"Whát!" said th' ángels, "súch a big ball Júst to give light tó a little one!

Thát 's bad mánagement and you knów too You had plenty of light without it."

"Nót quite plénty," said God snappish, "For the light I made the first day, Álthough good, was rather scánty, Scárce enough for me to wórk by.

"Ánd besides how was it possible if I had not made the big ball

Tó have given the little one seasons,

Days and years and nights and mórnings?

"So you see there was nothing fór it
Bút to fix the little ball steády,

Ánd about it set the big one
Tópsy-turvying ás you hére see."

"It's the big ball we see steády,
And the little one round it whirling,"
Said the angels, by the great light
Dázzled, and their eyebrows shading:

"Nóne of your impértinence," said God
Growing more vexed évery moment;
"I know that as well as you do,
Bút I don't choose you should say it.

"Í have set the big ball steády
And the little one spinning roúnd it,
Bút I've told you júst the opposite
Ánd the opposite you must swear to."

"Ánything you say we 'll swear to,”
Said the angels húmbly bówing;
"Have you anything more to show us?
Wé 're so fond of éxhibitions."

"Yes," said Gód, "what was deficient
In the lighting of the little ball,
With this pretty moón I 've made up
Ánd these little twinkling stárs here."

"Wasn't the big ball big enough?" said With simplicity the ángels:

"Couldn't, without a miracle," said God, "Shine at once on báck and front side."

"Thére you 're quite right," said the ángels, "And we think you show your wisdom Ín not squandering miracles on those Whó believe your word without them.

"Bút do tell us why you 've só far
From your little ball pút your little stars;
Óne would think they didn't belong to it,
Scárce one in a thousand shines on it."

"Tó be sure I could have placed them
Só much nearer," said God smiling,
"That the little ball would have been as
Well lit with some millions féwer;

"Bút I'd like to knów of what use
Tó th' omnipotent súch ecónomy
Can't I máke a million million stars
Quite as easily as óne star?"

"Right again," said th' ángels, "there can Bé no mánner of doubt about it."

"Thát 's all nów," said Gód; "tomorrow Cóme again and yé shall móre see."

When the ángels came the next day
Gód indeed had not been idle,

Ánd they saw the little ball swarming
With all kinds of living creátures.

Thére they went in pairs, the creatures,
Óf all sizes, shapes and colors,
Stálking, hopping, leáping, climbing,
Crawling, búrrowing, swimming, flying,

Squealing, sínging, roáring, grúnting,
Bárking, braying, méwing, hówling,
Chúckling, gábbling, crówing, quácking,
Cáwing, croảking, búzzing, hissing.

Súch assembly there has néver

From that day down beén on earth seen; From that day down súch a cóncert Thére has never been on earth heard.

Fór there, rámping and their máker
Praising in their various fáshions,
Wére all God's creáted spécies,
All excépt the fóssilized ones;

Fór whose absence ón that great day
The most likely cause assigned yet,
Ís that they were quite forgotten
And would not go úninvited.

Bút let thát be as it máy be,

Áll th' unfóssilized ones were there
Striving which of thém would noisiest

Praise bestów upón their máker.

"Well," said th' ángels, when they 'd looked on Silently some time and listened;

“Well, you súrely háve a stránge taste; What did you máke all thése queer things for?"

"Cóme tomorrow and I'll show you,"
Said God, gleéful his hands rúbbing;
"Áll you 've yet seen 's á mere nothing
Tó what you shall seé tomorrow."

Só, when th' ángels came the next day
All tiptoé with éxpectation,

Ánd stretched nécks and eyes and ears out
Tówards the new world, Gód said to them: -

"There he is, my lást and best work;
There he is, the nóble creáture;

Í told you you should see something;
What do you say now? háve I word kept?"

"Whére, where is he?" said the ángels;
"We see nothing but the little ball
With its big ball, moón and little stars
Ánd queer, yélping, cápering kickshaws."

"I don't well know what you mean by Kickshaws," said God scárcely quite pleased, “Bút amóng my creatures yónder

Don't you see one nóbler figure?

"By his strong, round, tail-less buttocks, Ánd his flat claws you may knów him Éven were he not so like me

That we might pass fór twin brothers."

"Nów we see him," said the ángels; "Hów is 't possible wé o'erlooked him? Hé 's indeed your véry image

Ónly less strong and wise looking."

"Só I hope the mystery 's cleared up,"
Said God with much sélfcomplácence,
"Ánd you are no longer puzzled

What I've been about these six days."

66

Éven th' Almighty," said the angels,

"Máy be proúd of such chef-d'oeuvre,
Súch magníficént and crówning
Íssue of a six days' lábor."

Hére a deep sigh rént God's bosom,
Ánd a sháde came o'er God's features:
"Áh," he cried, "were yé but honest
Ánd no traítor stoód amongst ye!

"Thén indeed this wére a great work,
Thén indeed I were too happy;
Áh! it's too bad, dównright too bad,
Bút I'll — sháll I? yés, I'll let you;