In the great green woods around us, There she watches, lightly tripping, Quick they must be to escape her, Sullen Norway looked its brightest, All around the dewy flowers And she pulled them up by handfuls, Now a butterfly flits by her, Decked with eyes and colours gay, Swiftly through the tangled thicket, Deeper, deeper in the forest, Oh! when wilt thou stay thy wand'ring, Soon we missed her from our cottage, Lost amid that mighty forest, All that morn in vain we sought her, When the pine tree summits glittered Still we sought, though nigh despairing, Then at length we stopped to listen— Why we did it, who can say— Heard the sound of childish laughter, Yes, we knew her gentle accents, Pushed aside the boughs, and saw our On a verdant plot reclining, At his length a brown bear lay, Garlands she had wreathed about him, One upon his shaggy forehead, With her dimpled hand she stroked him, Called him Pretty Bear, and kissed him, Then she saw us, cried, "O father, Like a shadow, all our terror, All our sorrow fled away; You had tamed the savage monster, Little May. E. N. N. EVENING XV. DOGS. Alice. Now, Edmund, we are to have dogs tonight. Edmund. More shame for you not to have had them before. Aunt C. Strange to say, much as dogs are loved, I do not find so many interesting verses about them as some other far less favourite animals; and those that exist are chiefly melancholy-either the faithful dog or his master dying. Edmund. I shall go, if you read anything doleful. Aunt C. Will you listen to this fearful tragedy, then, of a dog and a rabbit? It is from Little Folks, for February, 1880. THE ADVENTURES OF A SKYE-TERRIER AND A RABBIT. It was a fluffy rabbit; It had a horrid stare; Cluas saw it on the table, And said, "How came you there?" Young Cluas was a petted dog, A petted dog was he; And he said, "No love shall come between His master was a boy named Ned; And he went to the fair, And bought a fine morocco ball And the fluffy rabbit there. Then Cluas pricked his ears and growled ; His eyes were all aflame; He spied a string, the which he jerked, And motionless poor Bunny sat Upon the parlour floor, And stared at Cluas, which enraged Young Cluas more and more. And Cluas howled and growled and barked; But silent Bunny sat. Said Cluas, "You provoke me more Than even Spot, the cat. |