The Battles of Prince Leopold, aka Slavic Serpent, Arab Eagle, Punjab Rat is an English children's rime used in history class to remember the three campaigns (Montenegro, the Sinaï and the Panjabi) fought during the War of the Third Alliance. The official full text goes:Slavic Serpent, Arab Eagle, Punjab Rat
Slavic Serpent, Arab Eagle, Punjab Rat
Our Royal Albert Leo is just that.
Fought the Serb and fought the Mahdis
Fought the Thugs of the Panjahbees
Then came home and made five sons and that was that.
Our Royal Albert Leo is just that.
Fought the Serb and fought the Mahdis
Fought the Thugs of the Panjahbees
Then came home and made five sons and that was that.
Albert Leo was Prince Albert Leopold of Belgium, Royal consort to Queen Caroline II, who actually went to fight the wars as field commander while his wife observed the Royal Duties back home. The official text however seems to be heavily bowderized with unofficial version abound where poor Albert Leo "came back home and kissed his wife and laid her flat", "came back home and fought his wife until his death" even "Burned his pipe in every port while he was att'it"
A Flemish-Dutch version where the Royal Consort "then went home to fight a chubby English cat" is still a popular skip rope tune in many schoolyards in Belgium.
Next up:
Otto the Fowler
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