Classic Poem

These are our regulations —
There's just one law for the Scout
And the first and the last, and the present and the past,
And the future and the perfect is " Look out! "
I, thou and he, look out!
We, ye and they, look out!
Though you didn't or you wouldn't
Or you hadn't or you couldn't;
You jolly well must look out!

Look out, when you start for the day,
That your kit is packed to your mind;
There is no use going away
With half of it left behind.
Look out that your laces are tight,
And your boots are easy and stout,
Or you'll end with a blister at night.
( Chorus ) All Patrols look out!

Look out for the birds of the air,
Look out for the beasts of the field —
They'll tell you how and where
The other side's concealed.
When the blackbird bolts from the copse,
Or the cattle are staring about,
The wise commander stops
And ( chorus ) All Patrols look out!

Look out when your front is clear,
And you feel you are bound to win.
Look out for your flank and your rear —
That's where surprises begin.
For the rustle that isn't a rat,
For the splash that isn't a trout,
For the boulder that may be a hat
( Chorus ) All Patrols look out!

For the innocent knee-high grass,
For the ditch that never tells,
Look out! Look out ere you pass —
And look out for everything else!
A sign mis-read as you run
May turn retreat to a rout —
For all things under the sun
( Chorus ) All Patrols look out!

Look out when your temper goes
At the end of a losing game;
When your boots are too tight for your toes;
And you answer and argue and blame.
It's the hardest part of the Law,
But it has to be learnt by the Scout —
For whining and shirking and " jaw "
( Chorus ) All Patrols look out!