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"O Oysters,” said the Carpenter, "You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?”

But answer came there none

And this was scarcely odd, because

They'd eaten every one.

LEWIS CARROLL.

Song of the Turtle and Flamingo

A lively young turtle lived down by the banks
Of a dark rolling stream called the Jingo,
And one summer day, as he went out to play,
Fell in love with a charming flamingo-
An enormously genteel flamingo!

An expansively crimson flamingo!

A beautiful, bouncing flamingo!

Spake the turtle in tones like a delicate wheeze:

66

To the water I've oft seen you in go,

And your form has impressed itself deep on my shell,

You perfectly modeled flamingo!

You tremendously 'A1' flamingo!

You inex-pres-si-ble flamingo!

To be sure I'm a turtle, and you are a belle,
And my language is not your fine lingo;

In Merry

Mood

In Merry But smile on me, tall one, and be my bright flame,
Mood You miraculous, wondrous flamingo!

You blazingly beauteous flamingo!
You turtle-absorbing flamingo!

You inflammably gorgeous flamingo!

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Then the proud bird blushed redder than ever be fore,

And that was quite un-nec-ces-sa-ry,

And she stood on one leg and looked out of one

eye,

The position of things for to vary,—

This aquatical, musing flamingo!

This dreamy, uncertain flamingo!

This embarrassing, harassing flamingo!

Then she cried to the quadruped, greatly amazed: "Why your passion toward me do you hurtle? I'm an ornithological wonder of grace,

And you're an illogical turtle,—

A waddling, impossible turtle!

A low-minded, grass-eating turtle!

A highly improbable turtle!"

Then the turtle sneaked off with his nose to the

ground,

And never more looked at the lasses;

And falling asleep, while indulging his grief,

Was gobbled up whole by Agassiz,—

The peripatetic Agassiz!

The turtle-dissecting Agassiz!

The illustrious, industrious Agassiz!

Go with me to Cambridge some cool, pleasant day,
And the skeleton lover I'll show you:

He's in a hard case, but he'll look in your face,
Pretending (the rogue!) he don't know you!
Oh, the deeply deceptive young turtle!
The double-faced, glassy-cased turtle!
The green, but a very mock-turtle!"

JAMES T. FIELDS.

In Merry
Mood

Captain Reece

Of all the ships upon the blue,
No ship contained a better crew
Than that of worthy Captain Reece,
Commanding of The Mantelpiece.

He was adored by all his men,
For worthy Captain Reece, R. N.,
Did all that lay within him to
Promote the comfort of his crew.

If ever they were dull or sad,
Their captain danced to them like mad,
Or told, to make the time pass by,
Droll legends of his infancy.

A feather-bed had every man,
Warm slippers and hot-water can,

In Merry
Mood

Brown Windsor from the captain's store,
A valet, too, to every four.

Did they with thirst in summer burn,
Lo, seltzogenes at every turn,
And on all very sultry days
Cream ices handed round on trays.

Then currant wine and ginger-pops
Stood handily on all the " tops; "
And also, with amusement rife,
A "Zoetrope, or Wheel of Life."
New. volumes came across the sea
From Mister Mudie's libraree;
The Times and Saturday Review
Beguiled the leisure of the crew.

Kind-hearted Captain Reece, R. N.,
Was quite devoted to his men;
In point of fact, good Captain Reece
Beatified The Mantelpiece.

One summer eve, at half-past ten,
He said (addressing all his men):

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Come, tell me, please, what I can do To please and gratify my crew.

"By any reasonable plan

I'll make you happy if I can;

My own convenience count as nil:
It is my duty, and I will."

Then up and answered William Lee
(The kindly captain's coxswain he,
A nervous, shy, low-spoken man),
He cleared his throat and thus began:

"You have a daughter, Captain Reece,
Ten female cousins and a niece,

A ma, if what I'm told is true,
Six sisters, and an aunt or two.
"Now, somehow, sir, it seems to me,
More friendly like we all should be,
If you united of 'em to

Unmarried members of the crew.

"If you'd ameliorate our life,
Let each select from them a wife;
And as for nervous me, old pal,
Give me your own enchanting gal!"

Good Captain Reece, that worthy man,
Debated on his coxswain's plan:
"I quite agree," he said, "O Bill;
It is my duty, and I will.

66

"My daughter, that enchanting gurl,

Has just been promised to an Earl,
And all my other familee

To peers of various degree.

66 But what are dukes and viscounts to The happiness of all my crew?

In Merry
Mood

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