An Old Wives Tale

Once upon a time when I was just but a little a boy My grandmother of illustrious memory – told me many a story A lot of them funny but some scary But her favourite tale which I am about to retell Its effect on me, i suppose should not tell The one about the young man who refused to marry Preferring to become an ascetic to the displeasure of his family For they were inclined to believe – that all those who breathe in air Surely must leave an heir! His refusal to marry – pained them all And many a plan were hatched to sway his mind – but to no avail Confounded they approached the village sage to explain this mystery Who cautioned the young man would soon have a case of dysentery Serious enough to require hospitalization – but one that won’t send him to the cemetery And as soon as the illness is past, he would surely marry With this wisdom the family went home rejoicing and merry Voices high and throaty marveling at this new found posterity By and by the young man was struck down with dysentery And no sooner had he recovered he married the village beauty Much to the amusement of his family who knew all that had happened to the boy This story my grandmother would recite Countless times to us little boys long into the night Toss and turn, turn and toss all night long but our little minds could not fathom What the young man’s decision to marry had to do with dysentery! And when I told my fellows at school this story Don’t know am sure, whether it was under the mulberry or at the refectory They all agreed that my grandmothers wisdom Which she had tossed to me sitting at her mahogany was nothing but baloney When I recounted this to her, she smiled complacently Aware this curios case of beauty and dysentery I would cherish for eternity.