Two swallows, Sloth and Dunce,

Started an argument

Which grew fierce.

“It’s dawn, It’s dawn”

The Dunce cried out.

“Not yet, not yet”

the Sloth replied.

“It is dawn” the Dunce repeats,

The Sloth in fury flies at him

Pecks at his face and stabs and kicks.

The Dunce – even he-grew wild

Struck the other hard

And dealt a terrible blow.

It grew fierce with blows exchanged,

A battle royal

Never seen before

Countless birds did range the sky

hovered above

to see the fight

The cheering audience

Inflamed their spirit,

Violence grew and blood did flow.

Ir-reconcilable the birds

Unrelenting they fought :

“It’s dawn”, “Not yet, not yet” they cried.

Crows and kites

Vultures and hawks

Circled close

and plodded them on

The Dunce tears the rival’s feathered trunk,

The sloth does cut in twain the other’s head.

For about an hour

the fight went on.

But alas ! for them !

They fell to the ground,

Dunce and the Sloth

Bleeding, exhausted, dead !

The spectators dispersed

They danced in joy,

They dived in delight

They soared in song which said :-

“It is dawn, it’s dawn” the Dunce cried out ;

“Not yet, not yet” the Sloth replied “

But – all the while –

Oh, the irony of it !

The sun shown mightily

from the mid-day sky !