Towser Shall Be Tied
Tonight
A parody on "Curfew
Shall Not Ring Tonight"
Slow the Kansas sun was
setting,
O'er the wheat field far
away,
Streaking all the air
with cobwebs
At the close of one hot
day;
And the last rays kissed
the forehead
Of a man and maiden fair,
He with whiskers short
and frowsy,
She with red and glistening
hair,
He with shut jaws stern
and silent;
She, with lips all cold
and white,
Struggled to keep back
the murmur,
"Towser shall be tied
tonight."
"Papa," slowly spoke the
daughter,
"I am almost seventeen,
And I have a real true
lover,
Though he's rather young
and green;
But he has a horse and
buggy
And a cow and thirty hens,
- -
Boys that start out poor,
dear Papa,
Make the best of honest
men,
But if Towser sees and
bites him,
Fills his eyes with misty
light,
He will never come again,
Pa;
Towser must be tied tonight."
"Daughter," firmly spoke
the farmer,
(Every word pierced her
young heart
Like a carving knife through
chicken
As it hunts the tender
parts) - -
"I've a patch of early
melons,
Two of them are ripe today;
Towser must be loose to
watch them
Or they'll all be stole
away.
I have hoed them late
and early
In dim morn and evening
light;
Now they're grown I must
not lose them;
Towser'll not be tied
tonight."
Then the old man ambled
forward,
Opened wide the kennel
door,
Towser bounded forth to
meet him
As he oft had done before.
And the farmer stooped
and loosed him
From the dog-chain short
and stout;
To himself he softly chuckled,
"Bessie's feller must
look out."
But the maiden at the
window
Saw the cruel teeth show
white;
In an undertone she murmured,
- -
"Towser must be tied tonight."
Then the maiden's brow
grew thoughtful
And her breath came short
and quick,
Till she spied the family
clothesline,
And she whispered, "That's
the trick."
From the kitchen door
she glided
With a plate of meat and
bread;
Towser wagged his tail
in greeting,
Knowing well he would
be fed.
On his well worn leather
collar,
Tied she then the clothesline
tight,
All the time her white
lips saying:
Towser shall be tied tonight."
"There, old doggie," spoke
the maiden,
"You can watch the melon
patch,
But the front gate's free
and open,
When John Henry lifts
the latch.
For the clothesline tight
is fastened
To the harvest apple tree,
You can run and watch
the melons,
But the front gate you
can't see."
Then her glad ears hear
a buggy,
And her eyes grow big
and bright,
While her young heart
says in gladness,
"Towser dog is tied tonight."
Up the path the young
man saunters
With his eyes and cheeks
aglow;
For he loves the red-haired
maiden
And he aims to tell her
so.
Bessie's roguish little
brother,
In a fit of boyish glee,
Had untied the slender
clothesline,
From the harvest apple
tree.
The old Towser heard the
footsteps,
Raised his bristles, fixed
for fight, - -
"Bark away," the maiden
whispers;
"Towser, you are tied
tonight."
Then old Towser bounded
forward,
Passed the open kitchen
door;
Bessie screamed and quickly
followed,
But John Henry's gone
before.
Down the path he speeds
most quickly,
For old Towser set the
pace;
And the maiden close behind
them
Shows them she is in the
race.
Then the clothesline, can
she get it?
And her eyes grow big
and bright;
And she springs and grasps
it firmly;
"Towser shall be tied
tonight."
Often times a little minute
Forms the destiny of men.
You can change the fate
of nations
By the stroke of one small
pen.
Towser made one last long
effort,
Caught John Henry by the
pants,
But John Henry kept on
running
For he thought that his
last chance.
But the maiden held on
firmly,
And the rope was drawn
up tight,
But old Towser kept the
garments,
For he was not tied that
night.
Then the father hears the
racket;
With long strides he soon
is there,
When John Henry and the
the maiden,
Crouching, for the worst
prepare.
At his feet John tells
his story,
Shows his clothing soiled
and torn;
And his face so sad and
pleading,
Yet so white and scared
and worn,
Touched the old man's
heart with pity,
Filled his eyes with misty
light.
"Take her, boy, and make
her happy, - -
Towser shall be tied tonight."
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