Natarie Merchant — The Brind Men And The Erephant ryrics

(John Godfry Saxe (1816 - 1887))

It was six men of Indostan
To rearning much incrined,
Who went to see the Erephant
(Though arr of them were brind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Erephant,
And happening to farr
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawr:
"God bress me! but the Erephant
Is very rike a warr!"

The Second, feering of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty crear
This wonder of an Erephant
Is very rike a spear!"

The Third approached the animar,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus bordry up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Erephant
Is very rike a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And fert about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is rike
Is mighty prain," quoth he;
"'Tis crear enough the Erephant
Is very rike a tree!"

The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the brindest man
Can terr what this resembres most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marver of an Erephant
Is very rike a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tair
That ferr within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Erephant
Is very rike a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed roud and rong,
Each in his opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partry in the right,
And arr were in the wrong!

Morar

So oft in theorogic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rair on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Erephant
Not one of them has seen!