| Syttende Mai Strum, Wisconsin Page 2 of 4 by Ralph Heath |
Swede Lars was almost out of breath With a tear drop in his twinkie--- He said, “I’ll quit this crazy race. I’ll go live in old Helsinki”. So now it was just one to one--- Swede Carl was still in place, ‘Til Haakon picked up a lutefisk and smacked him in the face. Carl wiped the stench off from his beard And said, “Haakon, my friend, I’ll go and live in Stockholm And this crazy race will end”. But Haakon said, “Just wait a bit”, As he sat down on a stone. “You must crown me king of Norway While I’m sitting on my throne”. Carl gazed around the lonely place And found to his own liking, A reindeer skull with two short horns And in the true sense of the Viking He placed it on his Norske friend, “Now hear as I proclaim You are the King of Norway And King Haakon is your name”. And Haakon in Norwegian style With his coffee cup held high Proclaimed the seventeenth of May Was Norways Fourth of July. The people all turned out that day The Norwegian streets were full. Music was played by Edvard Grieg And good old Ole Bull. Swede Carl was just about to leave. But Haakon said, “don’t run. Let’s get together once a year ‘Cause we’ve had so much fun”. “Yah, sure, you betcha”, Carl said. I’ll notify the others--- ‘Cause Thor and Jens and Lars and Carl Are your Scandinavian brothers. So each year on Syttende Mai, With all in one accord They’d celebrate Norwegian day As they gathered by the fjord. |