As I suppose, you all have heard There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board, I can tell you that is so. I’ ve sailed with one and I ought to know:
For it is true, upon my word, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. Eric Jansen was his name, And from Christián’ he came;
A seemly man all for to see, But devil a bit the man for me: For it is true, as all have heard, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board.
From the hour he joined the ship, All went wrong in all the trip; ’ Twas nothing but swear and growl and groan, And the weather was just the devil’ s own:
You may reckon it all absurd, But there’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. Our grub was spoiled from that first hour, Except the vinegar all was sour;
All you heard was Lubber! and Liar! And everything hot except the fire: For it is true, as all accord, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board.
For as the doctors all do know, A Finn has fins between each toe: He is web-footed like a duck; Which is the cause of his bad luck:
For it is true, as I averred, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. And when at last it got so bad, That master and men were nigh gone mad,
A rummerin’ whisper did begin That’ twas all along of this here Finn: For it is true, and on re-córd There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board.
And the long and short of this debate Was that one night our second mate, Bein’ as mad as a man might be, Pitched Eric Jansen into the sea:
For it is true, unless I’ ve erred, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. When all at once around there came Over the sea a greenish flame,
And the biggest whale I ever spied, Rose up by Eric Jansen’ s side: For it is true, as you may’ ve inferred, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board.
And the Finn he got upon the whale, And off in the flame we saw them sail; Hearing a song as they fell behind, Like women singing with the wind:
For it is true, as all have concurred, There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. Off from the ship and off the shore, And Eric Jansen we saw no more;
But from that hour, aboard that ship, All went well for the rest of the trip: For it is true, upon my word, As you and I have often heard,
People may say it’ s all absurd, And yet it holds as I averred, And bein’ a fact it’ s on recórd, Unless the best of men have erred,
As you may truly have inferred, In which observers have concurred: There’ s no good luck with a Finn on board. “That story of the Finn,” said one to Brown,
“Is of the kind which hev been salted down, Which is the reason, I suppose, why you Take such a lot of pains to prove it’ s true. When tales are c’ rect in all their fitnesses,
There ain’ t no need of forty witnesses, Nor one at all I guess, but that’ s enough; Now listen to the song of‘ Charley Buff,’ Who always said,‘ I am a truthful man:’”
He polished off his drink and thus began:
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