Song of the Fishes

2. First comes the blue-fish a-wagging his tail,
He come up on the deck and yells: "All hands make sail!"
Chorus:

3. Next comes the eels, with their nimble tails,
They jumped up aloft and loosed all the sails.
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4. Next come the herrings, with their little tails,
The manned sheets and halliards and set all the sails.
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5. Next comes the porpoise, with his short snout,
He jumps on the bridge and yells: "Ready, about!"
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6. Next comes the swordfish, the scourge of the sea,
The order he gives is "Helm's a-lee!"
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7. Then comes the turbot, as red as a beet,
He shouts from the bridge: "Stick out that foresheet!"
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8. Having accomplished these wonderful feats,
The blackfish sings out next to: "Rise tacks and sheet!"
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10. Then comes the mackerel, with his striped back,
He flopped on the bridge and yelled: "Board the main tack!"
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11. Next comes the sprat, the smallest of all,
He sings out: "Haul well taut, let go and haul!"
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12. Then comes the catfish, with his chuckle had,
Out in the main chains for a heave of the lead.
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13. Next comes the flounder, quite fresh from the ground,
Crying: "Damn your eyes, chucklehead, mind where you sound!"
Chorus:

14. Along came a dolphin, flapping his tail,
He yelled to the boatswain to reef the foresail.
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15. Along came the shark, with his three rows of teeth,
He flops on the foreyard and takes a snug reef.
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16. Up jumps the fisherman, stalwart and grim,
And with his big net he scooped them all in.
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