For these verses laughter is the point. It is not social commentary. It is not a moral lesson. It is simply an example of the joy of word-play.

The Rhyme of the
Chivalrous Shark
by Wallace Irwin

Most chivalrous fish of the ocean,
  To ladies forbearing and mild,
Though his record be dark, is the man-eating
  Shark
Who will eat neither woman nor child.

He dines upon seamen and skippers,
  And tourists his hunger assuage,
And a fresh cabin boy will inspire him with joy
  If he’s past the maturity age.

A doctor, a lawyer, a preacher,
  He’ll gobble one any fine day,
But the ladies, God bless ‘em, he’ll only address
  ‘em
Politely and go on his way.

I can readily cite you an instance
  Where a lovely young lady of Breem,
Who was tender and sweet and delicious to eat,
  Fell into the bay with a scream.

She struggled and flounced in the water
  And signaled in vain for her bark
And she’d surely been drowned if she hadn’t been
  Found
By a chivalrous man-eating shark.

He bowed in a manner most polished,
  Thus soothing her impulses wild;
“Don’t be frightened,” he said, “I’ve been properly
  Bred
And will eat neither woman nor child.”

Then he proffered his fin and she took it---
  Such a gallantry none can dispute---
While the passengers cheered as the vessel they
  Neared,
And a broadside was fired in salute.

And they soon stood alongside the vessel,
When a life-saving dinghy was lowered
With the pick of the crew, and her relatives, too,
And the mate and the skipper aboard.

So they took her aboard in a jiffy,
  And the shark stood attention the while,
Then he raised on his flipper and ate up the
  Skipper
And went on his way with a smile.

And this shows that the prince of the ocean,
  To ladies forbearing and mild,
Though his record be dark, is the man-eating
  Shark
Who will eat neither woman nor child.

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