THE LITTLE ABBO BLOKE
| He hailed from up the north somewhere Way off the beaten track They referred to him as 'nigger' Or with sarcasm, 'Mr. Black' He was taunted for his colour And though it wasn't fair He took the insults in his stride And didn't seem to care There was not a man who knew his name It didn't bother him But the children loved him dearly And they knew his name was Jim This was not his aboriginal name Just a name he'd picked on speck Trying to pronounce his proper name Could wreck a white man's neck Though Bill and Ted meant little harm They often shared a joke About this friendly fellow This 'little Abbo bloke' But their humour turned to anger And their manner icy cool When they learned this 'Abbo mongrel' Was teaching Sunday School They called a public meeting And the townfolk had no doubt That for the welfare of their children They had to kick him out They held a demonstration But the preacher stern and grim Said that Jimmy was a saintly man And he was backing him Hatred festered in the town And in the pubs at night Mere mention of the 'Abbo' word Was sure to start a fight Bill and Ted slumped on the bar And swigged their pint of ale "We have to form a plan." Said Bill "A plan that will not fail." Then Ted announced his darkest thought "We have to save our town." "Our church is now a laughing stock; Let's burn the damn thing down." Bill slurred his staunch agreement "I'll grab a can of fuel." "Our kids don't need no Abbo Teaching bloody Sunday School!" They soaked the front with petrol Then with a drunken lurch Ted struck a match and flicked it At the great doors of the church The townfolk quickly gathered And they stared in disbelief As flames engulfed the building They screamed and cried their grief "What's wrong with all these buggers?" Bill slurred his words to Ted. "We've done 'em all a favour "-- I'm going home to bed." But Bill's wife stood before him Her eyes were fierce and wide "Some mongrel's set the church ablaze; Our kids are all inside!" "That can't be true." Bill muttered "There was not a soul in sight." "And who the hell has Sunday School On bloody Friday night?" It was the preacher man who answered "It's a special little treat; The 'Abbo' tells them stories To keep kids off the street." With buckets, pots, and billy cans The townfolk fought the flame Though Bill and Ted tried bravely They knew they were to blame The church would soon be ashes But at what a fearful cost The preacher slowly shook his head "I fear that all is lost." Just then they heard a window smash And through the hazy smoke They saw the smouldering figure Of the little Abbo bloke As flames leapt all about him They heard him bravely shout "Get closer to the window, And I'll pass your children out." His hands were burnt and blistered But he didn't show his pain The townfolk quickly gathered And formed a human chain The 'Abbo' showed no sign of fear Nor paused to take a breath And through his toil each mother's child Was saved from certain death And to this day in Ganganeen A tiny town out back You'll find that Sunday School is taught By 'Reverend' Jimmy Black And the man who once was taunted Doesn't have a single care For the townfolk really love him And they even made him Mayor He's respected as a hero And a special kind of bloke And woe betide the stranger Who tells a coloured joke K.D. Abbott © 2007 |
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