Now listen close, I bring the news

Of monsters that been slayed

The story that I'm telling you's

the Song of West Kincaid.

The morning of his thirteenth year
A Giant came to town
"I'll eat you all and chew your bones
I'll even steal your cows."

Young West Kincaid, now shook with fear
Ran to his father's side
The old man stuck abed with illness
spoke with father's pride

"I'm much too old, too frail, too weak
to stand up here and fight
Here, take my blade, my blessing
and fear not the Giant's might.

He may be big, he may be strong,
He may be most unkind
But you have something he does not.
The power of your mind."

Kincaid walked to the village square
With something of a plan
And stabbed the giant in the foot
And then he turned and ran.

He ran right past the millner's house
And hopped over her fence

And then

He hastened through the open fields
Where children camped in tents

And then

He turned around the village church
The giant followed 'round
He ran for half the day and night
and ran past everyone in town

And then

Kincaid ran down the village road,
the giant in his wake
He made his way through mounds of snow
and crossed the frozen lake


The giant followed, cracked the ice
and fell into the freezing water
Screaming, crying, drowning, dying
West Kincaid stood on the other
Side and sighed relief
Lo, he had won 'cuz he was smart
And yet he felt a growing worry gnawing at his heart


Young West Kincaid had slain the Beast
Aye, that's what heroes do
And afterwards, at home
He found his father, frozen too.

The lesson here, I hope you'll find
That's hidden here within
Is truth be told, that in the end
The hero always loses something.

Nothing left to say, my friends,
The story's all been played
out. Now you've listened, now you know it all.
The Song of West Kincaid.