24. Scuppered!

I once worked on a passenger ship, but this purloined joke is definitely not autobiographical!

SCUPPERED!

Larry was a conjuror on the liner 'Ocean Swell',
And Polly was a parrot in her cage.
And, each night, she used to taunt poor Larry, really give him hell,
As he did his little tricks up on the stage.
'He's got it in his pocket! He's got it up his sleeve!
It isn't real, it's just a plastic one!'
Each night she really spoilt poor Larry's efforts to deceive,
And the audience laughed loudly at the fun.
Then, one night a dreadful storm came up and the ship was smashed to bits;
All the passengers and crew, I fear, were lost.
Larry survived, but all alone, going right out of his wits,
As on the mighty ocean he was tossed..
But, suddenly, a plank bobbed up and, on it, Larry saw
Polly the Parrot, looking pretty sick,
And Polly said one thing to him, as she clung on tooth and claw,
'Just tell me Larry……. how did you do that trick?'