The Moods of Ginger Mick

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Title: The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916)
Author: C.J. Dennis

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Language: English
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Title: The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916)
Author: C.J. Dennis
DEDICATED TO
THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE COUNT
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
I. DUCK AN' FOWL
II. WAR
III. THE
CALL OF STOUSH
IV. THE PUSH
V. THE BATTLE OF
THE WAZZIR
VI. SARI BAIR
VII. GINGER'S COBBER


VIII. THE SINGING SOLDIERS
IX. IN SPADGER'S LANE
X.
THE STRAIGHT GRIFFIN
XI. A LETTER TO THE FRONT

XII. RABBITS
XIII. TO THE BOYS WHO TOOK THE
COUNT
XIV. THE GAME
XV. "A GALLANT
GENTLEMAN"
THE GLOSSARY
INTRODUCTION
Jist to intraj'uice me cobber, an 'is name is Ginger Mick - A rorty boy, a
naughty boy, wiv rude impressions thick
In 'is casu'l conversation, an'
the wicked sort o' face
That gives the sudden shudders to the
lor-abidin' race.
'Is name is on the records at the Melbourne City Court,
Fer doin'
things an' sayin' things no reel nice feller ort; An 'is name is on the
records uv the Army, over there,
Fer doin' things - same sort o' things
that rose the Bench's 'air.
They never rung no joy-bells when 'e made 'is first de- boo; But 'e got
free edjication, w'ich they fondly shoved 'im thro'; Then turned 'im
loose in Spadger's Lane to 'ang around the street An' 'elp the cop to
re-erlize the 'ardness uv 'is beat.
Then 'e quickly dropped 'is aitches, so as not to be mistook Fer an
edjicated person, 'oo 'is cobbers reckoned crook;
But 'e 'ad a trick wiv
figgers that ud make a clerk look sick; So 'e pencilled fer a bookie; an'
'e 'awked a bit, did Mick.
A bloke can't be partic'lar 'oo must battle fer a crust;
An' some, they
pinch fer preference, an' some, becos they must. When times is 'ard, an'
some swell coves is richer than they ort; Well, it's jist a little gamble fer
a rise, agin the Court.
Now, Mick wus never in it as a reel perfeshnal crook,
But sometimes
cops 'as slabs uv luck, so sometimes 'e wus took, An' 'e got a repitation,

thro' 'im bein' twice interned;
But 'e didn't skite about it, 'cos 'e felt it
wasn't earned.
I reckerlect one time a Beak slings Mick a slab uv guff,
Wiv "Thirty
days or forty bob" (Mick couldn't raise the stuff) - An' arsts 'im where
'is conshuns is, an' w'y 'e can't be good, An' Mick jist grins, an' takes it
out, an' never understood.
An' that is orl there wus to Mick, wiv orl 'is leery ways.
If I wus up
among the 'eads, wiv right to blame or praise,
Whenever some sich
bloke as 'im wus tucked away fer good
I'd chalk them words above 'is
'ead: "'E never understood."
If I wus up among the 'eads, wiv right to judge the game,
I'd look
around fer chance to praise, an' sling the flamin' blame; Fer findin'
things in blokes to praise pays divvies either way; An' wot they're
blamed fer yesterd'y brings 'earty cheers to-day.
Yes, 'earty cheers frum thortless coots 'oo feel dead sure their God
Would never 'ave no time fer crooks 'oo does a stretch in quod; 'Oo
reckon 'eaven is a place where orl folk tork correck,
An' judgment,
where the "vulgar" gits it solid in the neck.
An' Ginger Mick wus vulgar. 'Struth! When things wus gettin' slow 'E
took to 'awkin' rabbits, wich is very, very low-
'E wus the sort o'
bloke to watch when 'e come in yer gate: 'E 'ad a narsty fightin' face
that orl nice people 'ate.
'E 'ad that narsty fightin' face that peacefulfolk call grim; But I 'ave
seen it grow reel soft when kiddies spoke to 'im. 'E 'ad them narsty
sullen eyes that nice folk can't enjure; But I 'ave seen a smile in 'em that
made our frien'ship sure.
There's men 'oo never knoo ole Mick, an' passed 'im in the street, An'
looks away an' sez, "See 'im? A narsty chap to meet!
'E'd be an ugly
customer alone an' after