Dad would spend a deal of his leisure time,
Rolling from skines, balls of twine.
A netting took, with the twine wrapped 'round,
He would make a net four foot from the ground.
At first I wondered what this net was for,
"You'll find out one day", he'd say no more.
It wasn't suitable for a local fish to get,
And three inch by three no fish it would net.
He carried on making this mysterious thing,
Used up balls and balls of twine string.
It finished up at least forty yards or more,
To the shed and back from our front door.
Then one frosty, misty, cold autumn morn,
Woke up, found net and my father gone.
Mum said "He left last night before it was dark.
Don't ask me, took net, up to some devious lark".
The mist didn't clear until about five-thirty,
Dad came home not long after, cold and dirty.
Told mum this story of his long night,
Only this time nothing seemed to go right.
Him and his mates would drag this net across a field
Just before dark to see what it would yield.
A newly cut corn field, just some stubble,
Catch many a rabbit, there'd be no trouble.
Spread the net from side to side,
Walk forward, over stubble it would glide.
Rabbits would panic when they heard it coming;
Every which way, in fear, they be running!
Lots of them would run headfirst into the net.
Mates behind dispatch them, collect as many as they could.
Then one of the team whispered "Hush, don't make a noise.
There's someone ahead of us, lay down boys."
They lay there shivering all through the night.
There was someone in the field alright.
Dad explained they could not go, collect their gear,
Police, gamekeepers, all around them they fear.
It certainly had given them quite a fright;
They lay there freezing all that autumn night.
No other plan could they possibly hatch;
Leave the net; also must leave their catch.
They knew to the hedge; bikes they must get,
Freezing cold, scared, tired and soaking wet.
They still had to report to work at eight,
Just dropped in at home, couldn't be late.
Dad got home that night, told us the full story,
Not a tale that will go down in glory.
Once a work, dad's mates tried to relate.
"Hold on" said the other gang "wait till you hear this, mate".
Of course, you may well have guessed by now,
Their mates we netting, telling them how.
Dad and his team instantly they knew,
The noise they heard was the other crew!
Not wanting to look silly, they didn't let on,
But passed the word when the others had gone.
None of us should ever say a single word,
To tell the truth would make all look absurd.
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