THE ANSWER OF THE ANZACS
by
Lawrence Eastwood and Edgar Rooksby (1916)

There was once a mother Lion,
And she stood on Dover cliffs,
Where the water wags and washes,
Where the salt the Sea-Horse sniffs.
And she growled: "The clouds look angry,
They'll burst in storm today-
And all my cubs are distant,
Twelve thousand miles away."
And mother stood there all alone,
And mother meant to stay,
Though all her cubs were distant,
Twelve thousand miles away.
Then rose a mighty eagle,
And it screeched at Dover cliffs,
Where the water wags and washes,
Where the salt the Sea-Horse sniffs.
"I'll break you, mother lion,
Though you're mighty proud today,
Don't count upon your cubs, my dear,
Kids don't turn out that way."
Still mother faced the storm alone,
For that was mother's way.
But her cubs were calling to her—
Twelve thousand miles away.
Then hove in sight a mighty fleet,
That made for Dover cliffs—
Where the water wags and washes,
Where the salt the Sea-Horse sniffs.
And from that mighty fleet there sprang
The "Anzacs" in array—
A hundred thousand cubs
From twelve thousand miles away.
And mother locked them to her breast,
Then thundered 'cross the bay—
"My cubs are all around me,
They're by my side today;
You've blundered, master eagle,
And your blunder's deep and vast;
For mother England's mighty cubs
Will bring you down— at last!