THE PIPER AND THE COW.

"There was a piper had a cow,

And he had naught to give her :

So he took up his pipes, and he played her a tune,

GOOD folks of the pen, I am sure you'll

agree

That author and publisher here we may see: The Piper plays tunes 'twixt the world and

the Cow,

And he has, at the same time, the care of

the mow:

When the crop in the barn shows but little to feed her,

To the Cow quoth the Piper, Consider, consider!

The Cow is a creature that cheweth the cud; Recalleth the hill-sides, with daisies bestud,

The sweet running waters, the breezes at

play,

While mournfully munching the last lock of

hay:

All the world that she knoweth of fra

grance and stir

Sealeth up in those dry stems its juices for

her.

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THE PIPER AND THE COW.

So it cometh, forsooth, that because she can

chew

People think it is all she can hunger to do: Neither Public nor Piper doth fully allow For the interdependence of mood and of

mow,

Or see how perplexing it may be, alas, For a Cow to consider between hay and grass!

Howbeit, if Mooly considereth well,

And giveth the Piper good milk for to sell, The Piper he maketh his own modest penny,

Just one at a time, till he hath a great

many;

And during the while this is coming to pass Fresh fodder grows plenty, and delicate

grass.

Once more life's a pasture; the season is

June;

The pipes play up cheerly the bonny-rig

tune;

The Cow is in clover; the buttercups hold Right up to her chin their probation of

gold;

But she knows, all the same, how 't will be when they bid her

The next year, as last year, Consider, consider!

BEHIND THE LOG.

"Pussy sits behind the log; how can she be fair?

Then comes in the little dog: Pussy, are you there? So, so, dear mistress pussy, pray tell me how

you do! I thank you, little dog, I am very well just now."

BEHIND the log, in the reek and mould,

How many poor things are there,

Who else might be sought, and caressed, and told,

So tenderly, they were fair!

Behind the log, ah, behind the log,

Such only can tell us how

They are glad of a word from a little dog

Who pauses to say Bow-wow!