The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47949   Message #3465791
Posted By: Joe Offer
14-Jan-13 - 02:28 AM
Thread Name: DTStudy: Abdul Abulbul Amir (Percy French)
Subject: ADD: The Return of Abdul Abulbul Amir (Crumit,1930
I really think we need to post the Frank Crumit sequels to "Abdul."

ArabKitsch.com has "The Return of Abdul Abulbul Amir":

THE RETURN OF ABDUL ABULBUL AMIR
(Frank Crumit)

By the Sea of Sargossa I wandered one night.
The moon it was shining quite clear.
For no reason at all I heard someone call
For Abdul Abulbul Amir.

Now Abdul Abulbul I knew to be dead.
The story had spread near and far
How he'd lost his life while plunging his knife
Into Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

As I pondered, the moonbeams descended quite low,
Casting shadows so ghostly and then
I discovered that I was standing close by
The tombs of these two famous men.

Then in the tomb's shadow there rose from the grave
The form of a Russian hussar
And my skin nearly peeled as he stood there revealed.
It was Ivan Skavinsky Skavar.

'Twas he who was calling; I hardly dared breathe.
My heart 'most stopped beating from fear
When out of the grave, in need of a shave,
Rose Abdul Abulbul Amir.

"Wouldst speak with me, Ivan?" quoth Abdul quite low.
"I wouldst," replied Ivan quite clear.
"That quarrel we had, it was all to the bad,
Friend Abdul Abulbul Amir."

"I've lain here for ages with that on my mind,
And that's why I called you tonight."
"Well, I'm in the same state," quoth Abdul the Great.
"'Twas foolish for we two to fight."

"Old friend, thou art blameless," cried Ivan in haste.
The fault lie in mine hands alone."
But Abdul said, "Nay, it was never that way.
The fault was no one's but mine own."

"But thou wert the greater! And I but a knave
To cast such a truculent sneer."
"I said it was ME, and so it must be,"
Quoth Abdul Abulbul Amir.

"Dost think I'm a coward? Not Ivan Skavar!
Step forth and I'll slice off thine ear."
"O son of a cat, you'll never do that,"
Quoth Abdul Abulbul Amir.

Then once more they battled and fought as before
And multitudes came from afar
And lauded with cheers these bold Buccaneers:
This Turk and this Russian hussar.

The ghost of the Czar on a fiery black steed
Came rushing to witness the fray
While the Sultan sat there in his royal gold chair.
'Twas just like a scene from a play

'Twas just at that moment each sword found its mark
And I heard a blood-curdling scream.
Then came the surprise, for I opened my eyes
And found it was only a dream.

The Digital Tradition has a transcription of "Return" here (click).
I have good reason to doubt the accuracy of both the DT version, and the version I've posted in this message.
And my skin nearly pealed as he stood there reveled????
How 'bout: "And my skin nearly peeled as he stood there revealed"?

Text corrected based on a recording by Crumit. --one of the clones