Oh young ones swim ashore,
And listen to slow assembled lore,
In the lodges of yore,
By care picked and patiently heed
By tooth and foot
From flotsam and reed.
This is the wisdom of the river,
Whose swift flow
Is not by nature hindered,
But to the Sea his haste doth grow.
Do not hunt after brother salmon
He is a wanderer and a friend true
Seek not the far stream
Where Maple does grow.
Love not the power
Of Prince Bear,
He loves the River
But for himself,
And in their bounty
He won't share
'Tis better your teeth fall
Of old age than neglect
Remember, one and all,
The River forgives not,
Nor forget.
Fell not the mighty Oak
He's stronger than me and you
In old age he learned more hexes
Than Ivy, Ash and Yew.
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