The Three Black Crows

Two honest tradesmen meeting in the Strand,
One took the other briskly by the hand;
"Hark ye," said he, "'tis an odd story this
About the crows!" - "I don't know what it is,"
Replied his friend. - "No! I'm surprised at that;
Where I come from, it is the common chat;
But you shall hear an odd affair indeed!
And that it happen'd they are all agreed;
Not to detain you from a thing so strange,
A gentleman, who lives not far from 'Change,
This week, in short, as all the Alley knows,
Taking a vomit, threw up Three Black Crows!"
  "Impossible!" -- "Nay, but 'tis really true;
I had it from good hands, and so may you." --
"From whose I pray?" -- So, having named the man,
Straight to enquire, his curious comrade ran.
"Sir did you tell?" -- relating the affair.
"Yes sir, I did; and, if 'tis worth your care,
'Twas Mr." - such a one - "who told it me;
But, by the bye, 'twas Two black crows, not Three!"
  Resolved to trace so wondrous an event,
Quick to the third the virtuoso went.
"Sir," - and so forth. - "Why, yes; the thing is fact,
Though in regard to number not exact.
It was not Two black crows, 'twas only One;
The truth of that you may depend upon;
The gentleman himself told me the case."-
"Where may I find him?" - "Why in" - such a place.
  Away he went, and having found him out,
"Sir, be so good as to resolve a doubt."--
Then to his last informant he referr'd,
And begg'd to know, if true what he had heard:
"Did you, sir, throw up a black crow?" - "Not I!"-
"Bless me! - how people propagate a lie!
Black crows have been thrown up, Three, Two, and One:
And here, I find, all comes at last to None!
Did you say nothing of a crow at all?"--
"Crow - crow - perhaps I might; now I recall
The matter over." - "And pray, sir, what was't?"
"Why, I was horrid sick, and at the last
I did throw up, and told my neighbour so,
Something that was -- as black sir, as a crow."