When first they wed he was a sing-er, And much delight his songs did bring her; But nowadays he proves a sin-ger, And makes it hot for her as ginger.
To his cousin the Bat Squeaked the envious Rat, "How fine to be able to fly!" Tittered she, "Leather wings Are convenient things; But nothing _to sit on_ have I."
Potato was deep in the dark under ground, Tomato, above in the light. The little Tomato was ruddy and round, The little Potato was white.
And redder and redder she rounded above, And paler and paler he grew, And neither suspected a mutual love Till they met in a Brunswick stew.
"I long," said the new-gathered Lettuce, "To meet our illustrious guest." Cried the Caster, "Such haste Is in very bad taste: See first that you're properly _dressed_."
The Sun courted Water, Earth's loveliest daughter, And strove to abduct her in vain: For, when he had caught her, And to the clouds brought her, Home she came running in rain.
There was a rumpus in the Pack, Whereof the King and Queen and Jack Were playing knavish parts. On Club and Spade was put the blame; But these asserted 'twas a game Of Diamonds and Hearts.
When Georgie would not go to bed, If some one asked him why, "What is the use?" he gravely said, "You know I cannot lie."
It struck the signs of the Zodiac, Around the immovable Man Who stands in front of the Almanack To show his interior plan.
The Scorpion attacked the Bull, The Bull aroused the Lion; The Crab by their tails Flung the Fish in the Scales, Where they floundered as on a gridiron; The Billy Goat went for the Gemini twins; The Ram made a rush at Aquarius; And a n_arrow_ escape had the Virgo's shins From the shaft of her beau Sagittarius.
A whole-tail dog, and a half-tail dog, And a dog without a tail, Went all three out on an autumn day To follow a red-fox trail.
But the dogs that carried their tails along Fell out, it is said, by the way; And the loss of a tail and a half at the end Of the dogs put an end to the fray.
When each, as a morsel sweet, gulped down What had late been a neighbor's pride, "You've kept your tails," laughed the no-tail dog, "But you wear them now _inside_."
Make me, dear Lord, polite and kind To every one, I pray; And may I ask you how you find _Yourself_, dear Lord, to-day?