You are in the central compound of a small coastal fort. A tall wooden pole in the center of the compound flies a proudly tattered flag of faded blue, white, and red bands. A wooden ladder leads up to low ramparts overlooking the area surrounding the fort, and there is a wooden door on the west side. The timber stockade has held up fairly well except for a small break in the south wall.
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	Dans les jardins de mon père
	les lauriers sont fleuris.  (bis)
	Tous les oiseaux du monde
	Qu’il fait bon dormir.

        Auprès de ma blonde,
        Qu’il fait bon, fait bon, fait bon,
        Auprès de ma blonde,
        Qu’il fait bon dormir.

        La caill’, la tourterelle 
        Et la jolie perdrix (bis) 
        Et ma jolie colombe
        Qui chante jour et nuit.

        Auprès de ma blonde, etc.

        Ell’ chante pour les filles
        Qui n’ont pas de mari.  (bis)
        Pour moi ne chante guère,
        Car j’en ai un joli.

        Auprès de ma blonde, etc.

        Il est dans la Hollande,
        les Hollandais l’ont pris.  (bis)
        "Que donn’riez-vous, la belle,
        Pour le voir revenir?"

        Auprès de ma blonde, etc.

        Je donnerais Versailles,
        Paris et Saint Denis, (bis)
        Les tours de Babylone,
        La cloch’ de mon pays!

        Auprès de ma blonde, etc.

        --------------------------------

        In the gardens of my father
        The laurel is in bloom. (twice)
        All the birds in the world
        Come there to make their nests.	

        Next to my fair-haired lady,
        How good it is, it is, it is,
        Next to my fair-haired lady,
        How good it is to sleep.

        The quail, the turtle-dove,
        And the pretty partridge (twice),
        And my pretty dove
        Who sings day and night.

        Next to my fair-haired, etc.

        She is singing for the girls
        Who don’t have a husband. (twice)
        For me she is scarcely singing,
        For I have a pretty one.

        Next to my fair-haired, etc.

        He is in Holland,
        The Hollanders have taken him (prisoner).
        “What would you give, lovely one,
        To see him return?”

        Next to my fair-haired, etc.

        I would give Versailles,
        Paris and St-Denis (twice),
        The towers of Babylon,
        The bell of my parish church!

        Next to my fair-haired, etc.	   
	

^ The text was inspired by Louis XIV’s campaign against Holland (1672-78),
   during which French soldiers were taken prisoner. It is attributed to an
   André Joubert du Collet, who was a prisoner of the Dutch for two years,
   during which he supposedly wrote the song in honor of his wife. It became
   a popular marching-song.

* You will observe that the speaker in the verses (a woman) is not the same
   as the speaker in the refrain (a man).