{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/jackal-and-child",
 "title": "Jackal and Child",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 56,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 56,
  "n_stanzas": 14,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "In the great Province of Bengal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The scavenger is the Jackal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For it doth love each night to feast,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On the carrion of some beast.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The stench of which pollutes the air,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But to this beast ’tis sweet and fair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Carcass to it is source of wealth,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Jackals promote the public health.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When the “Seapoys” did rebel,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A strange adventure child befell,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "An English Colonel and his wife,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They thought still distant was the strife.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And left their little girl at home,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While they to distant village roam;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And thus saved their lives from slaughter,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But rebels carried off their daughter.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Their servant woman, a Hindu,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They knew her to be kind and true,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It almost drove her crazy wild,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To see them dragging off the child.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The Colonel soon he doth return,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And in his breast fierce rage doth burn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He knows the child is doomed to die,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But he the rebels will defy.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So quick he doth gird on his sword,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And asks for blessings from the Lord,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He puts his pistols in their case,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And carries with him trusty brace.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Seapoys by the river side",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Left child to drown in rising tide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But Jackal went there for water,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And spied the Colonel’s daughter.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He knew the river soon would rise,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So quick he carried off the prize,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though love for child he does not feel,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He only wants her for a meal.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He ran with her towards the south,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Carrying her in his broad mouth,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The Colonel had a strong desire",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On this savage beast for to fire.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But from it he refrained for fear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The ball might strike his little dear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He saw that brute was now weary",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Running with his little dearie.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So he then quickly gave it chase,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And full soon then he gained the race,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The coward beast then dropped the child",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And fled away in terror wild.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "With joy Colonel he doth weep",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When he finds babe is still asleep,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And on it neither scar nor trace",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Can disfigure its fair face.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And now he takes it in his arms,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With joy and pride surveys its charms,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We fear that kisses did it smother",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When he handed it to mother.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}