Ladies and gentlemen, hoboes and tramps.

This rhyme was given by a number of readers as an introduction to the “Two Dead Boys”. Whether it was originally designed as part of the “Two Dead Boys” rhyme or was created later and then added as an introduction is anybody’s guess at this late stage; the two rhymes do not have exactly the same meter but then, neither of the rhymes is entirely consistent in that respect. Certainly both are capable of existing independently.

 

  1. Ladies and gentlemen, hoboes and tramps,
  2. Cross-eyed mosquitoes and bow-legged ants,
  3. I come before you to stand behind you,
  4. To tell you something I know nothing about.
  5. Next Thursday, which is Good Friday,
  6. There will be a Mother’s Day meeting for fathers only;
  7. Admission is free, so pay at the door,
  8. Pull up a seat and sit on the floor.
  9. The topic to discuss…
  10. The crime that has never been committed.