Cowboy and The Constable

The cowboy was fishin' where it was posted

    The sign plainly said, "No fishin",

When a Ranger rides up with book in hand

    And wrote the ticket he was wishin'.

Any cowboy knows he ain't gonna' pay

    For eatin' off the fat of the land,

Livin' hand to mouth for days on the trail

    A Fish Mounty can go pound sand.

Anyways, if he ain't caught a single fish

    What's the beef with no evidence?

'Cause there ain't no law forbidden a man

    From cuttin' cane to prop a fence!

But the Ranger says, "You come with me

    Let the Constable settle this grudge."

So the cowboy thinks real hard what to say

    When he gets before the Judge.

"The charge is fishin' where signs are posted"

    The Judge asks, "Cowboy is that true?"

He said, "No your honor it shore can't be

    And I can prove it all to you."

Oh really he says, "Is this your pole?"

    And he said, "Yup your honor it 'tis,

If you give me a chance to demonstrate

    I'll show you just how it is."

"Was there ever a worm on the hook?"

    "Yup indeed your honor there was,

Until that Ranger let 'em dry like jerky

    And yellow jackets ate 'n a buzz.

The cowboy took his cane-pole in hand

    And the Judge kept his eye on him,

He said, "I cast out slow and a'jerkin' light

    I was teachin' a worm how to swim!"

"Til the Ranger rode up and stopped me

    'Causin' my little pet worm to drown..."

The Judge grinned n'said, "let the cowboy go"

    And sent 'em hightailin' out of town!

© Ed Keenan