The Story Of Mongrel Grey Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCC DEDECC FGFGCC HIHIII GIGICC JKJKFF FFFFLL MKMKJJ FFFFCC IGIGCC NKNOFF IPIPQQ FFFFCC CFCFFF FRFRCC

This is the story the stockman toldA
On the cattle camp when the stars were brightB
The moon rose up like a globe of goldA
And flooded the plain with her mellow lightB
We watched the cattle till dawn of dayC
And he told me the story of Mongrel GreyC
-
He was a knock about station hackD
Spurred and walloped and banged and beatE
Ridden all day with a sore on his backD
Left all night with nothing to eatE
That was a matter of everydayC
Normal occurrence with Mongrel GreyC
-
We might have sold him but someone heardF
He was bred out back on a flooded runG
Where he learnt to swim like a waterbirdF
Midnight or midday were all as oneG
In the flooded ground he would find his wayC
Nothing could puzzle old Mongrel GreyC
-
'Tis a trick no doubt that some horses learnH
When the floods are out they will splash alongI
In girth deep water and twist and turnH
From hidden channel and billabongI
Never mistaking the road to goI
for a man may guess but the horses knowI
-
I was camping out with my youngest sonG
Bit of a nipper just learnt to speakI
In an empty hut on the lower runG
Shooting and fishing in Conroy's CreekI
The youngster toddled about all dayC
And there with our horses was Mongrel GreyC
-
All of a sudden a flood came downJ
At first a freshet of mountain rainK
Roaring and eddying rank and brownJ
Over the flats and across the plainK
Rising and rising at fall of nightF
Nothing but water appeared in sightF
-
'Tis a nasty place when the floods are outF
Even in daylight for all aroundF
Channels and billabongs twist aboutF
Stretching for miles in the flooded groundF
And to move seemed a hopeless thing to tryL
In the dark with the storm water racing byL
-
I had to risk it I heard a roarM
As the wind swept down and the driving rainK
And the water rose till it reached the floorM
Of our highest room and 'twas very plainK
The way the torrent was sweeping downJ
We must make for the highlands at once or drownJ
-
Off to the stable I splashed and foundF
The horses shaking with cold and frightF
I led them down to the lower groundF
But never a yard would they swim that nightF
They reared and snorted and turned awayC
And none would face it but Mongrel GreyC
-
I bound the child on the horse's backI
And we started off with a prayer to heavenG
Through the rain and the wind and the pitchy blackI
For I knew that the instinct God has givenG
To prompt His creatures by night and dayC
Would guide the footsteps of Mongrel GreyC
-
He struck deep water at once and swamN
I swam beside him and held his maneK
Till we touched the bank of the broken damN
In shallow water then off againO
Swimming in darkness across the floodF
Rank with the smell of the drifting mudF
-
He turned and twisted across and backI
Choosing the places to wade or swimP
Picking the safest and shortest trackI
The blackest darkness was clear to himP
Did he strike the crossing by sight or smellQ
The Lord that held him alone could tellQ
-
He dodged the timber whene'er he couldF
But timber brought us to grief at lastF
I was partly stunned by a log of woodF
That struck my head as it drifted pastF
Then lost my grip of the brave old greyC
And in half a second he swept awayC
-
I reached a tree where I had to stayC
And did a perish for two days' hardF
And lived on water but Mongrel GreyC
He walked right into the homestead yardF
At dawn next morning and grazed aroundF
With the child strapped on to him safe and soundF
-
We keep him now for the wife to rideF
Nothing too good for him now of courseR
Never a whip on his fat old hideF
For she owes the child to that brave grey horseR
And not Old Tyson himself could payC
The purchase money of Mongrel GreyC

Banjo Paterson (andrew Barton)



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