This one was also rec.arts.sf.composition - Graydon said that you never see Thor and his father in the same place, because where would there be enough beer for the two of them. This is for everyone in CAMRA.
Last year, dear friends, last year our festival
went excellently and uncommon well.
The beer we brew each autumn with our skill
was better than the custom, and we swilled
each type and taste and flavour as we would.
But then a stranger came into our tent.
A great tall man, red haired, red bearded too,
some travelling carpenter, or yet a smith,
some such we thought him for he held and swung
a hammer in his not-for-drinking hand.
Well, greet we guests as may, and unsought guests
are welcome, bringing luck, and so we pressed
a glass into his hand and bade him drink.
"Now drink your fill," I said, "and do not stint,
this is our festival, we made this beer
for drinking and for relishing, go to!"
He stopped a moment and beheld our beer,
our casks, or barrels, each one with its name
set up beside the cask for all to see.
He smiled a happy smile, like to a child
when seeing sweetmeats spread upon the board.
"Go to, go to!" I said, so he should know
our hospitality was meant and true.
He clapped me hard upon the shoulder then
and went to every cask in turn and drank.
Each time he sipped, then swallowed mightily,
he wet his beard with beer at every one.
And that was the beginning, first around
and many men do that at festival
I did myself, I own it, many years.
Then back he came, once round the tent again,
strong men have quailed to drink so many beers
young Tom once did it, twice around the tent
then languished for a week, how we all laughed.
This stranger did it, and he smiled to see
his coming back upon the first he tried.
"This one was good," he roared, "and I'll again.
What's this?" he asked, and taking up a cup
that stood upon the cask, examined it.
It was a silver gallon cup the beer
had gained in prize in festival before.
He then declared he'd taste the beer in that
in honour of the victory, and so
the barman filled the gallon to the brim
and down the stranger drank it, in one draught.
Then absently he turned it in his hand
and wandered to the next cask down the room.
"Go to," I said, but now my voice was cracked.
Three times! Three times he circled with that cup
till coming back again he spied a pail
which he thought good to hold, and so he drank.
At last, quite late, with all the music ceased
the dancers sitting down with aching feet
and talking died to murmurs and our thirst
that was so great now quenched in all our throats
we sat and watched the stranger drink the casks.
Some say that we were drunk, and aye, tis so.
It was our festival of beer, we drank withal!
To sit there sober were unnatural
on such a night as that, but still, my friends,
my eyes were open then, and I saw this.
That redbeard set his pail beside my chair.
"Go to!" I muttered, "Drink your fill my friend!"
Each cask he raised to shoulder height and drained
once more around the room, each clockwise cask
until he sat at last beside my chair
and grinned, and set his hammer careful down.
He asked me something then, aye, I was drunk!
And no reproach I answered as I did!
He spoke so kindly of our festival,
our hospitality, our hops, our grain,
our sun, our rain, our barrels, and our ale
that I was nodding merrily to hear
and so I nodded on and I said "Go to!"
when at the end of praises came request
to come again and bring his dad this year.
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