Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Estate Sale

As my extended family is going thru an estate sale, I recalled the following story told to me by a WWII veteran who was stationed in England at that time. Perhaps he heard the lyrics at an English Music Hall.
 It seems a family homestead with all its contents was being sold at auction which meant all the maids, butler and nannies were out in the cold. A group of them were huddled in the rear of the auction house and as each heirloom came on the block the tension rose in the room. Finally, there came a plaintive cry that was heard thruout the premises and went like this:
DON'T SELL THE BIBY'S CHAIR - THE ONE THAT WE HELD SO DEAR -
YOU CAN SELL OLD GRANDFATHER'S SPITTLE (cuspidor) -
BUT DON'T  SELL THE CHAIR WITH THE HOLE IN THE MIDDLE -
'TWAS KNOCKED DOWN FOR TWO SHILLINGS - AND WITH IT WENT MANY A TEAR -
WHEN UP STEPPED A "NAIVY" (seaman) - A STOUT HEARTED "NAIVY" -
AND KNOCKED DOWN THE AUCTIONEER.

Second verse same as the first. Don't forget the Kleenex.
tjs
Next - Norman Mailer

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