第一章我还不能责备老以色列，因为我不是圣人。直到我得到我晚年的儿子，我才会知道。当我们活了一千年，死去又回来的时候，也许我们会解释这个泪谷的奥秘。毫无疑问，老雅各布对他父亲很刻薄。年代的儿子;但总而言之，别人的手并不干净。在过去的日子里，有些事情是必须要做的，这是真的?可是老雅各布呢?这个故事与历史无关。(他们必须保持高出生率，并在土地上繁衍生息?他们用简单的方法也做到了我们能做到吗?t理解。 The Patriarchs? way of fixing things Would make an awful row, And Sarah?s plain, straightforward plan Would never answer now.) his is a tale of simple men And one precocious boy? A spoilt kid, and, as usual, His father?s hope and joy (It mostly is the way in which The younger sons behave That brings the old man?s grey hairs down In sorrow to the grave.) Old Jacob loved the whelp, and made, While meaning to be kind, A coat of many colours that Would strike a nigger blind! It struck the brethren green, ?twas said? I?d take a pinch of salt Their coats had coloured patches too? But that was not their fault. Young Joseph had a soft thing on, And, humbugged from his birth, You may depend he worked the thing For all that it was worth. And that he grafted not but crowed, You don?t need to be told, And he was mighty cocky, with His ?Lo!? and his ?Behold!? He took in all his brothers said, And went and told his Dad, And then, when someone split on him, No wonder they were mad. But still he wasn?t satisfied, And it would almost seem He itched to rile his brethren, for He went and dreamed a dream, And told it to his brothers straight (So Genesis believes):? ?Lo! we were working in the field, And we were binding sheaves, And my sheaf rose and stood upright, And, straightway, for a sign, Your sheaves came round about and made Obeisance to mine!? The brethren stared and made comment In words that were not mild, And when the meaning dawned on them You bet that they were wild! And Joseph left those angry men To boil and blow off steam, And ambled, chuckling, home agen To dream another dream. ?Behold! I?ve dreamed a dream once more!? He told ?em, frank and free? ?The sun, moon, and eleven stars Have likewise bowed to me!? (Perhaps Astronomy has changed Since Joseph saw the light, But I have wondered what the sun Was doing out at night.) And when they dropped!?you never heard, In sheds or shanty bars, Such awful language as escaped From those eleven stars. You know how Jacob-Israel loved His hopeful youngest pup; But, when he heard the latest dream, It shook the old man up. But Joseph talked his father round, Who humoured every whim (Perhaps old Jacob half-believed They would bow down to him): But, anyway, as always was, He backed the youngest son, And sent the others with the sheep Out to the Check-?em run. CHAPTER II Now Jacob, with that wondrous tact That doting parents show, Or, anxious for his sons out back, Sent, of all others, Joe! To see if it was well with them (And they were not asleep), With one eye on his brothers? camp, And one eye on the sheep. He drew a blank on Check-?em run? Got bushed, too, you?ll be bound. A certain cove?there?s always one? Saw Joseph mooning round. He asked him how it came to pass, And what it was about, And said, ?They?re trav-lin? now for grass In Doothen?further out.? He also muttered, ?Strike me blue!? While staring at the clothes? He?d never seen a jackaroo With such a coat as Joe?s. He set the nameless on the track, And scratched his head to think, But gave it best, and, riding back, Said firmly, ?Strike me pink!? ?Twas blazing hot in Doothen then, The sweat ran down in streams? It melted out the memory Of even Joseph?s dreams! They?d had some trouble with the sheep, Some Arabs and a ?shirk?? It was a favourable time For Joe to get to work. They saw him coming, ?afar off?? In this case, you might note, Their eyesight wasn?t wonderful, Considering the coat. And what with sheep, and dust, and flies, And damned shirks in the swim With sheep stealers, the brethren were For absenteeing him. And, add to that, he scared the kine With his infernal coat? They trampled on the sheep and swine And startled every goat. The brethren had to round up then As fast as ass could go, And when they got to camp agen They?d fixed it up for Joe. Save poor old Rube?he had the blight, But, grafting all