A Tale of Two Cities in Limericks

There once lived a man named Syd Carton

Whose drinking made Darnay dishearten

Syd loved Darnay's wife and would give his own life

for Lucie, who lived like a Spartan

Charles Darnay traveled to France

For he thought it was his last chance

To help an old friend

And his troubles to mend

But it caused a very bad circumstance

Madame Defarge sat knitting

and although it was not quite befitting

Her anger was red

And she would cut off the head of all aristocrats, standing or sitting

Darnay was now in deep trouble

The poor who lived in the rubble

Were rising to fight

And the flame to ignite

Their madness to kill did redouble

In the midst of the French Revolution

Sydney Carton thought up a solution

That would save Darnay's life

From the guillotine knife

He would make himself the substitution

Sydney got the whole thing arranged

Their places with each other exchanged

Home Lucie raced

Afraid she was chased

It made her sick and deranged