Volume 152 — ULTIMUS.

His shape was domed and his colour brown, And I took him up and I get him down In the lamp's full light, in the very front of it, Ready and glad to bear the brunt of it; And then, having raised my hand and blessed him, I thus in appropriate words addressed him:— "Oh, soon to be numbered with the dead, Your fortunate brothers, prepare," I said, "Prepare to vanish this very day And go to your doom the silent way. For DEVONPORT's Lord will soon decree, With his eye on you and his eye on me, That you're only a useless luxury; And, since the War on the whole continues, We must tighten our belts and brace our sinews, And give up the things we liked before, And never, like Oliver, ask for more. Since this is so and the War endures, I am bound to abandon you and yours, And wherever I meet you I must frown On your sweet white core and your coat of brown. But no, since you are the only one, The last of a line that is spent and done, I shall give myself pleasure once again And set you free from a life of pain. Prepare, prepare, for I mean to punch you, My lonely friend, and to crunch and munch you." So saying I smiled in a sort of dream On my absolute ultimate chocolate-cream; Then swiftly I reached my hand to get him And popped him into my mouth and ate him.