THE VAMPIRE'S ANSWER. [To Cool Kipling & Burne-Jones.)

Response to Kipling's "A Fool There Was"

This is "A Vampire's Answer" to Kipling's "A Fool There Was" published in 1900 in Doctors' magazine: A monthly magazine devoted to the interests of ...: Volume 3, Issue 1 - Page 61. There is nothing in the version I found to indicate the writer's identity.

A woman there was who was wondrous wise

(Even as you and I);

Men called her an angel from paradise.

Pitied her innocence, praised her eyes;

Flirted with, flattered her, told her lies

(Even as you and I).

Oh, the tears we waste and the shears and

paste—

Work of many a heart and hand-

In beguiling the woman we think doesn't

know,

Till too late we find that she knows we know

More than we understand!

If woman there is and her time is spent

(Even as yours and mine)

In helping such fools to their own intent

(O pity that men are so innocent!).

At least she but gives as good as they send

(Even as yours and mine.

Oh, the time that's lost and the rhyme it has

cost—

And sermons so wise and grand—

In schooling the woman who doesn't know

why.

Till we finally find she always knows why,

And we can't understand!

Lo, the harmless fool, in his donkey's hide

(Not that the innocent lady tried),

And vampire's victims have not all died.

(Evidence you and I).

Ah, man's is the blame, but woman's the

shame -

The scourge and the red-hot brand—

And heaven knows why man never knows

why!

But why he knows why he doesn't know

why.

Can anyone understand?