Ring Thing

There once was a king with a ring:
O, the beautiful diamond flash,
and immense amounts of cash it cost,
a delectable ring and a wonderful thing,
but it slipped from his finger,
went ping on the ground
dived into the sea with a splash-
-ing sound.

The soulful, doleful king
of dismal, abysmal, far-flung lands,
could do nothing but wring his hands,
and gnash his teeth, while underneath
on the deep seabed, the errant ring
rolled along on the golden sands...

But here's an amazing thing:
it is swallowed (the ring) by a ling.
A ling is a long slim fish,
twenty kilos or so
as these things go
with a tail to swish,
six feet from its open mouth.

A fisherman bold and brash
dangled a piece of string,
with a hook and wriggling worm
(don't let me see anyone squirm.)

A fisherman bold and brash
dangled a piece of string,
with a hook and wriggling worm
(don't let me see anyone squirm.)

"Look what a fish I've caught:
you won't be sorrier when you've bought
this beautiful toothsome ling."
And he showed it round,
and the king's chef bought it for fifteen pound
thirty six pence.
As he carried it thence,
he thought such a ling
was just the thing
to console the stomach of a king
who'd lost his valuable ring.

"Sire, it's your favourite dish
fine roasted fish (it's ling)
served up with cabbage and mash."
The king's knife goes in: Slish! slash!
then he sees a familiar flash.
"It's my ring," said the king.
"O my beautiful ring.
Let everyone dance,
let everyone sing!"

And I can confirm
that the church bells rang;
and everyone danced,
and everyone sang,
(except for the ling and the poor little worm.)