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Poetry
By Sidney Lanier

Maclean, the Lord of the shire is hunting deer. He is very proud, and desires to shoot a deer in the "sight of the wife and the child." But his servants, who are supposed to be coaxing the deer toward his chosen stand, fail in their attempt and embarrass the proud Maclean. He tells Hamish to "Go, turn, if the deer seek to cross to the burn, do thou turn them to me: -- nor fail! lest thy back be as red as thy hand!" But by the time Hamish runs to the burn, the deers dart away, including a "ten-tined buck" and when he returns to his master, he knows his fate. "Ten blows on his bare back must fall, And reckon no stroke, if the blood follow not at the bite of the thong!" The beating drives Hamish to madness, and as the proud Maclean is leaving with his wife and child, Hamish grabs the child and runs up the cliff toward the sea and screams that Maclean must get the same punishment he receieved, or he will throw the baby over the cliff into the sea. Maclean bares his back, the crazed Hamish screams "One!" and laughs a terrible laugh. After the beating, Hamish moves back down the hill, and holds out the baby, until the mother nearly touches it. Then suddenly dashes up the cliff and jumps over the cliff with the child in his arms screaming "Reve-e-e-enge!!!"
Excellent dramatic piece for competition. High difficulty because of language used. A definite winner!

8 min.