Brave boys.
When Will-I-AM he did sa-a-a-ail,
In a bit of a boat
Which would scarcely float,
And he went for to catch a Whale,
Brave boys!
All alone for to catch a Whale.

His Sire and his Grandsire trusted Me,
Brave boys!
Who was never known for to fa-a-a-il;
But _he_ thought he knew
More than Cap'en _and_ crew,
In the matter o' catching a Whale,
Brave boys!
In the matter o' catching a Whale.

He'd inwented a new harpoon,
Brave boys
As was shaped on a whoppingish sca-a-a-le
And he thought with delight,
(The "magnanimous" mite!)
He was _going_ to catch that Whale,
Brave boys!
He made cocksure o' catching that Whale!

There were several Whales about,
Brave boys!
Here and there a twitching a ta-a-a-il;
And he thinks, thinks he,
"I will catch all three,
But pertikler that big black Whale,
Brave boys!
Most pertikler that big black Whale."


Enraptured with his bit of a boat,
Brave boys!
He set forth to sea in a g-a-a-a-le;
Which was altogether
The wrong sort o'weather
For a novice to capture a Whale,
Brave boys!
A mere nipper for to capture a Whale.


I gives him the best of adwice,
Brave boys!
For I knowed he was bound for to fa-a-a-il;
But he ups, and he offs,
And he snubs me, and he scoffs
At the notion of a-missing that Whale,
Brave boys!
The mere notion of _not_ catching that Whale.

And he bobbles about on the waves,
Brave boys!
And his stout heart doth not qua-a-a-ail;
He's a foolish little chuck,
But he's got a lot o' pluck,
Still, he will not catch that Whale,
Brave boys!
He ain't going for to catch that Whale.

There was three whopping Whales in the offing,