, The Hunting of the Snark, 1876