And because he was an ugly beast,
no inn would let him in to feast.
"But I'm hungry!" Johann cried,
"and cold, just let me sit inside."
"I'm sorry sir." The owner said,
"your appearence fills my men with dread.
Just please be off, and don't delay,
you're scaring customers away!"
Johann had to bribe with wealth,
and enter inns by means of stealth.
Often round the back he'd look,
and meet in secret with the cook.
Tidy men paid normal price,
but Johann had to give them thrice.
Three years passed, but felt much longer,
Johann found his smell grew stronger.
He dearly wished to have a bath,
but didn't want the demon's wrath.
Inns would let him stay no more,
so Johann went to try the poor.
"Just one night!" he always cried,
"can I not just come inside?"
"I'm sorry sir, but not tonight,
you'll give my children quite a fright!"
Another year, the fourth began,
and Johann looked more bear than man.
And I'm afraid, and it's a shame,
that Johann soon forgot his name.
"There goes Bearskin!" people jeered.
"Take a bath, you bum." They sneered.
But only if they understood,
that Bearskin was a man of good!
In secret, he helped the poor and sick,
and made old ladies walking sticks.
A girl got lost delivering goods
but Bearskin saved her from the woods.
But not a single word of praise,
did Bearskin hear through all these days.
His one companion was a gull
that searched for food around his skull.
And though Bearskin did enjoy the touch,
the gull didn't like him very much.
One day whilst searching through a bin,
for scraps of food, he found some gin.
"Ah!" he said. "Well now I oughta
really find some tonic water."
But searching more, what did he spy?
A man who was about to cry.
Bearskin waved and tried to greet,
but the man turned white just like a sheet!
"A monster! Oh please leave me be!
I'm far too thin to eat, you see!"
"Don't worry," Bearskin then began,
"I'm not a monster, I'm a man!
And to see another, I'm most glad
but tell me, why do you look so sad?"
"Ah." The man began as well,
""Because I deserve to go to Hell.
I'm a man without a job or plan,
an unsuccessful businessman.
Instead of caring for my daughters,
I drank much gin and tonic water,
And now I fear I'm too ashamed
to go back home, where I'll be blamed."
Bearskin frowned. "A man like thee
can't leave responsibility.
But I know you want to mend your ways,
I found the gin you threw away.
Swear to me you'll give up drink,
remember all your daughters, think!
Begin your life again today
and I shall help you on your way"
no inn would let him in to feast.
"But I'm hungry!" Johann cried,
"and cold, just let me sit inside."
"I'm sorry sir." The owner said,
"your appearence fills my men with dread.
Just please be off, and don't delay,
you're scaring customers away!"
Johann had to bribe with wealth,
and enter inns by means of stealth.
Often round the back he'd look,
and meet in secret with the cook.
Tidy men paid normal price,
but Johann had to give them thrice.
Three years passed, but felt much longer,
Johann found his smell grew stronger.
He dearly wished to have a bath,
but didn't want the demon's wrath.
Inns would let him stay no more,
so Johann went to try the poor.
"Just one night!" he always cried,
"can I not just come inside?"
"I'm sorry sir, but not tonight,
you'll give my children quite a fright!"
Another year, the fourth began,
and Johann looked more bear than man.
And I'm afraid, and it's a shame,
that Johann soon forgot his name.
"There goes Bearskin!" people jeered.
"Take a bath, you bum." They sneered.
But only if they understood,
that Bearskin was a man of good!
In secret, he helped the poor and sick,
and made old ladies walking sticks.
A girl got lost delivering goods
but Bearskin saved her from the woods.
But not a single word of praise,
did Bearskin hear through all these days.
His one companion was a gull
that searched for food around his skull.
And though Bearskin did enjoy the touch,
the gull didn't like him very much.
One day whilst searching through a bin,
for scraps of food, he found some gin.
"Ah!" he said. "Well now I oughta
really find some tonic water."
But searching more, what did he spy?
A man who was about to cry.
Bearskin waved and tried to greet,
but the man turned white just like a sheet!
"A monster! Oh please leave me be!
I'm far too thin to eat, you see!"
"Don't worry," Bearskin then began,
"I'm not a monster, I'm a man!
And to see another, I'm most glad
but tell me, why do you look so sad?"
"Ah." The man began as well,
""Because I deserve to go to Hell.
I'm a man without a job or plan,
an unsuccessful businessman.
Instead of caring for my daughters,
I drank much gin and tonic water,
And now I fear I'm too ashamed
to go back home, where I'll be blamed."
Bearskin frowned. "A man like thee
can't leave responsibility.
But I know you want to mend your ways,
I found the gin you threw away.
Swear to me you'll give up drink,
remember all your daughters, think!
Begin your life again today
and I shall help you on your way"
Getting there. Title's unrelated by the way, I just can't seem to stop listening to the blues. Doggone it!
