AS EV'RY ONE KNOWS, OR THINKS THEY KNOW

As ev'ry one knows, or thinks they know
from the Book of Genesis, 
the only villain of the piece 
was a snake named Nicholas Hiss;
'twas he who told poor Eve to eat 
the fruit of the Must-n't-Touch tree,
though how a snake communicates is a mystery to me.

As everyone knows, or thinks they know, 
things went form bad to worse; 
upon Old Nicholas' hapless head 
was set a mighty curse. 
No matter how smart that snake might be, 
for a serpent so unsound 
there was only one way left to go, 
by a-crawling on the ground.

But even a worm will eventually turn 
if you stomp upon his head,
and Hiss learned to meal on a passing heel-
with tomato sauce and bread;
which made our Nick so odious
to the average Jane or Joe
that they called him by quite different names,
such as Satan (meaning 'foe).

As everyone knows, or thinks they know,
that's how we got to be
so sartin' sure of good and bad,
from a bite of the Knowledgeable Tree.
And when we're caught out in a deed
of wickedness and sin
Old Nick is there to take the rap- 
we can put the blame on him.

As everyone knows or thinks they know
from the Book of Genesis,
there's we who belong with Patience Strong*
and them that belong with Hiss;
We can do what we like to such naughty folk-
they'll burn in the demon's fire,
while we will be flying up above,
taking part in the heav'nly choir.

So three cheers for the hero of this tale,
or rather hisses three,
for without the help of our fork-tongued friend
where would we humans be?
outside the gates of Paradise
without an alibi:
till just in the very nick of time
old Hiss comes winding by.