Play & Earnest

Over dewy hill and lea Merrily Rushed a mad-cap breeze at play, And the daisies, like the bright Stars at night, Danced and twinkled in its way.

Now, a tree called to the breeze, "Little breeze, Will you come and have a play?" And the wind upon its way Stopped to play. Then the leaves, with sudden shiver, Sudden quiver, Met the light Mad-cap breeze With delight.

Presently the breeze grew stronger, For it cared to play no longer. So it flung the limbs about, And it tossed the leaves in rout, Till it roared, as though with thunder. Then the poor tree groaned and bent, And the breeze,--a tempest,--rent Leaves and branches from its crowns Till, at last, it flung it down, Stripped, and bare, and torn asunder.

H. Pyle

poem with pictures of: "Ye King" praying, "Ye Saint" holding the baby with stork standing by, "Ye Stork" with baby in flight, and "Ye Cobbler" at work.]

THE ACCIDENT OF BIRTH.

Saint Nicholas used to send, so I am told, All new-born babes by storks, in days of old.

1 King Friedrich Max of Stultzenmannenkim, For many years unto the Saint did pray, That he would send unto his Queen and him, A baby boy, to be the King some day. At last the Saint the King's petition heard, And called to him a sober long-legged bird.

2 Quoth he, "Good Wilhelm Stork (such was its name), Here is a baby boy to take away. It is for Fritz; so bear him to the same, Or rather to his Queen, without delay. For one grows weary when one always hears The same words daily dinning in one's ears."

3 Now Wilhelm Stork was old, and dull of wits, For age not always sharpens wisdom much, So what does he but bear the gift to Fritz The cobbler, who had half a score of such. And so the baby, through a blunder, passed From being first of all, unto--ye last.

4 From this I gather that a new-born Prince, From new-born cobbler's somewhat hard to know, For which of us could tell the difference, since One thus experienced was mistaken so? Also, perhaps, I should be great, instead Of writing thus, to earn my daily bread.