THE CAT AND THE SNAKE – from Crimson (the cantata)

LYRICS

Can anyone tell me how the war began?
Does anyone remember how the war began?

The cat and the snake
Benjamin and Jake
lived down by the lake.
Daily, they would play
to pass the time away.
The cat and the snake.

Two creatures got along
and they would sometimes venture a song –
in harmony.

Then one fateful day
their friendship went astray.
The two came out to play
but Jake got in the way.
The cat stepped on his tail,
the snake began to wail!

“Watch where you’re goin’ you clumsy cat!”
“Stop with your hissing you lazy brat!”
“Haven’t you noticed? – you’re really fat!”
“You are so wrong – your tail is much too long!”

The cat arched his back
the snake did attack
the cat clawed the snake
Jake did retaliate!

What became of two friends?
Was there anyway to make amends?

From deep within the lake
there came a hungry crocodile.
From deep within the lake
a very nasty crocodile.
They were terrified!

“Oh, why were we fighting
when we should be uniting?”
“I forgive you.”

What can we gather from this silly tale of enemies?
Would we not rather try to get along and strive to be
true allies?

text – a Vietnamese folk tale