Aus der Antarktis: Gedicht über Schlafsäcke

Früher wurden die Schlafsäcke ja aus Rentier Fellen hergestellt. Und die wichtigste Frage war, welche Seite wo ist. Das Fell Aussen oder Innen? Das folgende Gedicht von Herbert George Ponting, dem Fotografen der Expedition von Captain Scott beantwortet dieses Frage.

With apologies to Longfellow and The Song of Hiawatha

On the outside grows the furside, on the inside grows the skinside;
So the furside is on the outside and the skinside is on the inside.

As the furside is on the outside and the skinside is on the inside
One side likes the skinside inside and the furside outside.

Others like the skinside outside and the furside inside;
As the skinside is the hard side and the furside is the soft side.

If you turn the skinside outside, thinking you will side with that side,
Then the softside furside’s inside, which some argue is the wrong side.

If you turn the furside outside, as you say it grows on that side
Then the hard side’s next your own side, which for comfort’s not the right side.

As the hard side is the cold side, and your skin side’s not your warm side;
And two cold sides coming side by side, are not the right sides, one side decides.

If you decide to side with this side, turn the outside furside inside;
Then the hard side, cold side, skin  side, beyond all question’s inside outside ….
And it does not matter a particle what you do with the bally thing, someone’s
sure to tell you its outside inside.