How Babs Malone Cut Down The Field Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCAAAC DDEFDDGF HHIJKKLF GFAFMMAF NNAOPPFO HHAQPPIQ PPRPPPPP PPIPPPIP PPIFDDSF GGAPPPGP PPPAFFTA GGFPPPAP GGIUPPAU PPAPPPAP GGPOFFPO PPPVDDPV PPPAGGWA GGPXYYZX GGAFPPPF PPPPPPANow the squatters and the cockies | A |
Shearers trainers and their jockeys | A |
Had gathered them together for a meeting on | B |
the flat | C |
They had mustered all their forces | A |
Owners brought their fastest horses | A |
Monaro bred I couldn't give them greater praise | A |
than that | C |
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Twas a lovely day in Summer | D |
What the blacksmith called a hummer | D |
The swelling ears of wheat and oats had lost | E |
their tender green | F |
And breezes made them shiver | D |
Trending westward to the river | D |
The river of the golden sands the moaning | G |
Eucumbene | F |
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If you cared to take the trouble | H |
You could watch the misty double | H |
The shadow of the flying clouds that skimmed the | I |
Boogong's brow | J |
Throwing light and shade incessant | K |
On the Bull Peak's ragged crescent | K |
Upon whose gloomy forehead lay a patch of | L |
winter's snow | F |
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Idly watching for the starting | G |
Of the race that he had part in | F |
Old Gaylad stood and champed his bit his | A |
weight about nine stone | F |
His owner stood beside him | M |
Who was also going to ride him | M |
A shearer from Gegederick whose name was | A |
Ned Malone | F |
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But Gaylad felt disgusted | N |
For his joints were fairly rusted | N |
He longed to feel the pressure of the jockey on his | A |
back | O |
And he felt that for a pin he'd | P |
Join his mates who loudly whinnied | P |
For him to go and meet them at the post upon | F |
the track | O |
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From among the waiting cattle | H |
Came the sound of childish prattle | H |
And the wife brought up their babe to kiss his | A |
father for good luck | Q |
Said Malone When I am seated | P |
On old Gaylad and am treated | P |
With fairish play I'll bet we never finish in the | I |
ruck | Q |
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But the babe was not contented | P |
Though his pinafore was scented | P |
With oranges and sticky from his lollies for he | R |
cried | P |
This gallant little laddie | P |
As he toddled to his daddy | P |
And raised his arms imploringly Please dad | P |
div Babs a wide | P |
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The father how he chuckled | P |
For the pride of it and buckled | P |
The surcingle and placed the babe astride the | I |
racing pad | P |
He did it though he oughtn't | P |
And by pure good luck he shortened | P |
The stirrups and adjusted them to suit the | I |
tiny lad | P |
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Who was seemingly delighted | P |
Not a little bit affrighted | P |
He sat and twined a chubby hand among the | I |
horse's mane | F |
His whip was in the other | D |
But all suddenly the mother | D |
Shrieked Take him off and then the field came | S |
thund'ring down the plain | F |
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'Twas the Handicap was coming | G |
And the music of their drumming | G |
Beat dull upon the turf that in its summer coat was | A |
dressed | P |
The racehorse reared and started | P |
Then the flimsy bridle parted | P |
And Gaylad bearing featherweight was striding | G |
with the rest | P |
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That scene cannot be painted | P |
How the poor young mother fainted | P |
How the father drove his spurs into the nearest | P |
saddle horse | A |
What to do he had no notion | F |
For you'd easier turn the ocean | F |
Than stop the Handicap that then was half way | T |
round the course | A |
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On the bookies at their yelling | G |
On the cheap jacks at their selling | G |
On the crowd there fell a silence as the squadron | F |
passed the stand | P |
Gayest colours flashing brightly | P |
And the baby clinging tightly | P |
A wisp of Gaylad's mane still twisted in his | A |
little hand | P |
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Not a thought had he of falling | G |
Though his little legs were galling | G |
And the wind blew out his curls behind him in a | I |
golden stream | U |
Though the motion made him dizzy | P |
Yet his baby brain was busy | P |
For hadn't he at length attained the substance | A |
of his dream | U |
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He was now a jockey really | P |
And he saw his duty clearly | P |
To do his best to win and justify his father's | A |
pride | P |
So he clicked his tongue to Gaylad | P |
Whispering softly Get away lad | P |
The old horse cocked an ear and put six inches | A |
on his stride | P |
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Then the jockeys who were tailing | G |
Saw the big bay horse come sailing | G |
Through the midst of them with nothing but a baby | P |
on his back | O |
And this startling apparition | F |
Coolly took up its position | F |
With a view of making running on the inside | P |
of the track | O |
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Oh Gaylad was a beauty | P |
For he knew and did his duty | P |
Though his reins were flying loosely strange to | P |
say he never fell | V |
But held himself together | D |
For his weight was but a feather | D |
Bob Murphy when he saw him murmured | P |
something like Oh hell | V |
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But Gaylad passed the filly | P |
Passed Jack Costigan on Chilli | P |
Cut down the coward Watakip and challenged | P |
Guelder Rose | A |
Here it was he showed his cunning | G |
Let the mare make all the running | G |
They turned into the straight stride for | W |
stride and nose for nose | A |
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But Babs was just beginning | G |
To have fears about his winning | G |
In fact to tell the truth my hero felt inclined | P |
to cry | X |
For the Rose was still in blossom | Y |
And two lengths behind her Possum | Y |
And gallant little Sterling slow but sure | Z |
were drawing nigh | X |
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Yes Babsie's heart was failing | G |
For he felt old Gaylad ailing | G |
Another fifty yards to go he felt his chance | A |
was gone | F |
Could he do it much he doubted | P |
Then the crowd oh how they shouted | P |
For Babs had never dropped his whip and now he | P |
laid it on | F |
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Down the straight the leaders thundered | P |
While people cheered and wondered | P |
For ne'er before had any seen the equal of that | P |
sight | P |
And never will they maybe | P |
See a flaxen haired baby | P |
Flog racehorse to the winning post with all his | A |
Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake
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