Turvey Top And never a man said what he meant, They blended colours that will not blend, They didn't believe in the wise and good, They read in "books that are no books," Now, such were the folks of that wonder-land, Well, I think that he whose views of life Who sneers at the good, and makes the ill, Who measures life by the rule of wrong The man who stays when he ought to move, Is strangely like the folk in my dream, 885 William Sawyer. A BALLAD OF BEDLAM O LADY wake!-the azure moon The early beam of rosy night Pants, neighs, and prances to be free; To some rich desert fly with me. Unknown. XIV NATURAL HISTORY THE FASTIDIOUS SERPENT THERE was a snake that dwelt in Skye, He lived upon nothing but gooseberry pie Now gooseberry pie-as is very well known,- Is not to be found under every stone, Nor yet upon every tree, oh. And being so ill to please with his meat, Over the misty sea, oh; The snake had sometimes nothing to eat, And an angry snake was he, oh. Then he'd flick his tongue and his head he'd shake, Over the misty sea, oh, Crying, "Gooseberry pie! For goodness' sake, Some gooseberry pie for me, oh.” And if gooseberry pie was not to be had, Over the misty sea, oh, He'd twine and twist like an eel gone mad, But though he might shout and wriggle about, Over the misty sea, oh, The snake had often to go without His breakfast, dinner and tea, oh. 887 Henry Johnstone. THE LEGEND OF THE FIRST CAM-U-EL AN ARABIAN APOLOGUE ACROSS the sands of Syria, Or, possibly, Algeria, Or some benighted neighbourhood of barrenness and drouth, There came the Prophet Sam-u-el Upon the Only Cam-u-el A bumpy, grumpy Quadruped of discontented mouth. The atmosphere was glutinous; The Cam-u-el was mutinous; He dumped the pack from off his back; with horrid grunts and squeals He made the desert hideous; With strategy perfidious He tied his neck in curlicues, he kicked his paddy heels. Then quoth the gentle Sam-u-el, "You rogue, I ought to lam you well! Though zealously I've shielded you from every grief and woe, It seems, to voice a platitude, You haven't any gratitude. I'd like to hear what cause you have for doing thus and so!" To him replied the Cam-u-el, "I beg your pardon, Sam-u-el. I know that I'm a Reprobate, I know that I'm a Freak; But, oh! this utter loneliness! My too-distinguished Onliness! Were there but other Cam-u-els I wouldn't be Unique." The Prophet beamed beguilingly. "You feel the need of company? I clearly understand. The corresponding mate for you Ho! presto, change-o, dinglebat!"-he waved a potent hand, Unsatisfied Yearning And, lo! from out Vacuity A second Incongruity, To wit, a Lady Cam-u-el was born through magic art. Her form and face were comical; She was, in short, a Cam-u-el, the other's counterpart. As Spaniards gaze on Aragon, Upon that Female Paragon 889 So gazed the Prophet's Cam-u-el, that primal Desert Ship. A connoisseur meticulous, He found her that ridiculous He grinned from ear to auricle until he split his lip! Because of his temerity That Cam-u-el's posterity Must wear divided upper lips through all their solemn lives! A prodigy astonishing Reproachfully admonishing Those, wicked, heartless married men who ridicule their wives. Arthur Guiterman. UNSATISFIED YEARNING Down in the silent hallway Scampers the dog about, And whines, and barks, and scratches, Once in the glittering starlight, He straightway doth begin To set up a doleful howling In order to get in. R. K. Munkittrick. |