They had tired of freedom --
The animal republic had --
And sought a single regent,
To rule absolutely, I add.

The animals gathered round
To write their election tracts;
Partisanship raged furiously.
Intrigues bloomed to pacts.

A committee of donkeys stood forth,
Led by the wily old Long-Ears;
On each one's head was a cockade,
Black, red and gold, to cheers.

The Horse Party was a minority
And none would venture opinion;
They feared the painful, braying shrieks
Of the old Long-Ears and their dominion.

When some ass simply dared propose
The candidacy of a horse,
All hell broke loose; one Long-Ears raged
"You are a traitor! You! Of course!

"A traitor, because not a single drop
Of donkey blood flows in you.
You are not a donkey, but likely
Were whelped by a Welsh she-ewe.

"Perhaps you stem from zebras, the skin
Striped and resembling the zebra;
Also your voice is nasal and loud,
Sounding like Egyptian or Hebra'.

"And if you are not a foreigner, you surely are
A plainly common sort of ass.
You cannot fathom our donkey nature,
Nor through its Psalter's mysteries pass.

"But I have immersed my soul, wholly
In the mysteries to which we are heir;
I am such a true ass, and as to my tail
There is donkey in its every hair.

"I am not a Roman, nor am I a slave;
I am a fine, staunch German ass,
Just like my forefathers. They were so brave,
Vegetarian, of the cleverest class.

"They did not toy with gallantry,
Or play a frivolous game;
They trotted, frisky-loyal-happy-free,
To the mill with sacks, not with shame.

"Our fathers are not dead! In their graves
Lie only a decaying shell,
Empty skins which die. From heaven
They see with pride in us and swell.

"Transfigured asses in glories' light!
We shall carry your flame,
And will never stray from our asses' path,
Not even were we lame.

"Oh, the joys of being a donkey,
Offspring from such Long-Ears.
I shall shout it from every roof:
A proud donkey should lead his peers.

"That great donkey that sired me,
Of strong, German stock was he;
On donkey's milk was I suckled
By my mother when I was wee.

"I am a donkey. I shall be true,
Like my elders of the Long-Ears line,
To our old and proven donkey ways,
And the donkey spirit, so fine.

"And because I am a donkey, I advise,
We elect a donkey as our king;
We will found a mighty ass empire,
Where donkeys rule over everything.

"We are asses! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!
And never be vassals to the horse.
Down with the horse! Long life, hurrah!
The king should be an Ass, of course."

So spoke the patriot, and in the hall,
The donkeys' applause roared loud.
They felt a nationalism surge within,
And stamped their hooves, quite proud.

They crowned that speaker's head
With an honored oak leaf wreath.
He thanked them, mute from gratitude,
His donkey tail wiggling beneath.