When I woke up in the middle of the night with this verse in my head, my first thought was that it would have been ideal material for Ronnie Barker in the character of Arkwright from the TV series Open All Hours.

Arkwright

B'Ber Burr Burr!
(Or the Berber Barbers of the Barbary Coast)

Now the Berbers of old
By their barbers were told
To grow beards was the right thing to do
Soon the Berbers they found
Their chins on the ground
From the weight of the beards that they grew

Said the Berbers of old
To their barbers so bold
We grew beards that are heavy as lead
But with chins on the ground
Burr burr went the sound
And nobody heard what they said

Then the barbers of old
Stole the Berbers' bright gold
And their treasure was rapidly spent
Leaving naught to be found
On the Barbary ground
But the Berbers all bad'ely bent

There's no more to unfold
Now the tale's been told
Of the Berbers, their barbers and treasure
But the burr burring sound
For which it's renowned
Is something to savour with pleasure

— • —

Copyright The Mundesley Hermit ©2007
All rights reserved.

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