The fort is under siege; the Legion defend,

Determined to win, or with honour to die.

Honour above all, that they all comprehend.

If need be, even death they must all defy.

The enemy is vile, cunning like the fox,

The harsh desert is the mother of them all.

The fort is surrounded; all under deadlocks.

Hunger and thirst will be the cause of the fall.

Brave are the Legionnaires, but the hunger bite,

There’s no honour in dying of hunger and thirst.

On empty stomachs it is too hard to fight,

“May those rats of desert be forever cursed!”

Sergeant Alexander to Captain report:

“Mon Capitain, the situation is grave

Three hundred brave men are defending this fort,

And they are willing to descend into grave,

But the bad news is that they are all hungry,

We have a few figs left, enough for twenty….”

“And the good news is?”- asks Captain abruptly.

“We just have camel dung… but we have plenty!”

© P. J. Oszmann (2004) Illustration: Photomontage+Cartoon+Touch-up (2004)