THE ORIGIN OF THE "METCALF" NAME
(Fact or Fiction?)

"Way back in England's early days King Richard owned a bull
Of nasty disposition and of naughty meanness full.
The king did love this vicious pet.  He groomed him every day
And kept him in a gilded stall and fed him the choicest hay.
One night the bull did smash the gate.  He kicked it open wide.
And Lost himself out on the blooming English countryside.
Some miles away a farmer dwelt, a youthy clept, John Strong,
With muscles like a blinking ox.  His sturdy limbs were long.
His humble shanty stood within a "croft" out in the "maed" -
A clearing in the meadow, we would call it not instead.
Next morning John did take a walk to see his field of wheat.
As he passed a little grove this bull he chanced to meet.
The bull did glare at big John Strong e'en as such creatures do.
He snorted and he pawed the ground and bellowed "Boo-ah-ooh"
Said John, "What ho, son of a cow, thou canst talk thus to me!
I'll kick the stuffing out of thou and tie thee to a tree!
The bull did bellow once again and pawed the ground some more,
Then charged right at the farmer boy with mighty bullish roar!
John grabbed the creature by the horns and leaped astride his neck,
And kicked him in his glossy ribs and gave him holy heck!
The bull did buck for half an hour and madly leaped about,
But John did ride him "cowboy" til the beast was tuckered out.
He rode the creature down the trail and raised his voice in song
And yodeled, "Whoopee, yippee, little dogie get along."
The King found out the bull was lost out on the countryside.
He summoned out the Cavalry and after him did ride.
They trailed the bullish footprints to the croft out on the maed
And asked John if he'd seen the bull, and this is what he said:
"Nay, Sire, no bull hath come this way.  I'm handing you no chaff,
But earlier this very day 'tis true, I met a little calf."
The horsemen thought 'twas quite a joke.  With mirth they all were full.
John didn't know the difference 'twixt a calf and full-grown bull.
Far and wide his fame did spread and at him folks would laugh
"There goeth John the Strong, the one who met a calf."
As time went on his neighbors did shorten up his name,
And Metcalfe  was the substitute that seemed to mean the same.
The experts say, "A lot of bull," and at this tale have scoffed.
They say the name is nothing but his dwelling place, "Med-croft."
To heck with such a sober vie.  I do not like it half.
I'd rather be descended from the guy ..... who met the calf!"