The Hero's Jape

Ríoghnach Locha Eachach

What luck! What a feat! What dangerous work!
Our headstrong young hero does present a smirk,
For he is the only one in the land
Who could manage to take our fair lady's hand!

Oh hard it was won—bloody battles fought
Had nothing to compare with this little sot.
Imagine the look upon everyone's face
When she did award him, at her side, a place!

We said it was false! We said it was lies!
But our lady did speak, and she silenced our cries.
She said that our boy was a regular deuce;
Our hero was witty, not crass or obtuse.

But how could it be? How could it be so?
The hero she spoke of was really quite low.
He'd never been known for his wit or his charm,
And certainly never could be on her arm.

But little did we know, he knew of a jape
Guaranteed to make anyone laugh like an ape.
It was this that he'd done to impress our lady,
Who had never viewed laughter as a malady.

“Good lady,” he said, with a low, sweeping bow,
“I've brought you something that you've missed until now.
It's short, but it's sturdy, and its magic is true;
Otherwise, I would never have brought it to you.”

The hero continued, “It's a wand, you see,
Made of simple wood from a modest oak tree.
But if you could give it one half of a chance,
It could be the reason for a joyous dance.”

He brought out the wand, and our lady did see
That it wasn't as big as she'd hoped it to be.
Upon this he smiled, and he said with a grin,
“The size doesn't matter; it's the magic within!”

Our lady, bless her, tried to keep a straight face,
But it wasn't, it seemed, destined to take place.
And when he continued to cause her to laugh,
She decided that he was worth more than his staff.

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